Hilltop House Hotel
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia was first established in 1734 by Robert Harper. Harper ran a ferry for years that turned out to be quite successful. The town has been called the birthplace of the Civil War because of a fight that broke out between John Brown and his army of 18 men with Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee’s Calvary of 90 men. Brown was trying to arm the slaves in town with weapons to start a revolt. Lee’s men were able to put this revolt down easily, but it is believed that the seeds of the Revolution had now been planted because of this incident.
The Hilltop House was built in 1888. It includes 65 rooms and offers beautiful views of three states, two rivers, and the beautiful mountains that surround it. Notable guests of this establishment include Woodrow Wilson, Mark Twain, and Alexander Graham Bell. Ghosts are consistently seen at this historic place. One encounter occurred by the front desk when a ghost walked by and into the dining room. When the staff went to go and ask her for assistance, she was gone.
Guests that have stayed above the kitchen hear the sounds of laughter and pots banging, even though no one is there. Civil War soldiers have been seen walking around the property, including a regiment that marches up and down the street. On the top floor, a ghost described as an old man with white hair and a white beard has been reported as well as a ghost of a woman.
(Source: Belanger, Jeff. Encyclopedia of Haunted Places. 2005.)
