Est. 1773 · Colonial American Heritage · Revolutionary War History · Historic Hotels of America · Norman Rockwell Stockbridge
Silas Pepoon built his tavern and inn at the corner of Pine and Main Streets in Stockbridge in 1773. The location on the primary road through western Massachusetts made it a natural stop for travelers, and from its earliest years the inn had connections to the political events of the era. The Continental Army passed through Stockbridge, and protests against the British Parliament's Acts of Intolerance were staged at the Red Lion.
The original structure operated for over a century before a fire in 1896 destroyed it. The rebuilt inn opened in 1897 and continued under various names and owners through the 20th century. Stockbridge remained a working Massachusetts town, but by the mid-20th century the Berkshires had become a cultural destination — Norman Rockwell had his studio in Stockbridge and used the village as the setting for some of his most famous illustrations.
Jack and Jane Fitzpatrick purchased the property in 1968 specifically to prevent it from being modernized beyond recognition or demolished. They restored the name The Red Lion Inn, invested in preserving the original character, and operated it as a traditional New England inn. The Fitzpatrick family continued operating the inn for decades.
Today the property includes 125 rooms across the Main Inn, Maple Glen, Village Houses, and the Norman Rockwell Firehouse accommodations. The inn is listed with Historic Hotels of America and has been recognized as one of the most authentic surviving colonial-era inn experiences in New England.
Sources
- https://www.redlioninn.com/
- https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2023/10/25/massachusetts-haunted-hotel-halloween
- https://beyondhaunted.com/massachusetts/haunted-red-lion-inn
- https://www.brit.co/most-haunted-hotel-in-america/
ApparitionsCold spotsTouching/pushingObject movementPhantom sounds
Room 301 generates the Red Lion Inn's most consistent paranormal reports. The figure described across multiple independent accounts is specific in appearance: a tall man in a top hat and period clothing, typically appearing in a standing position before dissolving or vanishing into white mist. The specificity of the description — not just a shadow or a cold spot, but a figure with identifiable period details — appears in accounts from guests who had not been told about previous reports.
Guests staying in Room 301 have reported toes being tugged, hands scratched, sheets being pulled from the bed, and an overall sensation of something else present in the room. These accounts span multiple years across independent guest review platforms.
The inn's other reported phenomena are diffuse: a general sense of presence in the older sections of the Main Inn, unexplained sounds during overnight hours, and the mild atmospheric effects common to buildings of this age.
The Red Lion Inn's paranormal reputation exists in context with its other identities — a Norman Rockwell Stockbridge landmark, a colonial hospitality institution, and a historic hotel with 250 years of continuous use. The ghost of Room 301 is one element of a property with many layers of documented history.
Notable Entities
The Man in the Top Hat (Room 301)
