'There's A Lot Of Ghosts In Here': CBS3 Spends Evening In Believed-To-Be Haunted Neshaminy Creekside Inn
BENSALEM, Pa. (CBS) -- An historic inn in Bensalem is known for its charm and rich history. The Neshaminy Creekside Inn is also said to be haunted.
So just in time for Halloween, two brave souls from the Eyewitness News team decided to check in and check it out. Here's what reporter Alicia Roberts and photojournalist Matt Maiorano discovered.
"Neshaminy Creekside Inn is special in many ways. One of the ways is there's other people here. Whether we want to believe it or not, they're here," owner Joseph Pignatelli said.
Pignatelli, a self-described serial entrepreneur who bought the Neshaminy Creekside Inn in Bensalem 18 months ago, says he's made a living being the unemotional, numbers guy. But even he's become a believer.
"Footsteps, friendly footsteps, but certainly things that were out of the ordinary being in the house by myself," he said.
"There's a lot of ghosts in here," innkeeper Karen Sadowski said.
Built in 1697, Sadowski says spirits from several generations frequent these grounds, including Revolutionary War soldiers, war widows and their children, and slaves escaping the south by way of the Underground Railroad.
"The woman who ran the B&B back in the day she would take them in," Sadowski said.
Sadowski says while the ghosts have stuck around, many guests have checked out early.
"I had a guest that was here for a wedding, which would have been the colonel's room. He was opening up the door, he was walking back and forth in the bedroom, moving the chair. They left at 3 o'clock in the morning. They were freaked out," Sadowski said.
Sadowski says you can often see light representations of these spirits, especially at night. CBS3 reporter Alicia Roberts' cellphone recorded several, and other videos and photos seem to show something in the air.
"Everybody gets a different experience," manager Sandra Davis said.
Davis warns spirits can be predicted.
"You do see people come in they're looking for this, or they're looking for that, things just happen," Davis said.
Still, we sought to get some answers from an expert, physic medium John Gerner, who can see and communicate with those not here on earth.
"As soon as you come to this property, it's protected almost," Gerner said. "There is somebody beside your cameraman there."
A walk around tells story after story.
"It's a woman and she's standing on the far side and he just lit her up. There's definitely a little girl who's standing right on that railing. Her hand's on the top of the railing there," Gerner said.
He says not only can he see the past but often, what's still to come.
"Yes, and I don't often want to know," Gerner said.
As for the present, those in charge now respect those who've come before.
"To me, it's their house. They were here first and I'm their guest," Sadowski said.
And as for Pignatelli, he says all are welcome, even those without a reservation.
"You don't charge those guests. We tried to, but their credit cards didn't go through," he said.