Doubleday Inn
Hauntings at Doubleday Inn
Not your average Hotel, the Doubleday Inn of Gettysburg is near an area known as Iverson’s Pit, where a North Carolina brigade was once slaughtered. It was also once a mass grave site for the fallen soldiers.
Many guests account to seeing strange, glowing orbs of light. Others have even been awakened by flashes of unexplained light. Perhaps these are the lingering spirits of General Alfred Iverson’s brigade, haunted by their commander’s ill-timed attack.
While the general stayed behind, his troops marched into attack only to be ambushed by awaiting forces.
The Doubleday Inn is built near one of the Civil War’s most harrowing resulting locations. It is this connection to the event that serves to make the Doubleday such a place rife with paranormal activity and ghostly encounters.
On July 1, 1863, the men of General Alfred Iverson’s North Carolina Brigade had arrived at Gettysburg and were set up to go around the Union First Corps at Oak Hill. This site was the northernmost point of Seminary Ridge.
There, they formed into their line of battle and set out to advance toward a line of trees nearly 300 yards away. The 5th, 12th, 20th, and 23rd North Carolina Infantries made up this Brigade. To their left sat a stone wall, but this was foolishly disregarded, as they were confident in their forces. Their plan was to rush through the woods and roll up the flank of the Yankees lying in wait on the other side.
Suddenly, as they were just about blast in, a roaring wall of fire erupted from behind the stone wall. Federal soldiers who were crouched down behind the wall were amazed at their luck in finding such a large group of Confederates, so they leaped over the top of the wall and shot like mad toward their foes.
Unfortunately for the Confederates (and fortunately for General Iverson), their beloved general had not progressed forward. Either from cowardice or a poorly-communicated plan of attack, this resulted in hundreds of Confederate troops falling in battle. Shortly after the battle, they were buried in an unmarked mass grave known today as Iverson’s Pit.
Gettysburg Battlefield
With such a high number of lives lost on the Gettysburg Battlefield, it leaves little doubt as to why the Doubleday Inn is haunted. It is uniquely positioned directly on the famed battlefield.
And with this bloody field’s history, it only serves to confirm the area’s hauntings, as many businesses and homes were subject to becoming make-shift hospitals during the war. Others would be taken over by military forces to serve as temporary headquarters for generals and officers.
These places usually saw much bloodshed, often becoming the final resting place for many of the wounded or sick. The lost spirits of that died as a result of the American Civil War are regularly reported among many of these locations throughout Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The battle began on the west at the ridges of Lohr’s, Whistler’s, School-House, and Knoxlyn between Cashtown and Gettysburg. Near Gettysburg, dismounted Union cavalry defended McPherson’s Ridge and Herr’s Ridge, with infantry support arriving to defend Seminary Ridge at the borough’s west side. Oak Ridge, a northward extension of both McPherson Ridge and Seminary Ridge, is capped by Oak Hill, a site for artillery that commanded a good area north of the town.
The American Civil War was a trying time for all involved, with families and friends losing loved ones as a result of these darker days in our nation’s history. Gettysburg saw what was possibly the very worst that came of the war.
The battles that took place there are some of the bloodiest and most barbaric ever recorded in our nation’s history. Fought in the year 1863 from the dates of July 1st through July 3rd, the Battle of Gettysburg ultimately resulted in approximately 46,000 to 51,000 casualties.
This grand fight took place on Gettysburg Battlefield. Presently located directly on this infamous battlefield is the Doubleday Inn of Gettysburg. It has become a well-known meeting place for those interested in the paranormal, serving as a hot spot for all ghostly activity related to the Battle of Gettysburg.
The hauntings that allegedly take place in Gettysburg have been well-recorded throughout history, and the Doubleday Inn is no different. Its has just as many paranormal encounters as the most haunted of places in Pennsylvania. From Confederate soldiers, lost loves, general, and more, just about every place in Gettysburg has some kind of ghostly account due to the impact that the Civil War had.
Reported Paranormal Activity
With its connection and close proximity to Iverson’s Pit, the Doubleday Inn has become yet another one of Gettysburg’s haunted locals. It’s visited by ghost-hunters and the curious in the hopes of coming face to face with a spirit.
Many guests of the inn have claimed that they have come in direct contact with the ghost of General Alfred Iverson during their stay.
One account came from a couple who were visiting family. They had left for the day and upon returning to their room later that evening, they found that all of their belongings had been neatly packed in their suitcases – perhaps the doing of a long dead friendly soldier who simply wanted to do something nice for the respectful visitors.
Another tale comes from an employee who was working late one evening. When she turned the corner to care for some remaining rooms, there stood the apparition of a soldier. Upon doing a double-take, the soldier was gone.
Another guest reported their time from a stay at the Doubleday Inn, this time encountering what appeared to be a female spirit. The guest wasn’t paying much attention after leaving their room and passed by a woman in the hallway. When the visitor turned around to ask the woman a question about the area, the hallway was completely vacant, with so sign of anyone around.
Pictures taken with the inn have also helped to conclude that it is haunted. Several have appeared to show ghostly apparitions who take the form of Confederate soldiers, while others portray orbs, streaks of light, and other bizarre forms.
There remains no explanation as to what these weird objects could possibly be, as no sources within the establishment could produce such shapes of light.
Others have claimed to have witnessed the very spirit of General Iverson. A couple from out of town even said that they had a conversation with a bearded gentleman sitting outside, only to learn that he was never there.
Some guests have reported strange smells and unexplained noises during their stay. One such instance of this was that of a couple who repeatedly heard loud knocking on their room’s door, only to find that no one was outside.
Upon opening the door, however, wafts of smoke could be detected, perhaps that of lost soldiers who used to smoke during battle, or from the rifles that were used.
Conclusion
The Haunted Doubleday Inn is a rather pleasant looking abode. It is quaint, yet beautiful. The stories that tell of what hauntings occur within its walls, however, are anything but. While most of the paranormal encounters have been pretty harmless, it is still nerve-racking to those who had to witness it.
General Iverson is said to have lived with great regret over the loss of his troops on that fateful day during the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. He died many years later in 1911, so if his spirit had indeed been seen at the Doubleday, it would lend to reason that he is visiting with the very troops that he lost in battle.
In what the Doubleday Inn refers to as Gettysburg’s most unique lodging choice, this inn is truly the only Bed & Breakfast located directly on the Gettysburg Battlefield. By doing this, it offers the ideal setting for a relaxing time – as long as you don’t get scared out of your wits by coming in contact with a ghost.
Most of the allegedly haunted locations within Gettysburg, Pennsylvania are serene, captivating places. But when the sun goes down and a blanket of darkness covers the land, reports of otherworldly activity seems to rise.
That, however is not a hard and fast rule. Many people’s encounters have taken place in broad daylight, and the Doubleday Inn is one such place. Many of the sightings listed above took place in the middle of the day. It just goes to show that while we are often afraid of the dark, ghosts most certainly are not.
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Check out our Civil War Ghosts tours and other hauntings of Gettysburg.
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Sources:
https://www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com/6-great-ghostly-gettysburg-attractions/
https://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/2013/06/gettysburg_150_12.html
