Haunted Hotels

Located a little over one thousand feet from the Hiwasse River in Calhoun, Tennessee, is the Pinhook Plantation House. The plantation style bed and breakfast house is a throwback to not just the architecture style of the nineteenth century, but also a throwback to the former spirits who are now said to inhabit here.

Is the Pinhook Plantation House Haunted?

Records from the Southeastern Tennessee area date the house to 1810 by a family with the surname of Alexander. It was said that they moved from the Asheville, North Carolina region to the newly formed city-township of Calhoun, Tennessee. The sprawling acreage adjacent to the picturesque Hiwasse River made the area very attractive for farming.

The family owned slaves and records indicate that the slaves laid most of the foundation for the Plantation House which still stands today. A deed of sale from 1843 is all that is left in regards to a bill of sale for the property as a courthouse fire in 1830 destroyed all local property records. There is a long-standing rumor that part of the Underground Railroad ran right through the property during the Civil War. One of the most curious aspects is an underground bricked room where the Railroad operated through. It is believed that slave perished in there at one time, but the remains were never recovered and the room was completely bricked up and filled in sometime after the Civil War.

Ghosts of the Pinhook Plantation House

Over the years, guests who have stayed at the Pinhook report seeing the spirit of what is referred to as the Lady in Gray. She is of Civil War period dress that is flowing and of solid gray color. At times, guests have reported seeing someone of her description open the front door to the Pinhook, turn around, and immediately ascend the stairs as she fades away before their very eyes.

To capitalize on the old world Southern charm, there are rocking chairs on both the porch and in the Pinhook for guests to relax in. Guests have told of seeing chairs mysteriously rock back in forth quite heavily as if someone were in them, only to have them stop rocking suddenly. Despite the possibility of a slave perishing underneath the Pinhook, there have been subtle thumping sounds that guests have reported hearing at night while staying there, however, nothing malevolent or demonic has ever manifested.

Ownership at the Pinhook Plantation House has changed many times over the decades. The property was up for sale and purchased in late 2018. The bed and breakfast has yet to reopen, but with a refurbished interior as of recent years, it will only be a matter of time before it will. Still set on those 500 riverside acres, the Pinhook Plantation house is a definite must visit.

Is the Nob Hill Hotel haunted?

Built in 1907, the Nob Hill Inn is a popular hotel and reportedly one of the most haunted places in the city. Sitting right on the corner of two popular streets, the hotel has a classic look for the outside and plenty of antiques and older items on display inside. Though some think the haunted activity relates to those furnishings and decorations, others believe the hotel might house some spirits who lost their lives during the earthquake that struck the area prior to the hotel’s opening.

Locals claim the hotel has more than 20 ghosts walking through its hallowed halls. Many of those spirits like playing pranks on guests. Guests will often find things missing from their rooms or items moved, and others reported hearing people walking in the halls and knocking on their doors when no one was there. People tend to believe that the spirits are harmless and simply want to let visitors know they are there.

Though there are no exact stories surrounding the Nob Hill Inn ghosts, the hotel does sit on the site of a former grand home. The earthquake that struck San Francisco practically leveled that house, and its owners decided to rebuild rather than fix the existing structure. While no one died on the spot, some think those who died nearby gravitated towards the old hotel. Guests can now check into the Nob Hill Inn, but they should listen or watch carefully to see if the ghosts are up to their old tricks.

When someone dies in a location they called home, they sometimes don’t leave. Three of the former owners of the Mason House Inn died while managing the hotel. The current owners are aware of five spirits haunting the inn. One ghost may be that of a guest who was murdered there.

The apparition of a young boy enjoys playing pranks. One ghost is a woman in a long, white nightgown. One of the spirits has the unnerving habit of staring at guests then disappearing in front of them.

The inn was a hospital in the Civil War era, and withstood flooding on five occasions when a lot of people lost their lives. A spirit in one room was responsible for one guest having a sleepless night. The man was awakened by tugging on his pajama sleeve. He thought it was his wife, then remembered his wife wasn’t with him.