THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The John York Home is associated with reports of ghostly activity connected to the historic colonial residence. Visitors have described phantom footsteps, apparitions in period clothing, and unexplained voices inside the home. The property has become one of Connecticut's notable haunted historic houses.
Originally built in 1741 as a home for businessman and farmer John York and family, the place eventually was turned into an inn and tavern, and remained as such for over 250 years. And of course, it is rumored to be haunted. So the story goes, two soldiers got into a brawl at the tavern after discovering they loved the same girl. One stabbed the other to death, then ran out and killed himself. Strangely, the dead soldier’s blood would not come up off the floorboards, so they had to be torn up and flipped over. Nonetheless, the man’s apparition began to appear as a shadowy form along with strange noises and cold spots. Fast-forward to 1963 when the Wilms family moved in. Bothered by the ghost, they arranged seances, but the sessions only made the ghost more active. Objects flew, footsteps became loud, doors opened by themselves, appliances turned on by themselves, and one of the family’s sons was attacked by the spirit. In 1997 the home became an inn, but it is reportly no longer be in operation.