Haunted Hotels in Newbury, Ohio

Punderson Manor Lodge & Conference Center

11755 Kinsman Rd, Newbury Township, OH 44065

Punderson Manor carries tales dating back to its origins. One persistent legend involves Lemuel Punderson, an early settler, supposedly dying dramatically by rowing a bathtub into Punderson Lake and pulling the plug, though historical records suggest malaria. More contemporary accounts contribute to its haunted reputation: staff and guests report eerie children's laughter, potentially linked to an 1885 fire at the nearby Wales Hotel. Other spectral figures include W.B. Cleveland, a former owner deeply attached to the property, and Karl Long, who commenced the mansion's construction but faced financial ruin, rumored to have taken his life in the attic. Perhaps most striking is the prolonged sighting by multiple employees in 1979 of a ghostly lumberjack hanging in the lounge. Other paranormal claims include a woman's laughter echoing near the spiral staircase accompanied by sudden cold, encounters with a woman in a white gown gliding up stairs, and numerous poltergeist-like events such as malfunctioning electronics, moving objects, disembodied noises, and the sensation of being held down, especially noted in the Windsor Suite. The original wing of the manor is considered particularly active.