DESCRIPTION

Broadalbin Historic 1854 Inn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

After years of restoration and renovation, the Thompson family’s two and a half story property, The Boradalbin Historic 1854 Inn, opened in 2019 as a full-service hotel with a restaurant, bar, and lounge. It is located in a 1854 building with an 1881 addition and is truly a restored historic beauty. The two other 19th century hotel owners who had inns in this structure would be very pleased indeed!

The original brick two story rectangular building was an 1854 effort, and measures thirty feet by ninety feet, that today is part of the hotel’s kitchen. The 1881 two story frame addition is also two stories, measuring fifty-five feet by sixty-five feet. Both have gable roofs and access to a second floor veranda.

Looking at the front, it is really a beautiful site with white pillars holding up the roof and the first and second floor verandahs in the style of the 1880s. The first floor verandah porch is a great place to sit and relax, in one of the many rocking chairs, or at the chairs and tables. Entering the front door, on the left is a beautiful bar and a lounge area that feels like a large lobby/living room.

On the right side is the dining room and in the very back of the building a large events room. The interior layout make it a perfect place for social events or meetings. Tin ceilings are found throughout the structure, with beautiful 1881 style windows and other decor perks.

There is a central main staircase that leads up to the second floor rooms. When we visited, in October of 2021, they asked us to go up the outside back staircase located just north of the guest parking lot, probably because their bar and restaurant on the first floor were closed because of Covid restrictions, so the front doors were locked.

We loved our antique bed, dresser, lamps, etc. and had our own bathroom. The bed was comfortable, and we had a good night’s sleep. We really enjoyed the second floor partial verandah, where we sat and drank our morning coffee.

All the hard work done by the Thompson family has paid off in a big way, as this restored historic gem is back to what it was meant to be, a classy hotel with places to relax, wind down, have drink and a good meal.

HISTORY

This building has an interesting history. In 1854, the two-story, brick block portion of the Hotel Broadalbin was the home of a thriving glove shop being located right on West Main Street. During the Civil War, it became a recovery hospital for wounded Union soldiers on its second floor, some of whom finally succumbed to their wounds.

Change came in 1880, when it was put on the real estate market. Entrepreneur Charles Boss, who saw the possibilities for a potential commercial money-maker, bought it and added to the original brick structure a clapboard clad frame block enlargement, including the hip roofed verandah that greatly expanded the building which he renamed Kennyetto Hotel.

It featured two floors, a tavern, meeting room and restaurant on the first floor, with rooms on the second floor for overnight guests/tenants. It became a popular meeting place for all kinds social events and community meetings.

In 1897, the building was put on the real estate market once again, and was bought by a Dr. H. C. Finch, who opened up what he thought was a more humane alcoholic treatment center. Named by the locals, Finch’s “gold cure” treatment consisted of injections of some truly poisonous ingredients, such as strychnine, alcohol apomorphine, willow bark, ammonia and atropine.

Dosages for each patient varied. Patients also received tonics to drink every two hours. This treatment lasted four weeks. It wasn’t long before the medical authorities called his cure a sham, as the loyal undertaker was becoming a wealthy man, and no one was being cured.

After the demise of the Dr Finch’s hospital, another upscale hotel moved inside in 1904, called The Kennyetto Inn, serving travelers, renting rooms to locals and continuing to host social events and community meetings.

By 1987, it was no longer a hotel, but a cafe and tavern, and it was in need of a major restoration. Its fortunes were changed for the good when Broadalbin school district teachers Dave and Zoe Thompson moved next store.

Though they were offered the possibility of buying it, they at first said no. However, when two of four their sons expressed an interest in this property, the Thompson family decided to buy it , and made plans to renovate and restore this historic gem.

In 2010, large snow storms made the front porch and facade unstable, compromising the poles on the porch. The owners had to wait for the insurance money to arrive before they could start repairs, but were able to replace the damaged parts after a period of time.

They went to work, stabilizing elements of the structure, cleaning up, and repairing but doing very little to change the look of the 1881 building. Dave Thompson stated in a 2012 Daily Gazette article, “We didn’t tear down anything. We cleaned, we painted and we papered some to bring the place back into working order, but we did our best to keep the historic age to the place.”

The tin ceilings and other landmark treasures were once again shining elements of this building, though restoration and renovation projects took priority, and had to be finished before they could reopen as a hotel.

During the restoration and renovation of the upper floors, the first floor was open under the name of The 1854 Pub and Brewery at the Historic Broadalbin Hotel. While they could serve wine and beer, the owners were prohibited from selling hard liquor because they were too close to a church. After the state legislature eventually made an exception for the Broadalbin Historic 1854 Inn, they could offer full selection of drinks.

Great things come to those who persevere and are patient. After the 2012 Daily Gazette article, it took another seven more years of restoration and renovation. In 2019, The Broadalbin opened as a full service hotel with a restaurant, a bar and lounge, one year before COVID raised its ugly head. The Broadalbin has survived this plague and have been able to reopen the restaurant and bar while abiding with the precautions laid out by the state of New York.

HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS

When patients enter a medical hospital with the hope of getting well, they can, of course, be terribly disappointed or worse if death should come, especially if they thought there was a good chance of recovering.

Its even worse if their treatment caused more physical pain and distress without leading to a cure. Their spirits don’t want to accept that they died, and they stay in the place where they expired. Sometimes the spirits of nurses and doctors stay behind as well to continue to treat them.

Waverly Hills Sanitarium, KY (Patients who died from their TB infection here, still are staying here as patients, with spectral nurses and doctors who also caught TB and died, looking after them. Bodies of the dead were hidden from the patients and disposed of secretly through a tunnel, so as to not demoralize the other patients).

Crescent Hotel, AR (From 1937-1938, this structure was the home to the Baker Cancer Curable Hospital and Health Resort, run by a huckster pretending to be a doctor, Norman Baker. Not one of his patients was cured by drinking spring water, and he wound up in prison. Instead of the spirits of patients residing here, it is the spirit of Baker himself who still believes in his cure, and two of his nurses who were fooled into thinking that he really was a doctor and had a legitimate cure).

Madison Seminary, OH (Taking care of ailing residents here apparently doesn’t stop in the afterlife. Ohio Madison Seminary is still the forever home for spirits of past residents who had chronic conditions caused by mental illness, being mentally challenged and infirmities caused by old age).

Broadalbin Historic 1854 Inn, NY (In 1898, Dr. H.C. Finch bought the Kennyetto Hotel building, promising to cure patients’ alcoholism in his four week program. His patients suffered greatly, some went blind and even died. Some of his victims are still residing here as spirits).

When wounded soldiers wind up dying of their injuries, they may not want to admit that they lost the final battle for their lives. They may decide to reside in the same structure where they died, especially if its a nice hotel or building.

Biltmore Hotel, FL (Soldiers who had survived their wounds on the battlefield, and made it back to the states to recover, must find it hard that they eventually died from their injuries).

Manassas National Battlefield Park Stone House, VA (Spirits of soldiers who died in this field hospital still reside here, hoping to get better enough to go home. One spectral officer, perhaps a doctor, still manages the patient spirits and the living as well).

Monserrat, KY (This building was a Civil War Hospital where men died of their wounds. Even in the afterlife, they haven’t left yet, not happy with how their lives ended).

Broadalbin Historic 1854 Inn, NY (The second floor of the brick part of the building was a hospital during the Civil War, where men came to recover from their war wounds. Some of them died after all they survived, and may be a little frustrated about it).

Suicide rarely brings the relief from depression, emotional pain and stress that people are yearning for, and they still suffer as spirits. They may regret their rash action.

Old Allen House, AR (The Allen family daughter, LaDell, poisoned herself after suffering yet another disappointing love relationship. She has found no peace as a spirit).

Hotel Adolphus, TX (A distraught bride hung herself on the bannister after being stood up at the altar. She still suffers grief, shame and is very lonely, seeking other young living people).

Currier Hall, IA (The story goes that three young women who shared the same room in the attic, all unknowingly fell in love with the same young man. When they realized that he was a skunk, in great despair they killed themselves. Their spirits regret this, and act as counselors when roommates don’t get along with each other).

Broadalbin Historic 1854 Inn, NY (When some rooms were rented out, mentally and emotionally hurting tenants committed suicide out of their depression and pain. Some are still residing here).

MANIFESTATIONS

The spirits who reside here try to find some peace from what troubles them by enjoying the beautifully restored inn, expressing their feelings in a variety of ways. There are always electrical items to play with.

PARANORMAL FINDINGS

Owners, guests, patrons and staff have had boatloads of personal experiences throughout the years of the structure’s existence. Paranormal investigators have caught a lot of hard evidence of the spirits who reside here.

Dan and Emily Pacillo of Orange County Paranormal New York caught three still photos of a misty apparition on his way into the bar, and spoke through EVPs and the phasmabox with a patient of Dr. Finch’s who had a sense of humor. When Emily asked a question “How did the shots make you feel?”

He responded “Delicious!” and then heartily laughed. When this spirit was asked about the use of placebos, he answered, “Sugar Pill.”

Other investigators had communications with spirits who had killed themselves while renting a room here long ago, being some sort of therapy for these spirits. They claim that it is these spirits who cause a lot of the paranormal activity.

STILL HAUNTED?

A big Yes Indeed! The spirits here make themselves known, and find some peace residing in this restored hotel, finding things to amuse themselves.
They love to watch the living, and sometimes get some chuckles by playfully interacting. They have opportunities through the paranormal investigators to express verbally how they feel, which may help them to be less restless.

So far, no evidence of the spirits of past owners of the two hotels that existed in this building has been experienced or caught. They may be here as encouraging unseen presences, but they haven’t made themselves known, perhaps because they are too busy remembering their good times being in business here.

LOCATION

59 West Main Street
Broadalbin, New York

Broadalbin Historic 1854 Inn is located on a main drag of the city of Broadalbin, across the street from the Broadalbin Methodist Episcopal Church, merely 200 yards away.

SOURCES INCLUDE

• https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2021/10/we-dare-you-to-spend-the-hight-at-these-haunted-upstate-ny-hotels.html
• https://hauntedhistorytrail.com/explore/historic-hotel-broadalbin
• https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/11000252
• https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=7424
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5c9GZ0beuI
• https://www.historicbroadalbinhotel.com
  Hotel Broadalbin Evidence Review – Orange County Paranormal NY, by Dan and Emily Pacella

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