Some of you might remember Christopher’s by the Bay from an earlier pre-Christmas post mentioning a conversation I had with the innkeeper. I thought I may as well elaborate on the place, since summer will be here before you know. Time for vacations and travel. And if you find yourself in Provincetown, MA, Christopher’s is a wonderful choice for lodging…
…and perhaps a ghost or two.
Dave and Jim have operated the guest house on Johnson Street for the past couple years. It is located in a century house, constructed in the 1840s as a home for shipwright Stephen Mott. For the past 40 years, guests have stayed at the residence through its many incarnations: Swanberry Inn, Carpe Diem, and (finally) Christopher’s. A variety of rooms are available for overnight guests on each of the three floors; each is named for a famed painter. But anyone planning to visit the inn might want to keep an eye out for a ghost or two.
The main presence within the home has been dubbed ‘Elizabeth’ after a local psychic picked up on the name while passing the property. The owner’s dog occasionally growls at ‘nothing’ in the dining room and there is a sense of people coming and going at what once was the rear entrance (now leading to the innkeeper’s quarters). A few guests have experienced bizarre-but-not-frightening occurrences in a few rooms, including the sensation of being watched and encyclopedia’s removing themselves from the bookcases. Whoever ‘Elizabeth’ is, she is not unfriendly, though, to the living, her unexpected manifestations can catch people off guard. Even through the eyes of skeptics, there have been moments that leave you wondering if ghosts really do exist…
Provincetown has been an escape for artists and celebrities for decades, and the region is ripe with history. Its high GLBT population makes it a favorite vacation spot for ‘friends of Dorothy’ with as much sun and entertainment as any man or woman could want. And if staying in a haunted bed & breakfast isn’t enough to satisfy your craving for the dead, haunted places can be found throughout the city. You can explore the sites for yourself or tag along with Provincetown Ghost Tours and get a taste of Cape Cod’s undead nightlife.
