Stone's Public House - Ashland, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 15.584 W 071° 27.873
19T E 296717 N 4681555
This old inn, once owned by John Stone, two figures have been reported either in the dining room or the second floor, one a little girl, the other a man, possibly John Stone, himself.
Waymark Code: WMBMHT
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 06/02/2011
Views: 8
In Ashland, by the CSX railroad tracks through the center of town, is a brick 2 1/2 story building that is Stone's Public House, currently a pub and restaurant. This place is known for its good food, good live music, and even a trivia night. It's also well known for the ghosts that haunt the place: a little girl and a man that some say is the old owner, John Stone, himself.
The History:
The following comes from the inn's web site. Go to the site to read more about the inn.
John Stone built this building in 1834, and called it the Railroad House. When he learned that the railroad (The Boston and Worcester Railroad, at the time), was being built through his land, he decided to build a hotel next to the tracks. John, himself, operated the in for less than two years, but he leased it out for many years. John finally died in 1858. Over the many years since, the inn gradually fell into disrepair until Leonard "Cappy" Fournier bought it in 1976. It has since changed hands again.
Paranormal Reports:
Paranormal activity started soon after Cappy had begun to restore the inn. Doors became unbolted and lights turned on by themselves. Cappy had psychics come through to determine what was there. Stories varied, but the common factor was that every one of them said that as they ascended to the second floor function room, they had strange feelings about the back half of the room. Some stories stated that there were several figures, including a drunk person named Burt Philips who might have died there in 1896. Bartenders report of taps opening without a person being present and glass flying off the shelves. One reported that birdseed fell from a hole in the ceiling for no reason. Patrons have also felt that they had been tapped only to turn around to see no one there. A hypnotist session to make a connection to the spirits revealed that Stone may have killed a person after accusing him of cheating in a card game and buried the body in the basement.
There are also reports of a little girl there, who may have died nearby when a train hit her. Another source discussed this possibility. Nicknamed "Mary" people report of giggles or seeing shadows cast. A researcher had found records of such a girl dieing, named "Mary J. Smith" who was just shy of 11 years old. There is a pinafore in a frame at the inn that is attributed to Mary. However, no other information about the girl was found, so this is left unanswered.
At least two celebrity paranormal investigators have visited the place.
Ghost Lab had claimed to have recorded the shadow and recorded a voice.
The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) had visited the inn, in their first season, but their results were 'inconclusive.' They had thought that they saw a light flash, but it was the result of their equipment. They also recorded a voice with an incomplete sentence, "We're not..."
My Visit:
My visit was primarily to eat at the establishment with a hope that I might 'catch something.' Only the pub area was open that evening, and it happened to be Trivia Night, so it was particularly full and noisy - not ideal conditions for sighting spirits. So, it was not a surprise not to see anything. I noted on the fireplace mantle acouple things. First, there was small picture of John Stone over it, with a spot light shining on it. Second, there was a sign on the mantle. It said:
"Please, only employees tend the fire. [small image of Stone's face] I'm watching."
Have fun eating while you wait for the paranormal to join you!
Other Sources:
Shadowlands Web Site (Massachusetts):
(
visit link)
Ghosthuntersfullepisodes.com
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visit link)
Middlesex News (Ashland's Girl Ghost was Real):
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visit link)