Blackberry River Inn

A charming country inn in the Litchfield Hills, the Blackberry River Inn has provided lodging since the early 19th century. The property maintains its historic character along with multiple resident spirits.

The Blackberry River Inn, originally known as Moseley House-Farm, stands as one of the most haunted inns in Connecticut, its timbers dating to 1763 when Norfolk was still a rugged frontier settlement in the Green Woods. The colonial mansion sits along what became the Greenwoods Turnpike, a vital stagecoach route between the Connecticut and Hudson Rivers that brought travelers, traders, and secrets through this remote Berkshire foothills community.

The property harbors a darker history beneath its elegant Georgian Revival facade. During the antebellum era, the inn is believed to have served as a station on the Underground Railroad. Large tunnels discovered in the basement of the main building provided hiding places for fugitive slaves making their perilous journey north to freedom. Norfolk itself was a haven for abolitionists, most famously providing refuge to James Mars and his family, enslaved people who escaped from their minister-owner and found sanctuary among sympathetic Norfolk families. Whether freedom seekers passed through these very tunnels remains unconfirmed, but the subterranean passages speak to clandestine activities requiring concealment.

The primary spirit haunting the inn is known as Francis, or simply "The Lady in White." Her apparition has been witnessed countless times over the decades, always following the same ethereal route. She materializes on the second floor of the main building and glides silently through the hallways before making her way to an empty house at the back of the property. Guests and staff have reported seeing her entering through the back entrance on many occasions, her white gown luminous against the aged woodwork. Unlike malevolent spirits, Francis brings a profound sense of calm to those who encounter her. Many witnesses describe feeling watched over, protected even, when they sense her presence nearby.

The paranormal activity extends beyond visual apparitions. Guests staying in the upstairs rooms report feeling unseen presences, as though someone invisible is observing them. Most unsettling is the phenomenon of being tapped on the head by an unseen force, sometimes once gently, sometimes repeatedly. These tactile encounters occur without warning, leaving guests startled but never harmed.

Seth H. Moseley, a New Haven hotelier who also owned the Collingwood Hotel in New York City (now the Hotel Metro), owned the property as a gentleman's farm until his death on December 7, 1938. The farm operation ceased in 1939, and Dorothea and James Schwarzhaupt subsequently purchased the property, transforming it into an inn. Whether any of the spirits relate to the Moseley era, the Underground Railroad period, or even earlier colonial inhabitants remains a mystery.

In the 1920s, celebrated architect Alfredo S.G. Taylor extensively renovated the mansion in the Georgian Revival style. Taylor, who designed over thirty buildings in Norfolk between 1902 and the 1940s, transformed the town into a "Village Beautiful" of romantic architecture. His work at Moseley House-Farm was so comprehensive that little evidence of the original 1763 colonial structure remains visible. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as part of the Alfredo S.G. Taylor Thematic District, encompassing 9 acres in Norfolk and 1 acre extending into North Canaan.

One particularly striking firsthand account comes from a paranormal website commenter who worked nearby for two years in the 1990s. They described "many things" happening during that period and sensed a "dark presence" so unsettling they refused to return to the location afterward. Another visitor documented encounters "in the 1970s" but provided few specifics beyond confirming unusual experiences. These accounts suggest the haunting has persisted consistently for at least half a century.

The Lady in White follows a pattern common to apparitions in historic New England properties, yet Francis appears to be a protective guardian rather than a troubled soul. Some paranormal researchers have speculated she may have been connected to the Underground Railroad, perhaps a conductor who helped guide freedom seekers through the tunnels and continues watching over travelers to this day. Others theorize she was a guest or resident from the inn's long history who formed such a deep attachment to the property that death could not sever the bond.

Today the Blackberry River Inn operates as a bed and breakfast on 27 acres in the southern Berkshires, its Colonial Williamsburg-style buildings housing 14 guest rooms and suites. The inn maintains its reputation as one of Connecticut's premier haunted hotels, welcoming curious ghost hunters and unsuspecting tourists alike. For those brave enough to request the second floor, Francis may still make her nightly rounds, offering that strange comfort only the departed can provide.