Buxton Inn
Granville, Ohio

In 1805, one of our country’s first planned communities was begun, Granville Ohio. By 1812, there were enough people to establish a post office and a stagecoach stop for those coming and going from the state capital, Columbus. The inn was built, with a room in the basement for the coach drivers to sleep and cook their food. Upstairs were rooms and a place to eat. In 1851, the building was enlarged. Major Horton Buxton took over in 1865, and it’s been the Buxton Inn ever since. Between 1934 and 1960, Ethel “Bonnie” Bounell ran the inn. She’s never left. The Orrs own it today, and have since 1972. Famous visitors include Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ford, Yoyo Ma, and Cameron Diaz. The building is an example of architecture of a bygone time with views of the main street and gardens. The Buxton is one of the most haunted inns in Ohio.

OPI (Off the Trails Paranormal Investigations) spent three nights here and were rewarded with lots of experiences! Rob, Greg, and I set up eight cameras and did our baseline sweeps. There was nothing abnormal on either the K2 or Mel meter. We were joined by our trainee, Dorothy, for part of the investigation. Bonnie Bounell is there with her cat, Maj. Buxton, the human Maj. Buxton, and several other spirits. The inn has a huge collection of cat statues in memory of the spirit cat, and we could see the cats everywhere.

The flashlight was our best means of communicating here! Dorothy and I, and I by myself, were able to connect with at least five spirits! My first was Miss Bounell. She is referred to as the lady in blue, since that was her favorite color. I asked if I might call her Bonnie, but she said no. She told me she likes Boston, but not San Francisco; blue is her favorite color; she doesn’t like cats except for Maj. Buxton; she likes seeing people come to the inn; she’s at peace where she is. Greg and I stayed in her old room, #9. We placed the Rem pod on one of the chairs. The first night it went off three times. I think Miss Bounell likes to sit there. Mr. Orr told me she was a very proper person, and that what I reported to him was consistent with her personality. He also told me I learned more about her than many people. Our Mel meter had several low spikes, as if a cat were playing with it. It’s high during our stay was 9.9 which is quite high! Rob stayed in the other very active room, #7, where the cat is often seen. He did not, however, encounter him. His Mel meter high was 9.9 and a high temperature of 164! Amazing! Spirits aren’t always cold spots.

In the Tavern, which was the original place for the drivers, we encountered Ashleigh, who said she was a maid in the 1850s. Again, we used the flashlight. She told us she had red hair and freckles, was married, and had no children. She liked to dance and was a Presbyterian. She can see people sometimes but not always. I encountered her in my room, too. Briefly, we met her husband Jonathon, who she said worked with the horses at the inn. Dorothy and I spoke with a spirit who called himself Evan at great length. He told us he enjoyed our company, and when it was time for us to leave the tavern, we found the door latched and locked! We couldn’t get out! We had to hammer and call loudly for someone to open the door! We believe Evan wanted us to stay! There was a man of color who didn’t want to divulge much information. We believe he may have been a slave using the Underground Railroad. When I mentioned this to Mr. Orr, he confirmed that runaways did come through Granville, which was a busy town then. There is a black community in Canada called North Buxton. He’d like to explore the possible connection. Another entity, I call Trixie because she or he would turn on the flashlight, but refuse to answer any questions. When I would get up to leave, the flashlight would turn on and off so I would know she or he was still there! The trick was frustrating.

One night the four of us were gathered in Rob’s room watching the DVR system when we realized some intelligent orb activity around us. Orbs were racing past Rob and Greg in particular. Fascinating!

We didn’t see any shadows nor were we touched. However, the flashlight conversations, the Mel meter readings, extremely high temperature, the Rem pod activity, and personal experiences of not being alone convinced all of us that there are indeed spirits in the Buxton Inn. We’d love to return for further investigation! I’d love to talk with them all again!

http://www.buxtoninn.com/