Haunted: The Inn of the Hawke – Lambertville, NJ

It started out as a magical evening – a starry December night that had just a slight chill in the air, beautiful historical homes dressed in their best Christmas attire, sparkling colored lights shining everywhere. Driving into this adorable little town you can’t help but be swept up in the feel of it – the nostalgia, the quant little shops, the unique historical homes – each one built in a different style and standing tall and proud. The destination tonight was unknown to me, as many of these little jaunts are. My husband loves to surprise me with a night out to somewhere I have never been and know nothing about. He usually has a few requirements for these little outings – the place must be historic, should have a bar (preferably with Craft Beer on tap), and if at all possible the place should not be well-known and well visited. He hit a home run with this find. It started out as a magical evening, but it ended very differently. It is not often that I am taken by surprise or feel scared by spiritual energy – but this night had me running for the door by the end of it.

Inn of the Hawke
A unique set of small towns – separated by the Delaware River and a historical canal that was strife with heartache during construction (bodies of those that died are said to be buried within its banks) – are only a short jaunt from us.

Canal between NJ and PA

Lambertville, New Jersey and New Hope, Pennsylvania are both towns that are home to numerous historical sites, as well as rife with haunted locations. Visitors and residents alike can enjoy any number of charming restaurants, taverns and novel little shops. Sitting not far down river from the historical Washington Crossing’s Park and the state’s capital, these towns are known for their historical value to our country during the Revolutionary War. Known as Coryell’s Ferry at that time, this area played an important strategic role in our war for independence. The ferry carried messengers, supplies, and even troops between Pennsylvania and New Jersey and remained one of the few ferries not to fall under enemy influence during the war.

Lambertville, NJ was our first stop on this beautiful December night. Founded in the early 1700’s, the streets are lined with well-preserved Victorian homes and there is an abundance of havens for artists and antique lovers.
The Grand Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, camped here on their march to the Battle of Monmouth.

Historic Lambertville

The “Inn of the Hawk” is an eye-catching old-world tavern that features American food and craft beer in a lively, comfortable old English pub type atmosphere.

Haunted Inn of the Hawke

Although we have been to Lambertville several times – mainly to bike along the canal or enter the Delaware River for some canoeing fun – I have never seen nor heard of this quaint little place before. It is set back a few streets in the town and isn’t widely publicized – I often wonder how my husband finds these places.
I was quite excited for the night – it promised to be a good one (I could tell from the good mood my husband was putting off). As we walked toward the building, my eyes were instantly drawn up and around the side.

Inn of the Hawke

I saw a woman standing at a window on the third floor, one of the few windows lit up this night. I was unaware that we were approaching an actual “Inn” which offered rooms to those visiting the area. But this woman stood out to me as she was wearing clothing that was dark, high-necked and with a laced collar. There was a broach of some sort at her throat and she was standing with her hands folded across her chest, staring longingly outside into the night. From her energy and the fact that my husband didn’t see her (always a good sign), I knew she was a Spirit. I started to feel the strong pull of this place and began picking up on a lot of different energies inside the building – both intelligent and residual. I hesitated, not completely sure I was going to be able to handle all this energy tonight. But the allure of a good beer drew me closer and then I saw the menu posted.
Pecan crusted chicken – oh I was so in!! – spiritual energy be damned.

Menu

We had a drink at the bar as we waited for our table and I couldn’t help but appreciate the old-world style of the interior and pick up on all the excited, happy, comfortable energy surrounding me. It put me right at ease and loosened me up (or maybe that was the beer…). As we sat, I saw a man dressed in some kind of uniform (I think it was red) and he was “marching” (or maybe pacing is a better description) back and forth on the other side of the bar. From his energy, I knew he was not residual but I admit the repetitive nature of his actions leaned toward it, so I was a little confused. Eventually he turned his head and looked at me and winked…. Sense of humor folks, many spirits have quite the sense of humor.




I was being drawn down to a basement or something beneath the floor level of the bar. I felt a sense of something hidden – or people hidden. I could feel fear and anxiety coupled with excitement and a sense of purpose. I felt women energy, children energy and male energy down there. This was all residual but whatever occurred left a strong energetic mark on this building that you could likely feel all throughout. I feel like this building was involved in the underground railroad and likely housed and hid slaves that were escaping their brutality for a better life. As this building was once actually riverfront, it is a good possibility.
Trying to put all this aside and enjoy my drink, I felt someone brush up against my lower leg. I turned to say excuse me and came face to face with an adorable cherub faced little boy who was grinning up at me. I could clearly see his pink cheeks, missing teeth, wild head of hair and his cheeky smile. Once I noticed him, he ran off giggling. I would encounter him again later though.

Eventually we sat to enjoy our dinner and by this time I had moved onto a Jameson and ginger ale as my personal spirit to set the atmosphere. We were sitting at our table, in a cozy room lit mostly by the little candles on the tables and complete with a large comforting fireplace. My husband and I were talking as I was mindlessly fidgeting with the straw in my drink. I felt an odd energy, pulled my hand back slightly and looked down. The straw that I literally just had my hand on and was touching was gone. Now, I love a good story about the movement of objects by themselves just as much as anyone, but I am a paranormal investigator at heart, so I can’t take these things at face value. We looked around for that straw and eventually found it sometime later, using the flashlights on our phones, on the floor across the other side of the table. Is it possible I threw the straw without knowing it? How did it get all the way over there in the blink of an eye? What was that strange energy I felt right before it disappeared? I know what I believe… what do you think?

See the glass WITHOUT the straw

The evening continued and so did the strange activity. At one point my husband shivered – strongly – and looked surprised that he got the chills. Then his ear began to ring (which is happening to him more and more). He glanced up and saw a dog standing in the doorway. As he was about to ask why a dog was in the restaurant, it disappeared. My husband is not prone to seeing or experiencing activity (although he is part of our paranormal team) and I could tell this shook him. He was able to describe the dog – a mid-sized border collie that resembled our neighbors dog.
As we were finishing up dinner, I literally saw a bright flash of light move across this very big, very creepy painting that was hung on the wall by our heads. It moved a little, stopped, shifted up and then continued moving – towards me. Then it flashed brighter and was gone. Right after, I saw that little boy again run across the dining room giggling. Cute little stinker.

The “Inn of the Hawke” is a comfortable place with the feel of an old English pub. Its food is affordable, the craft beer list extensive and without a doubt the history lives on inside – actively.

Since it was such a beautiful night, we decided to head across the river to the other historical town – New Hope, Pennsylvania. New Hope has a far more extensive history of hauntings and is a place we have visited often. In fact, we have visited the historical tavern that was our destination previously – a few times. It never disappoints. However, this visit ended very differently for me. What started out as an exciting, fun night ended with me making a quick exit with my face flushed and my heart pounding – startled and uncomfortable and not a little scared.
Read all about what happened to cause my abrupt exit from the Logan Inn in New Hope, PA here: https://wp.me/paqIPF-6P


















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