The Daniel Invokes the Halloween Spirit

At Boston East India Hotels property The Daniel we love Halloween and enjoy nothing more than getting in the spirit of the spooky fall holiday. On Oct. 29, we are welcoming all to join us in the Halloween festivities for an evening of tales of the local Brunswick community at Coast Bar + Bistro from 6 p.m. onwards.

Aside from great friends, food and drink, the evening will feature spooky or historical stories about the Town of Brunswick, as well as the historical property of The Daniel, which was previously the Captain Daniel Stone Inn.

We will also have a best costume contest so don’t forget to wear you Halloween costume!

Read all about the event HERE 

The Daniel and its past as the Captain Daniel Stone Inn may not be The Overlook Hotel from The Shining but it certain has a rich and interesting history — and we know that many in the community can regal listeners with some interesting tales of yore.

The Daniel is based on a historic building that was erected in 1809 and sits on nearly two acres of land near the Androscoggin River.

The property and site both have a rich history. The site housed a log cabin built in 1628 by Thomas Purchase, the first European settler in Brunswick. Originally called by its Native American name, Pejepscot, meaning a river with long rocky rapids, Brunswick became a trading post between the Native Americans, Thomas Purchase and other English settlers. The property itself was originally built in Federal style in 1819 and has served in many roles during its nearly two hundred year history. It became a full-service hotel in the 1980s and operated as the Captain Daniel Stone Inn until 2013. 

The Federal-style home attached to The Daniel was built for Captain Daniel Stone and his family in 1819. Captain Daniel Stone became a successful merchant after he retired from the U.S. Navy in the early 1800s. He and his wife, Nancy Hinckley, had two children, Narcissa and Daniel. The captain also served as a Brunswick Representative to the State Legislature.

Captain Daniel Stone’s daughter, Miss Narcissa Stone, became a prominent figure in the community after she inherited considerable land and property from her father upon his death in 1825. She held on to her inheritance tenaciously, improving the land and developing nearby property. The Stone Family Estate, on which The Daniel now stands, was known as Narcissa’s Hill to the townspeople for the better part of the 19^th century. Narcissa passed away at the age of 76, in 1877, after having led a full life and becoming an important part of Brunswick’s history.

Any historic building in an old part of the country, such as Brunswick, will surely have a few spooky stories and The Daniel is no different.

Prior owners of the Captain Daniel Stone Inn liked to intrigue guests with tales of possible ghost sightings and haunting. And rumor has it there was even a whispered about ghost journal to compile tales of the unexplained.

The most popular spooky tale was sightings of a young man — dressed in historical attire from centuries gone by and looking similar to old paintings once displayed in the hotel — suddenly appearing to guests and then vanishing into thin air.

Another hushed-tone legend has it that when the property was excavated for hotel construction at least one gravestone was found and sections of the hotel and parking lot sit on top of an ancient burial ground. Some say the gravestone was used as part of historical-themed displays in Captain Daniel Stone Inn, inviting a link to the netherworld.

It has also been whispered behind non-believers backs that there are rooms in the hotel that former staff would never dare enter and only the bravest and unknowing guests ever set foot in.

The property’s tales are not unique in the area.

Around Brunswick there are a number of ghost stories that chill locals and give goose bumps to listeners.

The Daniel’s favorites:

• The old high school in Brunswick is said to be haunted by a former student who died while rehearsing a play on the balcony during school hours.
• There are five stone markers on River Road in Brunswick that are rumored to be associated with ancient Native Americans but are of unknown origin and haunted with sounds of voices and unrecognizable singing.

Check out some of the supposed haunted places and legends from Brunswick on Haunted Places or Ghosts of America.

Are these spooky tales of The Daniel, The Captain Daniel Stone Inn and other haunting myths around Brunswick true or not? Come on out to Coast Bar + Bistro on Oct. 29 and you be the judge!