Ghosts of the Dobbin House Tavern
For so many buildings around Gettysburg, it’s as if time stood still. This is especially true of Dobbin House Tavern, a late 18th-century establishment that captures the charm of its antiquated roots by retaining so much of the period. Rather than hitting it with a splash of contemporary color and upgrading furnishings to fit a 21st-century aesthetic, the owners throughout the years have retained its quaint charm, from the seven fireplaces to the native stone walls.
The tavern’s appearance isn’t the only link to its 200-plus-year history. Whether patrons partake in an exquisite meal in the dining room or spend a night or two in one of the treasured guestrooms, they’ll be sharing the space with apparitions of years long past. Dobbin House was never a place filled with nefarious figures or always shrouded in darkness. On the contrary, it was built by a reverend and even played an important role in helping slaves escape the South via the Underground Railroad.
Yet still, specters of the past remain tied to the historic house, never troubling guests but rather serving as a reminder of the building’s history and the respect it and the surrounding area deserve.
Why is the Dobbin House haunted?
Dobbin House Tavern is no stranger to visits from the other side. Much of that can be attributed to its proximity to the Gettysburg National Military Park and the national cemetery. Often, there are residual hauntings around battlegrounds, soldiers trapped in a loop of their final fight. However, the former Dobbin residence was marked with tragedy as a hospital during the Civil War, and you can expect to feel the presence of soldiers who never returned home.
While the Dobbin House Tavern is the oldest building in Gettysburg, it’s far from the only haunted establishment. A Gettysburg ghost tour will introduce you to so many other haunts of the Keystone State.
Gettysburg’s Oldest Building
Gettysburg is known for its historic architecture, but no building has worn its years better than the Dobbin House Tavern. Built in 1776, the former home of Irish immigrant Reverend Alexander Dobbin and his family is the oldest structure in Gettysburg, not that you’d know it without someone telling you. With the stone facade and white accents restored to their original glory, the Dobbin House seems more of a contemporary approach to recreating a history facility. However, any question about its age and authenticity will vanish when they walk through the main door.
Just as if the reverend had never left, the tavern captures the 18th-century charm that would have been commonplace when he purchased 300 acres of land for its construction. Reverend Dobbin envisioned a large house, big enough for him, his family, and the Classical School he planned on opening. However, Dobbin contributed more than just a school to the Susquehanna River region. As he became more respected in the community, he used his influence and dedication to develop Adams County as a separate entity from York County, with Gettysburg as the county’s seat.
After making a name for himself in Gettysburg, Reverend Dobbin passed away on June 1, 1809. It’s believed that, on his way to church one day, he coughed, ruptured a blood vessel, and eventually succumbed to tuberculosis.
A Wartime Hospital and a Refuse for Slaves
Freedom was still just out of reach, but knowing they were approaching the first waystation in their escape from the South was an accomplishment that likely seemed impossible. As the first stop along one of the Underground Railroad’s passageways north of the Mason-Dixen Line, the Dobbin House Tavern was a haven for people who had never tasted freedom or hadn’t enjoyed it in years.
Upon arrival at Dobbin House, slaves were offered safe boarding, a room tucked away behind a fake cupboard. Though far from the perfect accommodations, it was a significant improvement over being at the beck and call of their former owners.
Serving as a connection for the Underground Railroad wasn’t the only way Dobbin House was pivotal in helping those in need. During the Civil War, the casualty count increased rapidly. A need for temporary hospitals and medical facilities rose, and the future tavern’s proximity to the battleground made it ideal for caring for the wounded. That also meant, within the structure’s four walls, soldiers passed from their injuries, their final moments imprinted on the foundation of the Dobbin House.
The Ghosts of Dobbin House Tavern
It would be all too fitting for the good reverend to continue to watch over his home, his usual smile painted on his face as he watched others get joy from something he created. There may even be traces of Dobbin’s family, like his first wife, Isabella, with whom he had ten children, or his second wife, Mary Agnew, whom he married when Isabella died in August 1800. They’re all welcoming, keeping to themselves while occasionally letting themselves be known with a gentle knocking or a ghostly whisper.
However, some spirits left this world less peacefully, their wounds burning from an embedded bullet or limbs severed from the brutality of the Civil War. It’s not uncommon for tavern guests, making themselves home in rooms like The Lee Suite or The Reynolds Room, to feel that they’re in the presence of a fallen Union soldier. Though enslaved people were ferried safely through the Dobbin House, some may have returned after their deaths to reconnect with the space that once saved their lives.
Travelers should expect to be hit by waves of heavy, emotional energy and uplifting, lighter air as the many sides of Dobbin House Tavern converge to make it one of Gettysburg’s most haunted locations.
Haunted Gettysburg
Of course, ghost stories are rampant in the former Civil War site, and it’s difficult to visit the Pennsylvania borough without coming across the residual haunting of a fallen soldier or the intelligent apparition of a slave seeking freedom. Booking your Gettysburg ghost tour is the best way to experience the historic town’s haunted side.
You can also keep up to date with Civil War specters on our blog and by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Sources:
http://www.dobbinhouse.com/history.htm
https://pastlanetravels.com/the-dobbin-house/#alexander-dobbins-gravesite
https://www.cindynoonan.com/dobbin-house-underground-railroad-hideout/
https://spookeats.com/2018/06/18/pennsylvania-the-dobbin-house/
