Spread Eagle
Hanoverton, a small town in east-central Ohio, eighteen miles away from West Virginia, is rich with history and legends. Originally intended to be another Williamsburg, Hanoverton never got the attention or PR it needed to attract droves of tourists, but there are a few things that still do draw people in. This past weekend I had the opportunity to take a ghost tour there: History, Haunts, and Legends
The shining star of the town is the Spread Eagle Tavern, which is a restaurant and an inn. The restaurant, with Chef Keith is at the helm is by far one of my favorites. I’ve never been disappointed with a meal there. The highlight of our dinner the other night was the blueberry slapjack cake…..oh my lord…..it was like a funnel cake at the state fair married a Vermont blueberry pancake and had a Kahlua-whipped cream party. I can still close my eyes and taste this greatness.
Alas, my friends and I ultimately had to leave the restaurant, but we were in for another treat: the ghost tour, led by Steve. We started right here at the Spread Eagle, where we learned that the tavern was built in 1820 using the federal style of architecture; a simple square or rectangular brick box, two or three stories high and two rooms deep.
Two US presidents have stayed/dined here. Lincoln Gave speech in Hanoverton when he was still a congressman. It had never been confirmed for quite some time that he had ever visited, but among some historical relics was a bill for the event, uncovered about 20 years ago. William McKinley was the other president who stayed here. He was from Canton, which is less than an hour away.
The most haunted room at the inn is the Jefferson room. Olivina Nichols once lived there. Her parents owned the tavern somewhere around 1870. Olivina moved to NYC to become an actress, but she failed and moved back to Ohio. She lived a life of disappointment, as she had met a young gentleman who left her. She went into a deep depression and would often lock herself into her room (the Jefferson room), and eventually, sadly, she ended up hanging herself when the depression spiraled out of control. Today, guests who stay in the Jefferson room report a heavy feeling in that room. They hear noises. Faucets turn on. People who stay in the room directly below hear noises above, like a party going on. Sometimes people outside report seeing a sad looking lady looking out the window onto Plymouth Street. Other strange things that people see and hear throughout the entire structure is the sound of a piano playing in the Rathskeller (basement) area. Allegedly there is a little girl who perished in a fire in one of the connected row houses, and she is often seen playing on the stairs. Staff members and guests often report seeing a little blonde girl bouncing around.
The oldest home in Hanoverton was built in 1817 and now sits vacant, but once belonged to Dr Robertson. Originally from Scotland, he was the only doctor in the county. He smuggled bodies from the cemetery up to the upper left window of his home in the middle of the night to perform medical research. People tend to capture weird images in the windows, but I personally didn’t see anything. Creepy story, though…..
There were a few other stops to talk about the history of the town, but the last stop was the highlight: the pitch black cemetery, where the oldest grave dates back to 1814. The alleged “witch” of Hanover is buried somewhere here in an unmarked grave within the wealthy Sloan family plot. There were two Christinas in this family, a legitimate daughter and an illegitimate daughter. Guess which one was the witch? I found the cemetery to be peaceful and quiet, with the exception of a metal clanging sound once in awhile. As it turned out, that was just the cowbells from the nearby livestock, on a farm just beyond the cemetery. (Who knew cows were nocturnal?)
Cool little town. Scrumptious little meal here. And delightful little tour.
