As told by Chris Woodyard, Beth Scott, and Michael Norman
No Page devoted to Ghost of Ohio could go without mentioning this wonderful quaint Inn. The Buxton Inn located in Granville, Ohio is one of the most note worthy haunted spots in central Ohio.
The Buxton Inn was built in 1812 by Orin Granger. He was originally a native of Massachusetts who came to Ohio to better his lot in life. The site originally served as a post office and stagecoach stop on the Columbus Newark line. Drivers slept and made their meals in the basement of the structure. Cooking over a fireplace, and sleeping on the floor on straw pallets. The inn is one of the oldest continuous operating inn in the state of Ohio.
Major Buxton from of whom the inn takes its name operated the inn from 1865 to 1905. His picture hangs in the lobby of the inn to this day. You see the inn seems to be mostly haunted by the spirits of former owners.
Orin Granger has been seen as a elderly gentlemen in knee breeches sometimes dressed in blue. He has also been accused of the petit crime of stealing and eating pies from the inn's pantry.
Major Buxton has been seen as a shadowy figure in various parts of the house. Some staff members have seen him sitting in a chair near the fire place in the dinning room. Guest warming their hands by the fire have seen a ghostly disembodied set of hands appear next to theirs.
The ghost of Ethel (Bonnie) Bounell also haunts the site. She operated the inn from 1934 to 1960. Her favorite color was blue, and she died in room #9. She has been seen in various parts of the inn dressed in her favorite color, and at different ages of her life. Rooms #7 and #9 seem to be the best place to encounter her though. The odor of gardenia perfume sometimes manifests itself with her appearance. During a blizzard in the year 1978 she frightened an unbelieving cook of the inn by being in the bed he was attempting to get into in room #7. In 1991 a nurse was staying in room #9 when she awakened to find a woman dressed in white sitting at the foot of her bed. The woman asked, "Are you not sleeping well?" To which the startled nurse replied, "No I'm not!" The ghostly lady then vanished. The next morning the guest identified to the staff and her friends the lady in her room when shown a picture of Ethel Bounell.
The basement where the drivers ate and slept is also an area of paranormal activity. Staff have reported feeling something in the room with them after hours. They have also heard footsteps above when the inn was empty. Knocks have been heard on the front door that when opened by the staff reveals no one there. Once the front door was heard to open of its own violation and then close. Heavy foot steps ascended the stairs, then came back down. Once again the front door opened and close by itself. A ghostly cat has been felt by guest staying in room #9 as well. This is perhaps the gray cat that graces the sign of the inn.
So if your looking for a haunted place to stay try the Buxton Inn, and don't forget to ask for rooms #7 or #9!
The Buxton Inn is easy enough to find. It is near the intersection of Route 37 and Route 661 in Granville (Licking County), Ohio. Look for an oval sign with a gray cat on it. The staff will not talk about the spirits of the inn unless asked, and then they will stick to the facts. When I called the very nice lady stated that it would cost about $80.00 to $90.00 a night for two people depending on which room I was assigned. My wife and I plan to stay there sometime soon, but not because of the hauntings. As you see the Inn itself without the ghosts is worth the visit.
For information about the Buxton Inn's rates, cusine, etc. click the
following link: http://www.buxtoninn.com
This post, including photos and commentary, originally appeared on James A. Sheets' site.
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