Est. 1826 · National Register of Historic Places · Stagecoach Era Architecture · Waterbury Village Historic District
The Old Stagecoach Inn stands at the center of Waterbury Village, a Vermont town platted in the early nineteenth century along the route between Montpelier and Burlington. The inn was built in 1826 in the Federal style by a builder whose identity differs between local histories. In 1895 it was remodeled in the Queen Anne style, the look it keeps today. It quickly became a stop on the stagecoach circuit, offering rooms, meals, and a tavern to travelers crossing the Green Mountains.
The home passed to the Henry family; Annette Henry married industrialist Albert H. Spencer, and during her time there, 'Nettie' oversaw the Queen Anne remodel that gave the building the look it keeps today.
The inn returned to public lodging use in the second half of the twentieth century. It is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure within the Waterbury Village Historic District, recognized for its surviving Federal-period architecture and continuous role in the village's commercial life.
The building has twelve guest rooms today, divided between the original 1826 structure with period decor and a contemporary annex with kitchenettes. The inn also serves as a venue for weddings and private events. New innkeepers assumed operation of the property in the early 2020s, continuing its long run as one of central Vermont's most established small inns.
Sources
- https://oldstagecoach.com/the-ghost-story
- https://www.vermonter.com/old-stagecoach-inn-ghost/
- https://www.waterburyroundabout.org/business-archive/nwe6ftlyk3rkyijlh85zaubhuog6mk
- https://vermontvacation.com/haunted-vt/
- https://thebridgevt.org/2021/11/the-old-stagecoach-inn-waterburys-victorian-jewel-box/
Rocking chairs moving on their ownCabinet doors swinging openLights flickeringUnexplained noises
Annette 'Nettie' Spencer is remembered as a notable former resident. She and her husband, industrialist Albert H. Spencer, lived in the house, and she is credited with the Queen Anne remodel that gives the building its present look. The inn's haunting isn't attached specifically to Nettie or to any numbered room.
Visitors and staff instead describe general activity over the years: rocking chairs moving, cabinet doors swinging open, flickering lights, and odd nighttime noises. Current staff and owners say they haven't experienced anything paranormal themselves, though some guests have reported a presence they could not explain.
The Old Stagecoach Inn is included in Vermont's tourism office roundup of haunted lodging in the state, presented with restraint by the property's own marketing. The inn does not host investigations or ghost tours; the story is part of the building's long history as a stagecoach stop and a private home.
Notable Entities
Annette "Nettie" Spencer
