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Haunted Rhode Island


Bed down with spirits that still call some inns and hotels home

New England has its fair share of inns and hotels where the spirits of deceased residents are said to hang around, even to the present day. Many have stories associated with them – some tales of heroism, some tales of violence and trauma. Most often, the spirits are simply bumping around, watching present-day goings-on, sometimes pulling silly pranks. Below are some New England hostelries said to be inhabited by ghostly presences.


The Black Duck Inn
Newport

This inn, build in 1898 in the heart of Newport’s downtown, is home to a mischievous and utterly friendly spirit, according to the inn’s owner, Mary Rolando. The spirit loves practical jokes, and has a special fondness for playing games with locks, lights, and clocks. The ghost often locks deadbolts throughout the house, turns lights on and off, and tromps about loudly, as if he was wearing heavy boots. Alarm clocks are a special toy. One time, Rolanda said, all the alarm clocks in all the guest rooms began sounding at the same moment, with no rational explanation that Rolando or her staff could fathom.

The Inn at Villa Lon
Newport

This lavish house, built in 1856, has an eventful history that makes it a likely place for ghosts to inhabit. In fact, it has a reputation of bristling with spirit activity, according to psychics who have made video and audio recordings of spirit activity. The house was a stop on the Underground Railroad; the site of a forest path used by Indians; and the location of a murder in the early 1900s and a vicious stabbing in the 1940s or 1950s. A previous owner, who was once sleeping in a room that is now the ballroom, said she awoke one night to the sight of a Narragansett Indian in full war paint. A housekeeper saw two gentlemen in Victorian-era dress escorting a black child through the ballroom. Once a year, neighbors see in the yard in front of the inn an early 20th-century automobile of the kind that was owned by a notorious philandering doctor who lived in the house and who was shot dead in the front yard. During a séance at the inn, a glass of water began spinning by itself. A visiting psychic witnessed a perfume bottle slid across a dresser top and said she believed an argument took place in the room and a perfume bottle was thrown against a wall. On many occasions, people have seen images of a woman, heard children’s voices, see a ghost cat, and felt themselves being touched or prodded.

Harbor Side Inn
Block Island

In a recent conversation, a manager at this inn said the place is “definitely” alive with representatives of the spirit world. She recalled an incident when she was alerted by a loud crash in the restroom. The door to the restroom was locked from the inside; all the stall were locked from the inside; a metal trash can that had been bolted to a wall had been flung across the room; and the room had no windows or other ways to depart. Also, according to legend, a woman in 19th-century garb has been seen entering room 302. Desk clerks have reported a sensation on being grabbed from behind, as if someone were trying to move them out of the way.

Movies on the Rocks: Twilight New Moon - Newport
September 3, 2010
Jon Campbell -- Charlestown, RI
September 3, 2010
Art on the Lawn -- Newport, RI
September 4, 2010 to September 5, 2010
Hula Hoop Day at the Children's Museum -- Providence, RI
September 4, 2010
Tastes of the Working Waterfront History Walking Tour -- Newport, RI
September 4, 2010
Sugar Ray and the Bluetones – Westerly
September 4, 2010
The Empire Revue -- Providence, RI
September 5, 2010
An Intimate Garden Tour -- Bristol, RI
September 5, 2010
Labor Day Open House at the Museum of Work and Culture – Woonsocket, RI
September 6, 2010
Boston Pops featuring Kenny Loggins -- Pawtucket, RI
September 10, 2010
A Night with Captain Sig and the Hillstrand Brothers from Deadliest Catch -- Providence, RI
September 10, 2010
Feast in the Field -- Portsmouth, RI
September 10, 2010
Audubon Raptor Weekend -- Bristol, RI
September 11, 2010 to September 12, 2010
Irish Traditional Music -- Providence, RI
September 11, 2010
Open House at Hearthside Mansion -- Lincoln, RI
September 11, 2010
A Country Day at Pardon Gray Preserve -- Tiverton, RI
September 11, 2010
Grandparents’ Day at the Children's Museum -- Providence, RI
September 12, 2010
Domino Madness -- Providence, RI
September 14, 2010
Generations of Elegance, A Standard Flower Show -- Bristol, RI
September 15, 2010 to September 16, 2010
The Warren Mill Project -- Warren, RI
September 16, 2010
Jump Rope Day at the Children's Museum -- Providence, RI
September 18, 2010
13 Moons Turtle Clan Powwow -- Lincoln, RI
September 18, 2010 to September 19, 2010
Glocester Heritage Day -- Glocester, RI
September 19, 2010
Wine and Beer Festival and Pizza Challenge -- Bristol, RI
September 24, 2010
Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival -- Newport, RI
September 24, 2010 to September 26, 2010
They Might Be Giants -- Providence, RI
September 24, 2010
Pilobolus Dance Theatre -- Providence, RI
September 25, 2010
Rocket Day -- Providence, RI
September 25, 2010
Open Studios -- Pawtucket, RI
September 25, 2010 to September 26, 2010
"The Girl of My Dreams" -- Bristol, RI
September 26, 2010
Gasbarro's Wine Tasting -- Lincoln, RI
September 28, 2010
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet -- Providence, RI
September 30, 2010
An Evening with Dr. Maya Angelou -- Providence, RI
September 30, 2010
Taste of Rhode Island -- Newport, RI
October 2, 2010 to October 3, 2010
Galumpha: The Human Jungle Gym -- Providence, RI
October 13, 2010
The Merchants of Bollywood -- Providence, RI
October 26, 2010
Pianist Robert Degaetano -- Providence, RI
November 7, 2010
The Muir String Quartet -- Providence, RI
November 22, 2010
Click here for a full list of events.

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