The Buxton Inn: Granville, OH

The Buxton Inn: Granville, OH
Ghosts of the Prairie

he Buxton Inn was built in 1812 by Orrin Granger, who left Granville, Massachusetts and moved west with his family. The building originally served as a post office and stagecoach stop. The drivers cooked their meals in the massive fireplace in the basement and bedded down there on pallets of straw. The first ghost was encountered here in the late 1920's by the son of one of the owners. Fred Sweet came downstairs to the kitchen one evening looking for a late night snack. To his surprise, a semi-transparent figure was standing in the pantry... eating the last piece of pie!

Now, this may sound a little hard to believe (I certainly thought so) but there must have been more to this encounter than first meets the eye, because Fred was able to report more information about the early years of the inn that he should have known! The ghost was said to have sat down at the table with Fred and introduced himself as Orrin Granger, the original owner. He was said to have recalled tales to Fred of the early days of the building and the stagecoach business along the nearby Granville Pike. The ghost was said to be pleased with the way that Fred's mother was running the place and with a smile, simply faded away.

That wouldn't be his only visit though... as the ghost of Orrin Granger has been seen many times over the years.

In 1972, Orville and Audrey Orr purchased the Buxton Inn and started restoring the place to its former glory. Several men were hired to work on the building and they encountered a ghostly woman that Mr. Orr had heard was haunting the building. The mysterious "Lady in Blue" has been encountered many times since and she is believed to be the ghost of Ethel Houston "Bonnie" Bounell, the establishment's innkeeper from 1934 to her death in 1960. She was a very popular woman who has been seen wearing an old-fashioned dress of blue, her favorite color. She has been encountered by staff, customers and even psychics alike.

It is not uncommon for footsteps to sound through the house, doors and windows to open and close and other strange things to happen. Mr. Orr has had more than his share of strange things take place and has also encountered the shadowy figure of a man in other parts of the house. He believes this ghost is Major Buxton, for whom the inn is named. He was the owner of the establishment from 1865 to 1905 and, like the other spectral, former innkeepers, seems happy to stay behind.

There is something about the Buxton Inn that makes it one of the most famous haunted spots in Ohio.... whether it be a warm bed or a delicious meal, the hospitality here is so great that you may just never want to leave.

The Buxton Inn is located in Granville, Ohio, near the central region of the state. It is six miles west of Newark on Highway 16 and the inn can be found at 313 East Broadway in Granville.

313 EAST BROADWAY
GRANVILLE, OHIO 43023
PH (740) 587-0001 / FAX (740) 587-1460