Hotel Bethlehem was built in 1920 on the site of the Eagle Hotel which was demolished so the new owner, Bethlehem Steel with tycoon Charles Schwab at its helm, could build an elegant inn for clients. The Eagle Hotel, owned by the Moravian Church, was constructed on the site of Bethlehem’s first house.
The hotel changed ownership three more times. The present owners did extensive renovating to restore it to original splendor and offers an elegant atmosphere, superior hospitality and gourmet dining.
Hotel Bethlehem is one of only 213 hotels and resorts that are members of the National Trust Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Natalie Bock is the hotel’s Special Events Manager and Hotel Historian. She provides excellent information about Moravian and hotel history as well as its paranormal phenomena. Natalie researched the ghosts and continually collects witnesses’ experiences.
Ghosts
- Francis “Daddy” Thomas: Daddy, known for his kindness and humor, welcomed and attended to visitors who came to the town. His ghost has been sighted in the boiler room.
- Mrs. Brong: She and her husband were innkeepers of the Eagle Hotel until 1833 when the Moravian Church fired them. Mr. Brong had a habit of getting so intoxicated that he had to be put on a bench when he could no longer sit. She, except for a then shocking habit of greeting guests barefoot, was a good hostess. Staff and guests have seen her ghost in the restaurant and kitchen, dressed in attire of the 1800s, but stockingless and shoeless.
- Mary “May” Yohe: She danced and sang for the hotel guests in the lobby. The Moravians sent her to Paris to be taught operatic art. By 1888, she was one of the best known stars of the stage. May was also known for her romances. During the 1890s, she went to England and met Lord Francis Clinton Hope. They fell in love and married. He owned a magnificent blue diamond, named for the family, said to be cursed. She often wore the gem. May left him for an American soldier, who later left her. People have heard her ghost singing. The player piano in the lounge frequently plays on its own. May’s specter has been witnessed in the exercise room on the third floor and in the lobby.
Room 932
- A couple reported seeing a man in an undershirt and boxer shorts standing at the foot of their bed. He vanished when the light was turned on. They immediately checked out!
- Another couple woke to find a man standing by the bed. He asked why were they in his room. He also vanished when the light was turned on.
- Other guests saw the bathroom wallpaper turn pink, papers fly off the desk and lights blink. There are photos of the room in which orbs appear.
- EVP has been recorded. A voice proclaimed the bathroom was beautiful. One said she was Mary. Another claimed to be locked in the closet. Someone said percipients should look out of the window.
Paranormal Miscellany
- Guests in ninth floor rooms reported the shower turning itself off or the water flow varying. The plumbing is not faulty.
- The third floor has cold spots and unaccountable breezes.
- A guest felt the presence of a sad girl about three years old, dressed in white peering through the mezzanine’s railing. Others heard a child playing in halls and sighted a young girl dressed in white.
- Another guest heard somone call her name, but when she looked to see who it was, no one was there.
Related articles:
My First Paranormal Investigation and Ghost Tours
Investigation: A “Haunting” in Historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Source:
http://www.hotelbethlehem.com/haunted.htm
