Chilling moment 'ghost' flies past 'haunted' 1785 restaurant setting off alarms

21 October 2023 , 18:18

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A strange mist can be seen on the footage forming in front of the hotel (Image: Library Restaurant/Facebook)

The owners of a restaurant dating back to the 1700s believe they have captured evidence of a ghost flying past the front of their restaurant after it set off their alarms.

Located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Library Restaurant uploaded an eerie video showing what they say is a ghost passing in front of one of their cameras outside the front. Sharing the strange footage on Facebook, they explained that their building, the Rockingham, is well-known for its ghostly residents, particularly those who like to stay in the basement.

They said: "Last night, for the very first time our motion detector alarms INSIDE the building were set off by this camera motion caught on video in the dead of night outside the window. The motion detectors inside cannot see what the camera outside sees!"

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In the roughly minute-and-a-half video, a strange mist and light anomalies can be seen passing in front of the camera outside the restaurant before two police officers show up to check the building after the alarms were triggered. The restaurant owners wrote: "It is not lights from the car - because you can see how others are picked up and there is no horizontal wind blowing.

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"So what can this be! Make of it what you will but this has never happened before! Spooky coincidence for the time of year? Ps our police rock, showing up to check it all out in double quick time."

View the video here:

The strange footage prompted others to share their own experiences with the paranormal in the 238-year-old business. The restaurant is known to be a hot spot for some famous faces, particularly politicians including presidents George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F Kennedy.

One Facebook user claimed it was the "lady in white" appearing, who they said residents had claimed to see "in the hallways". Others noted the strangely haunted bathrooms at the restaurant.

"I have been to the library many times, and I assure you that there is a female ghost in the bathroom area in the lower level," wrote one person. Another said what the restaurant captured is "definitely a ghost" and that they've "seen plenty of them", explaining: "I used to live across the street. The women's restroom at the Library is haunted."

The strange apparition appeared after the security alarms inside the building had been set off (Library Restaurant/Facebook)

However, as with all things paranormal, there were plenty of sceptics out there. One person tried to bust the claim, writing: "So are we gunna talk about the jump cut in the video at the time of the 'ghost'? Or that the timecode in the upper right hand corner skips from 02:29:30 to 02:31:04? But yea, totally legit, supernatural behaviour 'caught on camera'."

Multiple users were certain that the 'ghost' was actually fog, wind or steam. Researchers at HauntedHouses.com believe the Rockingham Hotel is haunted by the ghost of Sarah Shelborne Langdon or that of a drowning victim.

Sarah Sherburne was the daughter of a rich merchant who married Woodbury Langdon in 1765, with him going on to build a three-storey mansion on the site of the current Rockingham building. The couple had 10 children together, 5 boys and 5 girls.

But in 1781, the family home burned down in the great fire. Woodbury rebuilt his mansion using brick, recreating a grander mansion, considered by many to be the most attractive brick home in New England. From 1806 to 1883 the family home was transformed into a Public House, with a bar offering alcohol, food being served and public rooms for events and occasions.

In 1833 the building became a hotel before being bought by a wealthy brewer, Frank Jones, in 1870. He expanded the original building, creating an upper-class hotel. Sadly, another fire mostly destroyed the hotel in 1884 leaving only the octagonal dining room.

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The restaurant dates back more than 200 years (Library Restaurant/Facebook)

Legend suggests that Woodbury Langdon's wife, Sarah Shelborne Langdon had an affair with a man who was boarding in the stately home of a widow down the road. While there is no proof Sarah was unfaithful, her husband was absent a lot due to his public service and business dealings and it's theorised she may have been lonely.

She's believed to roam the halls and various apartments in the building and is said to be frequently seen or felt in the old library and dining area. She's also said to let herself be known to the living in the women's bathroom in the basement of the restaurant. Women in the bathroom stalls have heard the rustling sound of a large, full dress in the bathroom when no one was there.

Another potential spirit is that of a woman who drowned nearby during its days as a hotel when she went for a swim at the nearby beach. She's been described as a female entity with long black hair with grey streaks wearing a long, white nightgown.

Before she shows herself to the living, a strong smell of the sea is said to fill the air. She's said to be a friendly and welcoming spirit with multiple witnesses to her appearance in residents' apartments, as well in the upper hallways where she appears then disappears through the nearest wall.

Fiona Leishman