1873 High Victorian Gothic mansion across from Congress Park, built by Civil War officer and diplomat George Sherman Batcheller and now operated as a haunted boutique bed-and-breakfast.
20 Circular Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Boutique B&B rates vary by room and season; check batchellermansioninn.com.
Access
Limited Access
Three-floor Victorian mansion with stairs; some rooms accessed only by upper floors.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1873 · High Victorian Gothic Architecture · Civil War Officer Heritage · Egyptian Diplomatic Service Connection · Saratoga Springs Historic District
The Batcheller Mansion stands at the corner of Circular Street and Whitney Place, directly across from Congress Park and the Canfield Casino. The home was commissioned in 1873 by George Sherman Batcheller, a Civil War officer who later served in the New York State Assembly, as a judge on the International Tribunal in Egypt under President Grant and successive administrations, as Minister to Portugal, and as President of the Universal Postal Congress. Batcheller was a distant relative of Roger Sherman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The mansion's architectural plans were considered so unusual that they were copyrighted. The High Victorian Gothic exterior incorporates a tall Moorish-style minaret, multiple gables, an octagonal corner tower, and elaborate ironwork. Construction cost was reported at $100,000 — an extraordinary sum in 1873. The plans called for three floors, eleven bedrooms, steam-vapor central heating, and gas lighting throughout the building. Batcheller originally named the home 'Kaser-el-Nouzha,' an Arabic phrase commonly translated as 'palace of pleasure,' reflecting his Egyptian diplomatic service.
The Batcheller family entertained U.S. presidents, European royalty, foreign dignitaries, and celebrities of the era at the mansion. The property was sold out of the family in 1916, three years after George Batcheller's death, and changed hands repeatedly through the twentieth century, falling into disrepair before a comprehensive restoration returned the building to its 1870s appearance. The Batcheller Mansion Inn opened as a boutique bed-and-breakfast and continues to operate today.
The building is a contributing structure to the Saratoga Springs historic district and is listed in the haunted-history itineraries published by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and the Haunted History Trail of New York State.
Sources
The Batcheller Mansion Inn is one of Saratoga Springs' most-reported overnight haunts. According to Haunted Rooms America and OnlyInYourState, paranormal investigators have reportedly captured an electronic voice phenomenon recording of a male voice saying 'Come find me,' attributed in the lore to George Batcheller himself.
Staff and guest accounts describe a consistent inventory of phenomena: walking in on conversations between unseen voices, knocking with no apparent source, cabinet doors opening on their own, sudden gusts of cool air, photographic orbs, and objects shifting between rooms. Activity is most often reported in three named guest rooms — the Amelia Le Saux, the Queen Maria Pia, and the Kate Batcheller — all on upper floors of the mansion.
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce's 'Spooky Saratoga Area Spots' guide and the Haunted History Trail of New York State both include the inn on their itineraries. The mansion is featured in OnlyInYourState's 'Notoriously Haunted' lists for New York and is described in the Haunted Rooms America catalogue. The inn itself markets discreetly around the paranormal reputation and continues to operate primarily as a boutique B&B.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Book one of the named rooms in the 1873 mansion. Paranormal activity is most often associated with the Amelia Le Saux, Queen Maria Pia, and Kate Batcheller rooms.
View the High Victorian Gothic exterior with its Moorish-influenced minaret and ironwork from the public sidewalk on Circular Street.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Charles City, VA
Edgewood Plantation is an 1854 Gothic Revival mansion in Charles City County, Virginia, built by the Rowland brothers, millers from New Jersey. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, the property served as a Confederate lookout during the Civil War and has operated as a post office, restaurant, and bed-and-breakfast.
Saratoga Springs, NY
The Gideon Putnam Hotel opened in 1935 inside Saratoga Spa State Park and is named for Gideon Putnam (1763-1812), the entrepreneur who founded Saratoga Springs in the early 1800s. Putnam built the city's original Putnam's Tavern and Boarding House (later Grand Union) in 1803 and began Congress Hall in 1811. While overseeing construction of Congress Hall, he fell from scaffolding and broke ribs; he died December 1, 1812, of pneumonia complications. The hotel is a National Historic Landmark and member of Historic Hotels of America.
Salem, MA
The Joshua Ward House in Salem, Massachusetts was built in 1784 for merchant Joshua Ward on the foundation of Sheriff George Corwin's 1692 home. Architect Samuel McIntire designed the Federal-style mansion. President George Washington stayed at the house during his 1789 New England tour. The property currently operates as The Merchant, a Lark Hotels boutique property.