Location: Beaver Bridge is at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 269, five miles south of Sandusky, Ohio on the New York-to-Chicago route. Crumpet Manor is located at 7640 Haghlund Road (Rural Route 136) which runs in a loop around the city and rejoins Interstate 80.

Description of Place: Listed in the National Directory of Historic Places, Crumpet Manor has been a longtime destination for newlyweds and married couples for over thirty years. Heavily British in style, the three story manor house with its Victorian architecture consists of thirty-five rooms, hand-painted floors, antique furniture and a hidden basement area. The rooms are very comfortable, and vintage decor adds to their charm. Each room is its suite (has its own bathroom) and offers a view of the nearby hotel, the surrounding mountains or both. The two-story carriage house on the property, formerly a post office and stagecoach stop, predates the main house. The grounds are meticulously maintained and often booked in advance for weddings, ceremonies and local milestones.

Ghostly Manifestations: Beaver Bridge in Erie County, Ohio is a notorious little town. Following car trouble in town on his way to a booking in Chicago, comedian Marty Gold dubbed it, "the creepiest little town in the United States." Up to his death in 2007, Gold was on his way to success with his exaggerated anecdotes about Beaver Bridge being trapped in a time warp while the town itself has enjoyed great success and prosperity as a tourist town.

Surrounded by a number of historic structures, Beaver Bridge's most notable landmark is Crumpet Manor, the kind of location that every ghost hunter dreams. Extravagantly decorated, the inn has a long and interesting history with several colorful guests, and, in addition, parts of the hotel are delightfully haunted. From the kitchen to the parlor to the carriage house and even the old well house, every room and space has its own story.

"I've visited the Crumpet Inn several times and concluded that it's one of the most active places I've ever encountered." Jeff Willson of Ohio Paranormal remarks. "The location is similar to Granville's Buxton Inn but perhaps even more haunted."

There are several ghosts that are alleged to haunt the Buxton Inn, many of which are former owners, guests or relatives of the owners. Strange knockings have been heard in the inn’s basement, where the stagecoach drivers often stayed. The basement door is also known to open and close by itself and there are reports of footsteps heard walking up and down the staircase. N. E. (Ennie) Taylor, the original owner, is also said to make appearances at the inn. He is described as an elderly man wearing old-fashioned white or blue breeches who has been accused of stealing pies from the downstairs pantry and stealing glasses of wine from forgetful guests.

One former guest, William Ulysses Carlton, is also reported to have taken up residence at the Inn. His spirit is described as a shadowy figure that is seen throughout the house, although he is most often spotted sitting in the dining room. Although the apparition is shadowy, guests have no trouble recognizing it as Mr. Carlton, perhaps aided by his large portrait hanging in the library.

"The lovelorn story of William Carlton is my favorite ghost story here at the manor house because it is so romantic and tragic." Robin Montgomery, the docent and assistant manager, confesses. "He was a frequent guest here in the 1890s from Germantown. Story goes he was in love with Jessica Elizabeth Witherspoon, a regular tenant here, and he came as frequent and as often as he could to charm her as he worked up the nerve to court her. Unfortunately, she never realized his true intentions, and on his last stay here, he learned she was betrothed to marry another man. Heartbroken, he retired to Room 17, his regular room, in the carriage house and took a heavy dose of poison. He was buried on a small plot on the property, but his spirit never left. Female guests have felt him blowing on their necks, caressing their hair and taking them by the hand. He's particularly romantic with single ladies who stay here. Fresh roses have appeared out of no where by bedside even in the coldest winter months, and some ladies feel a presence walking by them down the stairs keeping them from stumbling and falling.

"A few years ago, we had a young lady here named Monica Stoddard from Tennessee." Robin continues. "She was doing a tour of Ohio inns for a travel magazine, and during her stay, we all awoke to find the chairs and tables in the parlor and dining room pushed against the walls as if someone had been having a party. During breakfast, Monica described having an incredible dream where a handsome guest whisked her downstairs for an incredible party surrounded by over a hundred guests in period attire. This man had obviously enchanted her in her dream and departed after kissing her hand.

"During our interview, she recognized him as the man hanging in the portrait in our library, William Ulysses Carlton."

Yet another former owner who has chosen to return is Charlotte "Lottie" Eckhart-Taylor, the daughter of a former mayor. Her spirit is often referred to as the "Lady in Blue", based on her often appearing wearing a blue dress. Ms. Taylor died in the Orchid Room (the former master bedroom) of the inn, so it is not surprising that her spirit is seen most often here. However, she is also known to frequent the other areas of the Inn, often preceded by the sweet smell of perfume.

A final ghostly guest is that of a phantom cat. This ghost is often seen wandering the hallways and even entering some of the rooms. Guests have woken up at night to see it laying on their bed, and while the true identity of this cat may never be known, it is interesting to note that the large sign hanging outside Crumpet Manor features a large, white cat laying on its back.

"From my investigations, Crumpet Manor's most active area is the carriage house." Jeff Willson of Ohio Paranormal remarks. "Each guest room in that building has its own odd energy. The upstairs may be more haunted than the ground floor. Room 17 is especially active, but Rooms 15 and 16 are also interesting for ghost hunters.

"Even when the building is empty, apparitions and odd shadow figures have been seen in the upstairs windows in broad daylight. After seeing the shadowy figure of a woman in one of the carriage house windows,

I commented that all I could see clearly were the pearls in her necklace. They seemed to catch the light, though the rest of the figure was a vague shadow. I later learned that a former owner of the manor house who may haunt Room 17 always wore pearls."

"Numerous apparitions have been reported, including a small boy on the front porch, a young girl on the attic stairs, an African-American gentleman in the dining room and a phantom housekeeper rushing from the main house to the carriage and down the lane. The property is on the border of the Beaver Bridge Memorial Cemetery where over a hundred Civil War soldiers lat at rest, and their tired ghosts have been seen dragging their rifles across the grass and vanishing in the shadows of the manor.

"One of my favorite rooms is Room 33 where other guests have described eerie activity that woke them up." Willson continues. "I've spent the night there and enjoyed the room. Perhaps it was the clean, mountain air or the luxurious bed, but I slept very soundly and woke refreshed

in the morning. It's far from any noise around the lobby, and it adjoins a sitting area with its own ghostly energy. In the sitting area at the west end of the manor house, you'll find a group of comfortable chairs, and windows on three sides. Spend some time quietly sitting there after dark and watch the corridor that leads to it. Several of us noted visual anomalies. They're similar to the distortions above pavement on a hot day, or the mostly-invisible creature in the Predator movies. It's an unusual phenomenon."

In the first floor corridor of the main building where the staff apartments are, chef Ted Osborne describes his own experience:

”I saw an odd, hunched figure moving slowly across the floor. It reminded me of Caliban, a character in Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest." It was there, and then it wasn't. It didn't look like a ghost. I've discussed this with a few other paranormal researchers, some of whom have been to the manor, and they're not sure what it is."

A boy named Rollie is believed to haunt the third floor. Some people think he may be the same six-year-old boy seen on the porch who accidentally drowned in the old well. However, witnesses have described the boy spirit as being closer eleven not six. Either way, he has been known to play with toys left in his attic room. A young woman named Betty has been seen on the third floor as well. She supposedly hung herself, but rumors dictate she may have been murdered by a jilted lover. Other reports include footsteps, voices, doors opening and shutting, children laughing, cold spots, the sounds of music being played on an unattended piano, ladies' jewelry being tugged and the feeling of being watched not to mention various spirits from different time periods have been seen throughout the hotel.

"Last Fourth of July," Willson adds. "I had a rather unusual story related to me. The Fourth Marine Battalion came up here to celebrate Independence Day for the local WW2 veterans and demonstrated this huge formation on the grounds nearby. It was truly remarkable to watch, but one of them must have heard I was in attendance because he came to me and asked me if the inn or the cemetery was haunted.

"It seems while he and his platoon were walking in formation, he had looked to his side and saw the form of a Civil War Union officer keeping in step with the platoon, and he wasn't the only one. Several others also saw figures in Civil War attire walking with them. It seems they just couldn't bear to be left out of the demonstration."

"I truly believe the manor house is haunted." Financial lawyer Marshall Eriksen mentions. "The place is a great location for a ghost to stay, great food, great service, great location, and as soon as I can talk my wife into it, I'm coming back."

History: Beaver Bridge is an old logging town that was founded by French Canadian trappers in 1803, but the town seal actually includes the year 1845, when the city hall was built and Beaver Bridge became a town. 1200 men from here fought for the Union in the Civil War; 123 for the Confederacy.

Known as one of the oldest continually operating inns in Ohio, Crumpet Manor was built in 1881 by Nathaniel Elliot Taylor, a British officer who came to the United States to write a history about the American Civil War and instead became one of the most prosperous businessmen in town. He served as a post master and operated a stagecoach stop, later taking as his bride, Charlotte Eckhart, the daughter of a local politician, who after his death opened their home as an inn to wayward travelers. Stagecoach drivers often stayed in rooms in the basement, where they were permitted to cook, eat, and sleep. Amelia was a cordial hostess for several years until her death in 1929, throwing parties from military generals, politicians and captains-of-industry. President James Garfield once stayed here. Eliot and Charlotte's descendants have been running the location ever since, offering a plethora of amenities to guests, such as British-style breakfasts and relaxation spas. Bonnie Eckhart-Hawes was the innkeeper up until the time of her death in the 1960s.

Identity of Ghosts: Quite a number of spirits have been reported here. Psychics Heather Burton, Dawn Rochner and Frieda Scherbatsky have separately described the number between 30 to 40 spirits, most associated with the Taylors. A man, fitting Ennie's description, wanders around the location in the form of a misty apparition. The laughter of a woman has been linked to Lottie looking over her guests and dressed in a beautiful Victorian style gown. A small girl in a nightgown glides motionlessly down the stairs from the third floor. She is believed to be the former chef's 4-year-old daughter, Suzanne "Susy" Haggerty, who choked to death on a button. A 6-year-old boy named Roland "Rollie" Ericksen drowned in the well in 1915. Over the years, there were several accidental deaths but nothing dark or sinister has ever been reported. Various aromas have been experienced throughout the building including perfume, burning pipe tobacco and fried potatoes.

Source/Comments: How I Met Your Mother (Episode: "Dual Citizenship") - Activity loosely based on the Spaulding Inn in Whitefield, New Hampshire, the Buxton Inn in Granville, Ohio, the Shanley Hotel in Napanoch, New York,