A paranormal guidebook to accommodations in New England
Written: Jul 11 '09 (Updated Jul 23 '09)
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Pros: A valuable resource for anyone planning a trip to pursue ghosts in New England
Cons: Limited to smaller B&B-like establishments, two are unidentified, some info could be outdated
The Bottom Line: This book gives readers some interesting true ghost stories whether the reader is planning a trip to New England or not.
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| adriennefoster's Full Review: Mark Jasper - Haunted Inns of New England |
With the growing popularity of TV shows like Medium and Ghost Hunters, ghost hunt travel has been increasing in popularity during the past few years. It's amazing how many people would like to see a ghost or witness paranormal activity. Much to the surprise of some hotel managers, rumors of ghosts attract more guests than those who are scared off. Haunted Inns of New England is an excellent resource for anyone planning a trip to pursue paranormal interests in the Northeast corner of the United States or it can be good armchair reading as well.
The main body of this trade paperback provides listings of 39 inns. Each inn is given a chapter of its own, including details of the building and décor as well as briefly encapsulating its history and haunting. It's supplemented by an introduction, acknowledgments, and plenty of black & white photos to help illustrate the stories. Also provided are general maps of the states they're located in to help pinpoint where each inn is located. The states covered include Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
Probably the highest profile lodging included in this collection is that of the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum, in Fall River, Massachusetts. As one of the most famous American murder cases in the late 19th century, this was the site where Lizzie Borden allegedly "took the axe and gave her mother 40 whacks." She was acquitted of murdering her parents in 1893, but moved out of the locale afterward. The stigmatized house survives and tours are provided. Michelle, one of the staffers, said she heard two women having a conversation in a second story room that was supposed to be empty, but it ceased as soon as she opened the door. Guests have reported hearing the disembodied sobs of a woman on the third floor and seen the apparition of an older woman in Victorian fashion going about her household chores.
In Newport, Rhode Island, the Black Duck Inn was built in 1898 as accommodation for single blue collar working men. It was named for a notorious rum-running vessel that smuggled booze through Newport Harbor during the Prohibition. The most frequent phenomena that occurs there are the sound of footsteps when no one is around to make them. One of its most bizarre occurrences happened when it had no guests at the time. The alarm clock in every room went off at exactly the same time.
The Captain Fairfield Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine, probably has the most romantic background in this directory. Captain James Fairfield, a commercial mariner, built this house for his wife, Lois, in 1813. While on a working voyage, the young captain had his portrait painted for his wife while in the South and shipped it back to her. Unfortunately, the ship it was sent on sank, but it was packaged in an airtight container and years later eventually floated to the top of the water with its shipping info intact after he had died. One of the inn's owner's, Dennis Tellagnon, says he went down to the basement once to fetch some ingredients from the freezer when he felt as though someone was in the room with him. When he turned around, he saw a young man in colonial fashion, bearing a striking resemblance to the image in Fairfield's portrait.
Author Mark Jasper successfully puts together the book he intended. He located and personally visited all of the inns. His anecdotes come from first-hand witnesses, which is something many paranormal researchers rarely bother doing. His writing style is clean and easy to follow, despite a few copy-editing errors.
Massachusetts is the best represented state in this volume, particularly the Cape Cod region, supplying 20 of the lodgings. The only one Jasper identifies in New Hampshire is the Three Chimneys Inn in Durham. All of the establishments listed are small businesses, even though New England has some big hotels, like the Omni Parker House in Boston, that have haunting reputations.
Probably the biggest criticism that can be made of Jasper's work is it could have been organized a little better. It would have been preferable that instead of using cute, creative names for the chapters to use the name of the establishment. However, the owners of two of the inns were reticent and asked for anonymity.
In addition, since this book was first released in 2000, a good portion of the information it provides is likely to be outdated. The smaller lodgings often change in ownership and contact info. Most noticeable is the complete lack of URLs or e-mail addresses, but these change even more frequently.
On the other hand, readers don't have to be planning a trip to the Northeast to enjoy Haunted Inns of New England. It can be valuable resource for travelers, but it also makes an intriguing slant for true ghost stories. This book is recommended for all readers who enjoy reading experiences of the paranormal.
More haunted hospitality guides:
Haunted Inns of Britain & Ireland, by Richard Jones
Haunted Hotels, by Robin Mead
Weekend Haunts, by Robin Mead
Recommended:
Yes
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