Farnsworth House Inn

In 1810, John F. McFarlane constructed the original stone section of the home at 401 Baltimore Street. The property was expanded in 1833 with a two-story brick addition, giving the structure its current Federal-style appearance. By 1852, the house was acquired by Harvey Sweney, who resided there with his family during the outbreak of the American Civil War.

During the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1 to July 3, 1863, the Sweney home occupied a dangerous position between Union lines on Cemetery Hill and Confederate lines along Baltimore Street. Confederate sharpshooters seized the garret attic, using high windows as snipers' nests. On July 3, a round fired from the attic is widely believed to have struck 20-year-old Mary Virginia 'Jennie' Wade as she kneaded bread in her sister's house down the street, making her the sole civilian casualty of the battle. More than 100 bullet holes remain embedded in the inn's brick exterior wall today.

Following the Confederate retreat, Union medical corps converted the home into a temporary field hospital. Doctors operated around the clock in the basement and ground floor rooms, treating scores of severely wounded soldiers. In 1972, the property was renamed in honor of Brigadier General Elon J. Farnsworth and transformed into a historic bed and breakfast, restaurant, and museum preserving Gettysburg's wartime heritage.

The ghost lore of the Farnsworth House Inn is celebrated across North America, with paranormal investigators documenting at least fourteen distinct spirits lingering on the property. The most famous legend centers on the garret attic, where Confederate sharpshooters operated in July 1863. Guests and tour participants claim that the ghost of a Confederate sniper named 'Walter' still haunts the narrow garret. Witnesses report feeling sudden cold drafts, seeing the dark silhouette of a man holding a rifle near the window, and hearing the distinct sound of a heavy rifle butt striking the wooden floorboards.

Another beloved legend involves a young ghost child named 'Jeremy.' Local lore claims Jeremy was an eight-year-old boy who was accidentally killed by a runaway horse-drawn wagon outside the inn during the late 19th century. Guests staying in the upper guest rooms often report feeling a gentle tug on their bedsheets, hearing faint childish giggling in empty hallways, and finding small toys mysteriously moved across dresser tops overnight.

Additional stories surround 'Mary,' a compassionate 19th-century midwife who reportedly died in the house while attending to sick residents. Female guests frequently describe a comforting, maternal presence standing beside their beds at night, accompanied by the gentle scent of lavender perfume, a soothing touch on their foreheads, and the soft rustle of a long cotton dress as she moves silently through the bedroom.

Guests, innkeepers, waitstaff, and ghost tour participants have documented a remarkable variety of paranormal events at the Farnsworth House Inn. The most intense activity occurs in the 58-degree stone cellar, which served as a Civil War operating room. Visitors attending the 'Haunted Cellar' tour frequently report seeing dark shadow figures, experiencing sudden feelings of heavy chest pressure, and hearing disembodied groans and whispers in the cool subterranean air.

In the dining rooms and tavern, staff members regularly witness heavy wooden chairs shifting position unassisted, silverware sliding across tablecloths, and gas lamps flickering spontaneously. Guests staying in the historic bedrooms report waking to find the imprint of an unseen person sitting on the edge of their mattress, as well as doors unlatching and opening on their own.

Paranormal research teams conducting investigations in the garret attic have recorded numerous electronic voice phenomena (EVPs), capturing distinct male voices speaking military terms, footsteps pacing across pine floorboards, and sudden electromagnetic field (EMF) spikes near the historic bullet-pocked window frames.

The Farnsworth House Inn is a historic two-and-a-half-story Federal-style structure combining an 1810 stone foundation with an 1833 red brick main building. The south brick wall features over 100 authentic Civil War bullet holes, preserved as a living testament to the intense sharpshooting battle of 1863.

The layout includes 10 uniquely decorated historic guest rooms named after Civil War figures, a period dining room, an authentic tavern, a Victorian garden patio, and the garret attic sharpshooter sanctuary. Beneath the main floor lies the original cool stone cellar, featuring exposed timber beams, low ceilings, and historic artifacts from its time as a Civil War field hospital.

The Farnsworth House Inn is located at 401 Baltimore Street (PA Route 97) in the heart of historic Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania. The inn operates daily year-round, offering Victorian-themed bed and breakfast lodging, period dining featuring 19th-century Civil War recipes, and a historic tavern serving local spirits and draft craft beers to visitors and guests.

The inn offers several acclaimed tour programs, including the 60-minute 'Haunted Cellar Tour,' the 'Shadow Shooter & Phantom Regiments Tour' of the garret attic, and evening candlelit ghost walks through Gettysburg's historic streets. Advanced reservations for lodging, dining, and ghost tours should be booked online or by phone.

The Farnsworth House Inn's reputation as one of America's most haunted inns is deeply anchored in its direct Civil War battle history, over 100 visible bullet scars, and its harrowing historical use as a field hospital. Continuous reports of ghost snipers, child apparitions, and intense cellar phenomena make it a world-famous, legendary destination for dark tourism, historic preservation, and paranormal research.