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Haunted Honeymoon
By Sandra L. Fallecker
FATE :: August 2000

Unexplained, Sightings, Unsolved Mysteries, and renowned psychics all agree that the Farnsworth House Inn in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is definitely haunted. This 189-year-old house is now a bed and breakfast. It has four haunted Victorian guest rooms and an attic from which Confederate sharpshooters accidentally shot Jennie Wade. The Farnsworth House Mourning Theater is held in the basement.

My fiancé Scott and I planned to get married on Halloween, and we were looking for the ideal place to spend our honeymoon. The Farnsworth House turned out to be exactly what we were looking for.

I have always been sensitive to my surroundings. On occasion, I have been able to see spirits, but usually I sense them. Sometimes this feeling has been so overwhelming that I have had to leave the area in question. Scott, on the other hand, has never experienced anything like this. He was hoping to have his first experience at the Farnsworth House.

When we checked in, the first thing we noticed was an unusual photograph hanging on the oak wall next to the reservation desk. Inquiring about it, we were told that the inn had just received it from a guest who had stayed in the Sarah Black room. It showed a smoky wisp of an image next to a Victorian canopy bed. Neither woman behind the desk seemed excited about the photo. They just casually commented that it was probably “Mary” in the picture.

The original part of the house was built in 1810, followed by the brick structure in 1833. The Sweney family occupied the house during the Civil War battle and the Black family opened it as an inn in the early 1900s. The current owners, Loring Shultz and his family, bought the house in 1972. They restored the house to its 1863 appearance.

We were shown to our room by our hostess. Entering the original section of the house was like being sent back in time. Everything was completely restored to look like the 1860s. Proceeding down a narrow, twisting hallway, we came to the section built in 1833.

The layout of this section has a dramatic impact on one’s senses. The warm tones of the original house were replaced by dark oak colors. It gave the appearance of two entirely different homes. The connecting feature between the two was a small landing and a staircase leading down to the main dining room. On the landing was an oversized antique grandfather clock.

Our hostess informed us that there were only two bedrooms on this floor- the Sarah Black room and ours. As it turned out, the rooms were side by side, sharing one wall between them. The only other features were the massive stairs that led to the attic. Before taking her leave, she told us the other guests in the Black room hadn’t checked in yet, but we would probably see them at dinner.

We decided it was time to get settled into our room. After some difficulty, Scott managed to get our door opened. When the Shultzes restored the house, they kept the original walls, flooring, rafters, and doors. We were surprised upon entering our room. Considering how ominous the hallway and staircase appeared, we expected our room to match the decor. Quite the opposite was true. The room was bright and cheery, featuring colors such as rose and tan. Beautiful antiques, which included personal items such as an old fashioned brass shaving kit and jewelry box, were carefully placed throughout the room.

After having driven almost four hours, Scott suggested we relax awhile before exploring Gettysburg. We were both tired from our wedding the day before. Besides, I was still recovering from a cold. The large, antique oak bed was appealing, but as I tried to relax, a feeling that something was severely amiss took hold of me. Unable to shake this, I informed Scott that it was time to go into town. I could tell he thought I was crazy by the look on his face. Looking down at his watch, he started to say that we’d only been here…then he stopped in mid-sentence. His watch was stopped at 1:10 p.m., the exact time we had entered the room.

Standing a few feet away from our door facing the grandfather clock, I could hear Scott behind me locking the door. An icy coldness suddenly seemed to pass right through me. Every hair on my body stood straight up and goose bumps appeared. I received the distinct impression we were being carefully watched and evaluated. Turning to Scott, I noticed he seemed frozen with his hand still on the doorknob. His face was pale, and he had a confused look about him. After some discussion it became apparent he had experienced the same uncomfortable sensation. However, someone had one more experience in mind for us. Behind us we could hear the distinct sound of footsteps leading to the Sarah Black room. We knew at that time no one else was in that section of the house. Gathering our courage, we approached the room to find the door ajar. Reaching for the knob, it suddenly slammed shut ...

Read the rest of this article in the August 2000 issue of FATE

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