Ghost Stories: Cape Cod

The Village Green Inn, Falmouth (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I'm continuing my The Ghosts of Aquinnah ghost story series today with a trip to some of the haunted houses of Cape Cod.

I've been to the Cape a few times when visiting Martha's Vineyard, but I never knew that so many of the old inns there are considered haunted. Had I known I may have tried to stay at one of the ghostly places. Maybe I will stay in one in the future and see if I can come in contact with any ghosts or ghouls myself. :D

The Village Green Inn, seen above, is located in Falmouth, which is very close to the harbor where we catch the ferry that takes us to the Vineyard. The Inn was built in 1894 and was the home of the Tripp family for many years. The patriarch of the family, Dr. Edwin Tripp, died in 1953 and rumor has it that he has been haunting the inn ever since.

Dr. Tripp, who walked with a stooped posture, was known for wearing flannel shirts in his later years. Numerous guests as well as the current owners of the Inn have reported sightings of an elderly man with a stooped posture shuffling through the rooms and hallways. The apparition is always wearing flannel shirts.

The room that was once Dr. Tripp's waiting room is now a guest room and the lights and radio have been known to turn on in this room by themselves. Dr. Tripp seems to be a friendly ghost and has never caused any other mischief, so maybe he just likes listening to music.

Barnstable Harbor (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Barnstable House, also known as the House of the Eleven Spirits, is located in the old town of Barnstable, which, like many towns in New England, predates the American Revolution. The town itself has enough ghost stories to fill a haunted walking tour run by the Cape and Islands Paranormal Research Society.

The Barnstable House was built in 1716 and has been the scene of many tragedies, including a man who hung himself in a tree in the yard and a little girl who drowned in the basement. In addition, one owner of the house was thought to practice black magic and conduct experiments in the occult.

Over the years, numerous guests have reported seeing a "waiter ghost" who is dressed in Colonial clothing and carries a towel over his arm. The little girl who drowned has also reportedly appeared and asked frightened guests to play with her. A former owner by the name of Captain John Grey is accused of loudly slamming doors. In addition, the house is known for fires that start on their own in the fireplace.

Sandwich, Massachusetts (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The most famous haunted house on the Cape is probably The Dillingham House, which is located in the town of Sandwich. In 1813 Branch Dillingham, the grandson of the house's original owner, committed suicide. A few weeks later, his wife passed away, which left the couple's nine children as orphans. The house is now thought to be haunted by the Dillingham family.

Visitors to the Dillingham House have reportedly heard children running through the halls while no children are actually present in the house. In addition, guests have seen rocking chairs moving on their own and latches being lifted from doors by invisible hands. One guest reported seeing a man dressed in Victorian clothing in her room and another insisted that she woke up to the sight of a young child sitting on the edge of her bed. Both owners and guests have reported increased ghostly activities during the month of October, so perhaps the Dillingham ghosts are fans of Halloween.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

On that note, I want to wish everyone a very Happy Halloween! To all who have little ghouls and goblins, I hope they have a great time trick or treating. :)