Haunted History? The Real Stories Behind White Mountains Inns

Every October, old inns in New England pick up a few ghost stories. Creaking floors, long hallways and portraits of people who have been gone for a century make that easy. We are not going to tell you which rooms are haunted. We cannot verify that, and neither can anyone else. What we can tell you is the documented history behind some of the region's oldest places to stay, which is often more interesting than the legends. If you are looking for a historic inn in the White Mountains for a late-fall trip, here are the real stories behind five of them, plus the grand hotel that anchors the region's history.

Why the White Mountains have so many historic inns

The White Mountains were one of the country's early tourist destinations. In the 19th century, visitors from Boston, New York and beyond came north by rail to escape the cities, and grand hotels and country inns grew up to house them. Many of those buildings are gone, lost to fire, changing travel habits and the economics of running huge wooden hotels. The ones that survive carry a lot of history in their walls.

The Mount Washington Hotel: the grand hotel that survived

The best-known historic hotel in the region is the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, now the Omni Mount Washington Resort. Its documented history reads like a novel.

Joseph Stickney, a native of Concord, New Hampshire, who had made a fortune as a coal broker in Pennsylvania, built the hotel between 1900 and 1902 at a cost of $1.7 million. He brought in 250 Italian artisans to build it, particularly its granite and stucco masonry. The Y-shaped hotel opened on July 28, 1902, with more than 2,000 doors, 12,000 windows and over eleven miles of plumbing.

At the opening, Stickney told the audience, "Look at me, gentlemen ... for I am the poor fool who built all this!" Within a year he was dead of a heart attack at 64. His widow, Carolyn Stickney, spent her summers at the hotel for the next decade. She added the Sun Dining Room with guest rooms above, a fourth floor between the towers, and a chapel honoring her late husband. If any figure in the hotel's story looms large, it is her.

The hotel closed in 1942 during World War II. In 1944, it hosted the Bretton Woods Conference, which established the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Afterward, each guest room carried a plaque identifying which country's representative had stayed there. The hotel was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986, and until its first winter season in 1999, it closed to guests each fall.

Omni Bretton Arms Inn, Bretton Woods

On the same grounds sits the smaller Omni Bretton Arms Inn, a historic 1896 country inn. It was built as a house in 1896 and served for many years as staff housing for the resort, before becoming an inn in its own right. It has been separately named to the Historic Hotels of America program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For travelers who want the history of Bretton Woods in a more intimate setting, it is the quieter choice.

From Bretton Woods, US 302 runs south into Crawford Notch State Park, a 5,775-acre park at the center of one of the major passes through the White Mountains. The park includes the Willey House historical site, and its trails lead to Ripley Falls and Arethusa Falls. It is the setting for much of the region's oldest travel lore, and a good daytime outing before an evening at the inn.

Thayers Inn, Littleton

Thayers Inn is a historic 1843 landmark hotel on Littleton's Main Street. According to the inn, its guests have included Ulysses S. Grant and Henry Ford. Staying there puts Main Street's shops and restaurants right outside the door.

Littleton's own history adds context to a stay. The town was incorporated in 1784, the same year New Hampshire became a state, and was named for Colonel Moses Little. The Littleton Grist Mill on the Ammonoosuc River first opened in 1798 and has been restored. Between 1867 and 1909, the town's Kilburn Brothers factory published photographic stereoviews, the double-image pictures that were popular in the Victorian era, and many of them showed White Mountain scenery to travelers who had never seen it.

Stonehurst Manor, North Conway

Stonehurst Manor is a stone mansion from the 1870s, now an inn, set on 33 pine-studded acres in North Conway. A stone mansion in the pines at the end of October is about as atmospheric as lodging gets in New Hampshire, ghost stories or not. Its setting also puts it close to the shops and restaurants of North Conway and the roads into the mountains.

Bernerhof Inn, Glen

Bernerhof Inn in Glen is a historic, eco-friendly bed and breakfast with a pub and a cooking school, near Story Land. It is a good base for exploring the Mount Washington Valley, and the pub makes for an easy evening after a day outside.

The Tea Rose Inn, Plymouth

South of the mountains, The Tea Rose Inn in Plymouth is a stately 1883 Victorian inn in the heart of lake country and the foothills of the White Mountains. Its location makes it a convenient stop between the Lakes Region and the mountains, and a fine choice for anyone who wants Victorian architecture with their history.

How to find the real history of an old inn

If you stay in a historic inn and want to know its story, a few sources will get you past the legends:

• Ask the innkeepers. Many keep files, photographs and old guest registers.
• Look for a National Register listing. Properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places have nomination documents that describe their history in detail.
• Visit the local historical society. Town historical societies often hold photographs and records of local hotels.
• Check old maps and postcards. Hotel postcards were popular in the region's tourist era and can show how a building looked a century ago.

About those ghost stories

Ghost stories are part of the fun of staying in an old building in October, and many inns are happy to share the tales guests have told over the years. Enjoy them for what they are. The documented history, with its fortunes made and lost, international conferences and presidents in the guest book, is the part you can rely on.

Planning a late-fall stay

• Check seasonal schedules. Some inns and nearby attractions change their hours or close for part of late fall. Confirm before you book.
• Watch the weather. Mountain roads, including those through the notches, can see early snow and ice. Check conditions before you travel.
• Book weekends early. Smaller inns have few rooms, and late-fall weekends can fill.
• Pack for the season. Late-fall evenings in the mountains are cold, and an old inn with a fireplace or a pub is the best place to spend them. Bring warm layers for walks around the grounds.

FAQ

Is the Mount Washington Hotel haunted?

We cannot verify any haunting. What is documented is its history: built 1900 to 1902 by Joseph Stickney, expanded by his widow Carolyn, and host to the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference.

What is the oldest inn on this list?

Thayers Inn in Littleton, which dates to 1843.

What happened at the Bretton Woods Conference?

The 1944 conference at the Mount Washington Hotel established the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Is the Bretton Arms part of the Mount Washington Hotel?

It sits on the same resort grounds and is managed by Omni, but it is a separate 1896 inn with its own Historic Hotels of America designation.

Which historic inn is closest to Story Land?

Of the inns on this list, the Bernerhof Inn in Glen is near Story Land.

Sources

• Mount Washington Hotel, Wikipedia (construction, Stickneys, Bretton Woods Conference, NHL 1986, first winter season 1999, Bretton Arms history): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_Hotel
• Inn details for Thayers Inn, Stonehurst Manor, Bernerhof Inn, Tea Rose Inn and Bretton Arms: NHTG directory listings and each property's official website.
• Littleton, New Hampshire, Wikipedia (1784 incorporation, Moses Little, Grist Mill 1798, Kilburn Brothers): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Littleton,_New_Hampshire
• Crawford Notch State Park, Wikipedia (5,775 acres, Willey House site, Ripley and Arethusa Falls): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_Notch_State_Park