I love stories about ghost cats, and even keep a running list of places where you can find them in the U.S.. While going down various strange rabbit holes a few months ago I stumbled across the historic, haunted Buxton Inn, located in the quaint village of Granville, Ohio. Built in 1812, the Buxton Inn has a documented history of hauntings dating back to the 1930s. At least three human spirits reportedly linger there, along with a ghost cat. The cat plays such a key role in the inn’s history that its image has appeared on the sign since the 1970s.
Orrin Granger
Built as a stagecoach tavern in 1812, this 210-year-old building has been serving food and giving guests a place to stay for its entire history. People believe Orrin Granger, the inn’s original builder, still lingers as a ghost. However, sightings of him seem less frequent than others. One of the earliest public mentions of a ghost at the inn came from a man named Fred Sweet. Fred’s mother managed the inn through the late 1920s and possibly the early 1930s while Fred was attending college at nearby Denison University.
Fred wrote for the college paper and, on May 10, 1932, published an ad about encountering the inn’s ghost. While intended as a joke, the story gained intrigue because his mother, Mary Stevens Sweet, had told friends and family that a “Presence” became known shortly after they took over managing the tavern. People also claimed Fred actually encountered the ghost of Orrin Granger in his knee britches.
In the 1970s, after Audrey and Orville Orr purchased the inn, Mrs. Orr encountered a spirit she believed was Orrin Granger. While painting the inside of a pantry one afternoon, Audrey saw what appeared to be a man watching her out of the corner of her eye. As soon as she looked up, the man had vanished.
Major Buxton
The inn had many owners throughout its history but the name that stuck the longest is from a man who purchased the inn in October 1865, named Major Horton Buxton. Major Buxton ran the inn until his death on June 15th, 1902.
Guests and staff have seen and smelled Major Buxton’s ghost throughout the inn. He loved cigars, and the scent of cigar smoke often lingers in different areas. His apparition appears most often in the kitchen and main dining room. Witnesses describe him as an older man in an old-fashioned dark suit.
One morning as the staff were preparing the dining room for a business one of the waitresses was setting up tables and folding napkins. She looked up to see a man in a dark suit sitting by the fireplace. Caught off guard she hurried into the kitchen to ask another waitress if she should serve the man even though technically they weren’t open yet. Her coworker, confused, followed her to the dining room to see what she meant. They found the room completely empty.
Ethel “Bonnie” Houston Bounell
From the research I’ve done it seems that the “main” ghost at the Inn is one of its former owners, Ethel “Bonnie” Bounell. She purchased the Inn following her husband’s death in January, 1933. In April 1934, Ethel bought the Inn where she would live and manage the property until her death on May 4th, 1960. Ethel brought her friend Nell Schoeller with her and Ethel ran the business of the Inn while Nell appears to have been in charge of the kitchen.
Ethel clearly loved the inn. A January 1946 Columbus Dispatch article stated she “brought this place back to its pristine glory.” She lived in what are now rooms 9 and 10.
Following Ethel’s death, Nell Schoeller inherited the inn and continued to run it until she could no longer manage the property. She sold the inn to the Orr’s in 1972 because she agreed with their plans of renovating the inn while keeping all the historical charm. It seems that it was during the renovations from 1972-1974 that the notion of The Lady In Blue became overly apparent.
At one point during the renovation process workmen refused to work in the building after dark. One worker later told a reporter:
“Funny things were going on. We saw a lady in blue walk across the balcony and disappear down the inside back stairs. We were scared; that’s why we didn’t work in the evenings anymore.”
It’s interesting that one of the most often reported occurrence is the sound of footsteps going up and down the inside back stairs all throughout the night.
The Lingering Presence of Ethel Brunel
Staff often see Ethel’s ghost in a light blue dress and smell her old-fashioned gardenia perfume, even in winter. There have been at least two very interesting experiences attributed to Ethel in rooms 7 and 9.
In the mid-1980s a nurse manager was staying in Room 7 during a work retreat. A few of her colleagues were also staying at the inn. After returning to her room for the evening she set some of her things on an antique desk in the room, including her day planner. She climbed into bed and could not fall asleep, she tossed and turned for at least an hour. Finally, she fell asleep and was woken by the sound of someone flipping through the pages of her planner.
A Midnight Visitor in Room 7
She saw the door open and a woman walk in and thought she was dreaming. When she realized she was awake, she assumed it was a coworker in a white uniform. Then she remembered it was the middle of the night, and her coworkers wouldn’t wear work uniforms during a retreat.
The woman sat in the chair near the bed, looked at her, and said, “You can’t sleep, can you?” The nurse replied, “No, I can’t.” Morning arrived before she knew it. After getting ready, she went downstairs and told her coworkers and the front desk employee what had happened. She believed it was just a baffling dream. She described the woman as having a round face, dark curly hair, and an old-fashioned dress with puffed sleeves. The staff member showed her a newspaper clipping of Bonnie. The nurse screamed. That was the woman who visited her that night.
Another Mysterious Encounter in Room 9
While relocating to the area, a couple staying in Room 9 had a strange experience. Midway through their stay, the woman went to the front desk and asked if someone had mistakenly received their key. The employee assured her that no one had, explaining that the master key was only used for emergencies. The guest then described what had happened the night before.
“In the middle of the night, a woman entered our room, looked at us, then turned around and left. When she was gone, we checked the door, but it was still locked.”
The employee asked about the woman’s appearance, and the guest described her features and said she wore an old-fashioned blue dress.
Who was Bonnie?
Ethel Dorothy Houston was born in Newark, Ohio on February 1st, 1888. In her youth she was an opera singer with the Manhattan Light Opera Company and traveled all over performing. She would later marry prominent attorney Carl M. Bounell.
On May 3rd, 1960 Ethel was returning to Granville from Columbus when she began to complain of feeling ill. She was admitted to Newark Hospital at 7:55 am on May 4th, and died later that evening at 8:20 pm. The cause of death was acute meningitis caused by a severe brain abscess in her left frontal lobe.
Ethel was buried next to her husband at Maple Grove Cemetery, just down the street from her beloved inn. When Nell Schoeller died in April, 1976 she was buried next to Ethel.
Major Buxton the Cat
Now for my favorite ghost at the inn. At some point, Ethel adopted a cat named Major Buxton. He wasn’t just any cat. People across Granville and nearby cities knew him well. The Columbus Dispatch even featured him in an article on January 10, 1946.
The reporter called him a “great big fellow by the name of Major Buxton.” Guests often found him lounging on a pillow atop an antique chair near the front door. Weighing 15 pounds, Major Buxton charmed visitors, even those who didn’t like cats. He had a habit of nibbling ears and became so popular that guests requested his company at dinner.
The Ghostly Presence of Major Buxton
While it’s unknown when Major Buxton died, like Ethel, he’s never really left the Inn. His ghost has been seen numerous times throughout the Inn by guests and staff alike.
Guests most often sense the ghostly cat in Room 9. In 1989, two older women stayed there and questioned the manager about a ghost cat. One woman said something jumped onto the bed beside her during the night. The manager assumed it was the hotel’s gray cat, but the women searched and found no cat.
Staff often see the ghostly cat on the inn’s first floor. A feline shape darts past in their peripheral vision. They also feel a light brush against their legs, like a feather duster. No living cats currently stay at the inn.
However, a cat sculpture sits at the bottom of the front stairs. It startled Matt during our stay since he didn’t expect it.
Recent Experiences
Matt and I recently stayed in Room 9, which has two connected rooms and a bathroom. We debated where to sleep and chose the front-facing room. Elizabeth Schoeller, Nell Schoeller’s mother, died there on February 3rd, 1965. The employee who checked us in said guests most often see and feel the ghost cat in that room. Visitors have also reported a man sitting or standing in the corner.
They believe the man is Major Buxton, but she said they are unsure since he is usually seen in the dining room. The next morning, the front desk clerk shared her own experiences at the inn. On her first night working there, the owner called to say the lights in Room 9 were on. She knew they had been off earlier, so she went upstairs to turn them off. Afterward, she felt an overwhelming sense that she wasn’t alone and left as quickly as possible.
Ghostly Encounters During the Shutdown
Before our visit to the hotel I asked the manager, Jennifer Valenzuela, if the ghosts were still fairly active. She said that during the Covid shutdown while the inn and tavern were closed, the staff said the activity seemed to be more pronounced than usual. Maybe it was because there were no guests inside and the building was a lot quieter and emptier than normal. According to the manager, she would often hear the sounds of clanking mugs and chairs being slid across the floor coming from the tavern.
She told me that the tavern is one of the paranormal “hot spots” at the inn. And, it appears it has been that way for quite some time. After the Inn was renovated in the 1970s, a 6’5” bartender was working in the wine cellar putting wine away. He was described as a “bit of a clown and a complete skeptic.” He came running up the stairs and said that someone had clutched him from behind and knocked the wind out of him.
It is also common for staff to hear disembodied footsteps coming up and down the stairs, as well as having doors open and close right before their eyes. Unfortunately, Matt and I didn’t experience anything spooky, although I had a heck of a time falling asleep. I was sleeping closest to the door and kept thinking that someone was going to walk through it at any minute.
The Buxton Inn is definitely worth a visit, not just for the ghosts but for the cute village, great food, and the history within. If only walls could talk, in this case it seems they sometimes do.
Sources:
- The Denisonian – 10 May 1932, Pg. 3
- Columbus Dispatch – 10 Jan 1946, Pg. 17
- Newark Advocate – 2 Mar 1965
- Newark Advocate – 13 July 1972
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