The Publick House

Originally the 1810 Brick Hotel, the Publick House is a beloved dining destination in historic Chester. The building has served travelers along this route for over two centuries, accumulating stories and spirits along the way.

The Publick House stands at the crossroads of Main Street and Hillside Road in Chester, a three-and-a-half-story Federal-style brick building that has welcomed travelers since 1810. Built by Zephaniah Drake and Jacob Drake Jr. using distinctive Flemish bond brickwork, the hotel served stagecoach passengers traveling the Washington Turnpike between Morristown and Phillipsburg. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and over the centuries it has served as a tavern, the Chester Institute college preparatory school (1854-1870), and a fine dining destination under the Fleming family name beginning in 1916.

The primary haunting is attributed to Zephaniah Drake's mother, who was married to the Methodist minister in nearby Mendham. A devout woman who adamantly opposed her son building a saloon in his hotel, she met a dramatic end when lightning struck through a sanctuary window during Sunday services and killed her. According to local legend, her disapproving spirit has haunted the establishment ever since, perhaps still protesting the presence of alcohol in her son's respectable establishment.

Weird NJ magazine documented an extensive range of paranormal phenomena at the Publick House in Issue 33, including ghostly faces, poltergeists, temperature anomalies, phantom perfume odors, spectral figures, mystery smoke, and glowing orbs. The phantom perfume is particularly notable - guests and staff have reported sudden wafts of old-fashioned fragrance in areas where no one has passed, possibly connected to the Methodist minister's wife or other female spirits from the building's long history.

The building appears to be home to multiple spirits, including what paranormal enthusiasts describe as "playful yet naughty young spirits" who roam the halls. One visitor dining with their daughter reported repeatedly feeling as if someone kept touching their arm; when they finally reached over to rub the spot, they heard a child giggle. Another family witnessed their young son nervously staring at an empty table near a broom closet in the dining room - the boy claimed to see a little girl sitting there watching them.

The upper floors are considered particularly active. A former employee who worked at the Publick House for several years confirmed it is "absolutely haunted," recalling an incident where an exit light sign cover came slamming down with tremendous force for no apparent reason. Before the building was remodeled, one visitor convinced the owner to take them upstairs, where the owner admitted that none of his workers would venture. In an upper room with a fireplace, the visitor was overcome by intense cold and sensed the presence of a very angry man, followed by the sound of a small boy crying emanating from what had once been the kitchen area near a closet.

Reports also mention Santeria-related phenomena, growling noises from unseen sources, and dramatic temperature drops in specific locations throughout the building. The Publick House has been featured in paranormal events, including theatrical ghost experiences that invite guests to interact with the spirits said to inhabit this historic stagecoach stop. Today the building operates as the Publick House Hotel and PH Steakhouse, its 18,400 square feet of Federal architecture continuing to welcome guests - both living and otherwise - more than two centuries after Zephaniah Drake first opened its doors.