The 1716 House of Eleven Spirits
3010 Main Street (Route 6A), Barnstable, MA 02630
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Exterior view from Route 6A is free. The Shadowlands entry references the building's tavern era; the building no longer operates as a public inn or restaurant.
Access
Limited Access
Roadside, no formal viewing area
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1716 · Colonial Architecture · Route 6A Historic District · Cape Cod Folklore
The structure now known as the Barnstable House predates the United States. It was originally raised in Scituate in 1713 and relocated three years later to its current site on what is now Route 6A in Barnstable Village, where the builders set it directly over a freshwater spring. The house has cycled through use as a private residence, an inn, a restaurant, and a tavern.
Researchers and local historians have documented the building's chain of owners back to the early eighteenth century. The Barnstable Village Haunted History walking tour, run seasonally through the village, includes the house among its primary stops, and the property is profiled in regional travel writing including Boston.com and Cape Cod tourism publications.
The building no longer operates as an inn or tavern. Recent reporting from Cape Cod-based outlets describes the structure as currently housing other businesses while remaining a Route 6A landmark.
Sources
Local Cape Cod folklore associates the Barnstable House with eleven distinct entities. The most frequently cited is Lucy, a small child who, according to traditional accounts collected by Cape Cod Chamber-affiliated tour operators and by writer Robert Cahill, drowned in the spring that runs beneath the building while reaching for a ball.
During the building's tavern years, witnesses associated with the property reported a colonial-dressed figure carrying drink trays through the dining rooms. A lawyer who briefly leased first-floor office space described seeing a woman churning butter near the fireplace. The Woman in White is associated with a fire that took place in the twentieth century, during which firefighters reported a woman watching from an upstairs window. The cellar is connected to a sea-captain figure called Captain Graves in Cape Cod folklore. A 2017 paranormal investigation logged a heavy iron-mounted whale ornament tipping over in front of multiple witnesses.
The Shadowlands entry's reference to drinks knocked over and doors slamming aligns with the tavern-era reports recorded in regional collections. Drink-tray and barware phenomena were among the most cited during the building's restaurant operation.
Notable Entities
Slow-drive past the property along historic Route 6A in Barnstable Village. The building is a private commercial address; pair the visit with the Barnstable Village Haunted History walking tours that pass the house seasonally.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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