History & local legend
The Black Bass Hotel in Lumberville dates to the 1740s and overlooks the Delaware River in Bucks County. Its ghost stories draw on its long life as a tavern and lodging house, particularly the era when workers were building the nearby canal.
The hotel’s own account identifies one spirit as Hans, an early-nineteenth-century proprietor. In that tradition, a dispute with a canal worker ended in Hans being stabbed to death. A large male figure is said to appear near the spot in the Canal Bar where the killing occurred; the hotel also identifies a surviving barstool with the story.
Another account concerns a room beside the bar said to have held the bodies of canal workers awaiting transport. Sudden cold spots and unexplained sobbing are associated with that space. A separate legend describes a woman in white, sometimes accompanied by the scent of lavender, who appears in the corridors or a guest room. The story says she killed her husband and his lover before taking her own life.
