Jean Bonnet Inn Investigation

Location: Bedford, Pennsylvania

Date: Saturday, December 13 2003

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous

Solar Weather: Solar flares normal, geomagnetic storms

Investigators present: Hillary M., Robert H., Paul M., Jayson K., Amy L.

Equipment: Olympus C-3000 digital camera, RCA digital voice recorder, Sony digital video camera with Nightshot, Cannon SureShot Owl 35mm camera, Extech EMF meter, Olympus 2000 Digital Voice Recorder, Extech IR thermometer, Sony Hi-8 Cam, Olympus C-4000 Digital Camera, Trifield EMF meter, Olympus D370 digital camera, Kodak EasyShare CX6330, NightOwl night vision monocular.

History: The Jean Bonnet was destined to play in several historical roles. Due to its location, it became an important haven for early settlers and travelers. It was built on the only road connecting eastern Pennsylvania with the Ohio River and territories beyond, at the junction of the Old Forbes and Burd Roads (Routes 30 and 31). Colorful moments were shared when the tavern became a meeting place for the farmers involved in the Whiskey Rebellion. In mid-1794, Pennsylvania farmers, angered by the federal excise tax on whiskey, met here and raised a liberty pole in protest. Then in October 1794, troops summoned by President George Washington camped here on their westward journey to quell the insurrection.
  There is little to prove the actual date of the building, but it had served as a French fort and trading post. The building was referred to as being on the way to the Old Shawnese Cabins - present day Shawnee State Park - in trapper and trader accounts for many years before General Forbes stopped there to await reinforcements before beginning a westward campaign in hopes of taking Ft. Duquesne from the French.
  Earliest record of this property is noted in a transfer of title of 690 acres from an agent of the William Penn family to Hans Ireland, a land speculator. It was then transferred in 1762 to Robert Callender, an Indian trader. Callender was also a commissary for troop supplies, and later, a scout for General George Washington. This building, with its native stone walls, massive fireplaces, and chestnut beams, was built during Callender's ownership. The namesake, Jean (John) Bonnet, and his wife purchased the property in 1779. In October 1780, Bonnet was issued a license, allowing that "Petitioner lives at the Fork of roads leading to Fort Pitt and the Glades with everything necessary for keeping Public House..."
  Since 1780, ownership of the Jean Bonnet has changed hands many times. Most of those recorded as deed holders to the Jean Bonnet maintained the building as a public tavern and inn. Several utilized the property as a private residence. In 1957 the Jean Bonnet was purchased by the Enyeart family. It was during their ownership that stories of hauntings at the Jean Bonnet began to reach the public. The inn is now owned by Shannon and Melissa Jacobs, who are always willing to discuss the hauntings.

This information was taken from the Jean Bonnet Inn website. More information can be found at http://www.jeanbonnettavern.com/index.html.

Investigation: Paul, Robert and I arrived at the Jean Bonnet Saturday afternoon, and decided to have lunch in the basement dining room. We then went upstairs to take a nap until Jayson and Amy arrived. Robert took room 3, and Paul and I took room 2. Room two was a two bedroom suite, so Jayson and Amy stayed in the second room. Jayson and Amy arrived a few hours later. We discussed our game plan, then went back down to the basement dining room for dinner. We had the whole dining room to ourselves, so while we were waiting for the check, we took some control pictures and EMF readings. The staff was nice enough to let us stay down in the dining room by ourselves after closing to allow us to investigate that area. We took note of the volume of noise coming from the bar upstairs, directly over our heads.
  We began our investigation of the downstairs dining room at 11:00 p.m. Eight minutes and twenty seconds into the session, I got a stationary orb hovering in front of Jayson. A few minutes later, I got a bright moving orb on the quilt hanging on the wall next to Jayson. At 11:13, I got a picture of an orb moving toward Robert. A few seconds later, Robert's camera began to malfunction. At 11:25, we decided to let the staff clean and close the dining room, and we headed back up to our rooms.
  At 1:00 a.m., we set up an infrared video camera in the upstairs hallway, then started again in room #4. Room #1 had been rented by another patron, so we had to keep it very quiet. We did get a few stationary orbs in room 4, but decided to move into Robert's room, #2, at 1:10. As Jayson was sweeping the room for EMF readings, Paul began to take control pictures. Jayson got a high reading in the bathroom, and attempted to trace it to the wiring, while Paul took a picture. Paul's picture revealed two orbs, one of them moving, right outside the bathroom door, just a few feet from Jayson. Then, Robert began to have camera trouble again. At 1:22, the batteries in my camera, which I had just changed before going into room #4 20 minutes before, completely drained.
  At 1:33, we moved into the suite, room #3. We did obtain a few moving orb pictures in this room, and a few possible EVPs.
  At 2:00 a.m., we moved down to the first floor. I set up the video camera in the first floor hallway, and we started an EVP session outside the bar, which was locked up with iron gates. Six minutes and thirty seconds into the session, my digital camera began to go haywire. It began to beep incessantly, and although I turned it off, it continued to flash pictures on the small LCD screen. I then got a 'format error' while I was taking pictures! I have used this camera on dozens of investigations, and it had never experienced these malfunctions before. We ended the investigation at 2:30 a.m.

Afterward: The next morning, my camera was just fine. I have never experienced those camera errors since that night. Sunday morning, we had to drive home through a blizzard. The Bedford area got over a foot of snow that day. After reviewing the video, we found no anomalies.

Conclusion: During our investigation, we obtained nine photos of moving orbs, several possible EVPs (which are still being analyzed), one remarkable battery drain, and several equipment errors. Our evidence suggests that no one room in the building is any more haunted than the others. The entire building seems to be alive with spirit energy. This historical inn is very charming, and the rooms offer a quiet getaway from everyday life. There are no TVs in the rooms, and the two-story porches are perfect for cuddling up with a good book. We hope to get back to the Jean Bonnet someday for a follow-up investigation. If you decide to check out the inn for yourself, tell them PRSNA sent you!

Submitted by Hillary Murdoch