Located in Warsaw, North Carolina, sits The Country Squire Restaurant, famous for its 72 oz Kilt Buster Challenge. After viewing the details, admittedly, it is not for the faint of heart. And neither is the history of the building. The land that the Squire sits on dates back to the Revolutionary War. With that fact in mind, would you be shocked to discover that the Squire is said to have spirits that roam the establishment’s floors today?
Before the restaurant existed, the three hundred acres surrounding the Squire were family-owned. The property includes only seven acres today from the once gigantic parcel of land. Michael La Chiana is the in-house investigator who has investigated the Squire for over a decade. According to Michael, the ghosts that haunt the land are a mixture of spirits that came with different materials used to build the Squire in 1961.
Ghosts following materials and objects is not unheard of. William Jackson, an employee of the Brentwood Wine and Bistro in Little River, South Carolina, stated something similar about Brentwood’s wine room. The flooring that made up the room at the Brentwood brought in a ghost believed to have been alive during the Civil War. Ghosts are sentimental about objects and materials.
Joe West was the original owner of the Squire, and he was known to be a scavenger. Whether it was brick, wood, or metal, he used it to build his restaurant. According to Michael, Joe is responsible for moving The McGowan Farmhouse to the property. Today, it serves as the wine-tasting room and gift shop. Michael believes that the farmhouse dates back as early as the 1780s.
Iris Lennon is the current owner and has preserved the Squire since 1995, the year of Joe’s passing. If you were to ask the native Scott, she would tell you about a wee girl that has appeared throughout the restaurant, freaking out the staff over the years. According to Iris, a photograph of the farmhouse shows a little girl standing behind the lower-left window. It appears someone small is peeking just behind the wall next to the window as if curious.
Other spots throughout the Squire have disembodied occupants as well. According to witnesses, the Jester’s Court, for example, experiences footsteps and voices. The pantry of the Squire was built using different materials, including hand-hewn logs. Many of these logs belonged to an old hotel in Wilmington, North Carolina. Visitors have reported experiencing paranormal activity in the pantry, believing the ghost occupying the space came with the logs.
You can rest assured that Iris is not the only one keeping the restaurant safe. She believes that Joe still checks in from time to time. Some guests insist the same as Iris.
The Squire is not only a restaurant and winery, but it also acts as an inn. So, you can be a guest here as well. I wonder which of the rooms might have a disembodied guest? Are you brave enough to find out?
Disclaimer: The Lantern does not profit from tourism or any businesses mentioned in our articles.
Written By: Izzy
Photo By: The Country Squire Website
Sources: https://www.countrysquirewinery.com/
https://www.northcarolinahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/the-country-squire-restaurant-inn-winery.html
