Victorian J.A. Dempwolf Residence in New Oxford, Adams County — former award-winning bed and breakfast (2003-2012), now a private residence and appreciated as an exterior drive-by from the public street only.
Lincoln Way, New Oxford, PA 17350
Age
Restricted Access
Cost
Free
Private residence; not currently operating as a bed and breakfast
Access
Limited Access
Three-story Victorian residence
Equipment
No Photos
Est. 1888 · J.A. Dempwolf Victorian architecture · 2003-2012 award-winning bed and breakfast
Chestnut Hall stands on Lincoln Way in New Oxford, Adams County, Pennsylvania, about 12 miles east of Gettysburg. The house was designed by York-based architect J.A. Dempwolf, whose firm produced many of southern Pennsylvania's most prominent late 19th-century Victorian residences and commercial buildings. The Chestnut Hall design is one of the firm's better-preserved residential examples in Adams County.
From 2003 to 2012, the owners operated Chestnut Hall Bed and Breakfast on the property. The bed and breakfast won multiple awards from the regional bed-and-breakfast industry and from Adams County tourism. The property included guest rooms appointed in period style and welcomed guests in part for its proximity to Gettysburg.
The bed and breakfast closed in 2012. The property is now a private residence and is not open to visitors.
Sources
During the 2003-2012 bed-and-breakfast era, Chestnut Hall built one of Adams County's better-attested family-haunting traditions. The owners and guests described six recurring spirits, with five attributed to former family members and the sixth identified by family tradition as a neighbor girl named Alice.
The most often-reported apparition was a full-figure young girl in mid-19th-century period dress. According to one widely repeated guest account, the girl appeared in a guest's bedroom; when the guest acknowledged her, she turned, walked to a closed door, and passed through it into the hallway.
Auditory phenomena included voices, the sound of organ music late at night and in early morning hours, and furniture moving in unoccupied rooms. Tactile phenomena included guests being touched, bumped into, or having shirttails and pants legs tugged. A persistent pattern involved small objects being hidden in unexpected places and returning to plain view days or weeks later.
The owners consistently described the atmosphere of the house as peaceful and friendly, even with the active reports. The reputation as a 'pleasantly haunted' bed and breakfast was a draw for paranormal-curious guests during the operating years.
Because the property is now a private residence, the reports below are historical. Current visitors should not attempt to enter the property or approach the house.
Chestnut Hall is now a private residence in New Oxford — appreciate the Dempwolf Victorian architecture from the public sidewalk only. Do not knock, do not photograph the current owners or their guests, and do not approach the property.
Notable Entities
View the Victorian Chestnut Hall residence from the public street in New Oxford. The property previously operated as Chestnut Hall Bed and Breakfast from 2003 to 2012, but is now a private residence. View from the public road only, do NOT trespass.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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