"The Buxton Inn: America's Most Ghostly Country Inn" is a collection of family-friendly ghost stories as told to the Columbus-based CNTime Production crew by people who have experienced strange encounters at the inn.
Copies of the film can be ordered on tape or DVD by logging on to cntimeproduction.com, or by calling (614) 853-1115.
Lights turning on and off, courtyard doors opening on their own, and objects moved by unseen hands.
The Buxton Inn is Granville’s oldest business, and Ohio's oldest continuously operated inn.
Built in 1812 by its first innkeeper, Orrin Granger, its guests have included presidents William Henry Harrison and William McKinley, Henry Ford and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
And, occasionally, perhaps a few paranormal visitors.
Throughout the years, strange sightings and ghostly encounters have become regular occurrences at the inn. They're the subject of a new video program by CNTime Productions of Columbus.
Orville and Audrey Orr, who took possession of the inn from Freda Schoeller in 1972, have experienced bizarre incidents since re-opening the Buxton in 1974, as have many visitors and guests.
During two years of extensive renovations from 1972-1974, workman reportedly saw a ghostly figure in blue, and refused to enter the inn alone after dark.
"Things started happening from then on," said Audrey. "I once saw out of the corner of my eye what appeared to be a man watching me while I was painting. As soon as I looked up, he was gone. Freda (Schoeller) talked about feeling a hand on her shoulder many times. My husband Orville has also heard footsteps when no one was around."
According to guest accounts, there appears to be more than one ghost frequenting the inn.
Ethyl "Bonnie Bounell" Houston, who owned it from 1934-1961, has been seen and heard on the second floor, along with her cat, a phantom tabby, which guests have seen, heard and felt.
Another former innkeeper and the inn's namesake, Major Horton Buxton, has made appearances. Ghostly encounters have been reported in nearly every part of the inn, including the tavern, lower level bar room and dining area.
"I once asked a parapsychologist how we could get rid of the ghosts," said Audrey. "She told us we shouldn't try to get rid of them, that they are former owners who are here to lend energy and approval. From then on, we have had no desire to get rid of them.
"We don't use the ghosts for publicity," she said. "If people want us to talk about them, we will, but we don’t exploit them. Frankly, I don’t even think about it anymore," said Audrey, who believes she has become accustomed to the ghosts during her 32 years at the inn.
Members of CNTime Productions, a Columbus-based company that produces documentary-style programs about metaphysical topics, spent nine months interviewing the innkeepers, staff, and guests concerning their ghostly encounters.
"We aren't ghostbusters, we just wanted ordinary people to have a chance to tell their stories," said Christie Casaday of Columbus, the host of the film. "It was quite amazing; we interviewed 29 people and heard over 50 stories concerning the Buxton’s ghosts."
The CNTime crew says it witnessed firsthand some of the events described by guests and staff. In room 7, the crew witnessed a chandelier swaying back and forth, while curiously, an individual crystal moved in the opposite direction.
"There is definitely something going on there," said Casaday. "We felt cold spots, heard creaking footsteps, and my partner felt something brush by his legs in Bonnie Bounell's room. The town and the inn itself have such a rich history; there's a lot of energy that's walked through the door of that place. You get the sense that the people who have owned it have really loved it, and that nobody means any harm."
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