General Stanton Inn

In more than 200 years of history, the General Stanton Inn has only had six owners since the time the Native Americans owned the land. In 1655 the land was given to Thomas Stanton, an interpreter for the Native American tribes in the region, as a show of gratitude. Thomas had arranged a successful hostage exchange between rival tribes. Essentially, when the Manesses tribe kidnapped a Niantic princess they demanded far too much wampum for her safe return. The Niantics went to Thomas at his little trading house on the Pawcatuck River and asked him to intercede on their behalf. He brokered a deal and was granted a nice chunk of land by a Niantic Sachem as a result. That land became the Stanton estate in Charlestown, Rhode Island.The General Stanton Inn’s owners over the years have tried to maintain some of its original ambiance. The Inn still has traditional low ceilings and rough-hewn beams. And ghosts.