FACes & PlaceS
Around Town 2004

The Ghosts of New Hope*
by Joanna Cretella
2004 AP US History class
NH Historical Society Essay

The New Hope area has been rumored to be haunted by a number of ghosts. So many, in fact, that it has been named “America’s Most Haunted Town.” A made-for-TV movie was created about New Hope and given this very title. However, few people actually know of the legends and stories floating around the New Hope area. Most of these originate in what we fondly call “downtown” New Hope, or the part of New Hope surrounding Bridge Street and the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge.

There is a great number of places which have ghost stories attached to them, including the Inn at Phillips Mill, the Pickett House, the Logan Inn, Odette’s Restaurant, and the Van Sant Bridge. There is even a ghost tour that runs throughout New Hope to explore these places. Each place has its own specific legend and the witnesses to back it up.
The Inn at Phillips Mill is known for having a couple of ghosts spending their time inside its walls. There is rumored to be a woman who wears a long dress with a high collar roaming about around the staircase and the upstairs hall of the building. A rocking chair in one corner of the Inn is also claimed to have a spiritual presence about it.

The Logan Inn also has a reputation for being haunted; in fact, so much so that the place has four ghosts. If you stay in room six, watch out for a man’s reflection in the mirror which disappears when you look around. Two children are also said to stay in this room sometimes. A Revolutionary War soldier also wanders about the Inn, taking refuge in different rooms including the bar, the basement, and the dining room. A portrait of a woman who enjoyed wearing lavender perfume hangs in a hallway, and many claim that they can still smell the scent when they pass by it. For men who wish to use the restroom, be wary if the steps leading to the one in the basement: it is believed that a man in knee breeches waits on them. And in the parking lot, a little girl who was known to have drowned some time ago lurks in the shadows.

Another popular story is the story of Joseph Pickett. The deceased artist spends his time around places that mean something to him. He enjoys staying in what once was his bedroom in the house he owned on Mechanic Street. He also, like many residents of New Hope, enjoys strolling along the towpath. His cousin also owned a house on Mechanic Street, and Joseph likes to visit the house when he has some free time.
Odette’s, which used to be called the River House and used to serve boatmen in the late eighteenth century, has occurrences of a ghostly woman who was rumored to be murdered during the time when the restaurant was called the River House. There are also moments of chills and voices in the restaurant, accompanied by a strong smell of perfume, much like in the Logan Inn.

The Van Sant Bridge has a history to it. Supposedly, a young woman without a husband but with child was thrown out of her house by her parents. The father of the baby abandoned her, and she became severely depressed. She decided to throw herself off the Van Sant Bridge, with her baby in her arms. The legend says that to this day, when you stand on the bridge, you can hear the baby crying. Horse thieves also used to be hanged from this bridge, and people can often still see one of them hanging there.

The tales of the various New Hope ghosts are bounteous, and many are intriguing. But to experience these firsthand, it is necessary to investigate the areas rumored to be haunted. Taking a ghost tour is a perfect way to do this, although exploring for oneself can sometimes be more thrilling.

* This article was written as part of the historical essay project jointly sponsored by the New Hope Solebury High School AP History class and the New Hope Historical Society.