Barnstable House is located right off the road in Barnstable, MA
The Barnstable House was built in 1716, by James Paine, who has the posthumous honor of being related to Robert Treat Paine, a signer of The Declaration of Independence. It was built over an underground river, which can be a convenient labor-saver, or an accident ready to happen, depending on the circumstances. In the basement of the home, there was an opening that led to the river, so people in the house could get water from this river. Michael Aston, founder of the new England Society of Paranormal Investigators shared with me how this 1716 home was constructed: “The Barnstable house is unique in such a way that the original house was built from 1 tree and was sailed over by boat in three pieces. This is the house you see today.”
The first floor had the usual common rooms. The bedrooms were found on the second floor. The third floor attic room was finished and fairly big, probably used for living space at some point in time. The basement was a useful space as well. The layout of this home made it a versatile property, that could be used for a variety of purposes, which insured that it would be well taken care of throughout its existence. It was never allowed to become a woe-be-gone fixer-upper.
Besides being a family home for many people over its very long existence, this lovely structure over the course of the years became an inn and restaurant/tavern, because of its location; right off the main road, attracting weary, thirsty, hungry travelers. The locals also enjoyed a good beer, and a fine meal. During the 1970s; when the Barnstable House was vacant, a fire started, probably in the third floor attic room, but was quickly put out by firemen.
In recent years, The Barnstable Restaurant and Tavern moved down the street into another building, and this colonial structure became a commercial building, housing several businesses that serve the Cape Cod area. The dining room became the conference room. Though the inside may have been modified a little, to better serve as business offices, only one small addition was added in the 1970s. Considering the age of this structure, being 268 years old, that is pretty remarkable.
Today, it is a busy home to several businesses, who take the paranormal activity in stride, knowing that the spirits are benign, and won’t hurt them; though perhaps a little mischievous, strong-willed at times, and even a bit crabby.
Read more here: https://ghost.hauntedhouses.com/massachusetts_cape_cod_barnstable_house#
Book a tour here: https://capecodlife.com/barnstable-haunted-tours-a-nice-paranormal-night-in-the-village/
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/and-thats-why-we-drink/e/54558081
