History & local legend
Laurel Villa stood at Second and Ann Streets in Milford, welcoming travelers from 1876 and serving for a time as a stagecoach stop. The Muhlhauser family took over in 1945. In later years, actors with the Ensemble Studio Theatre stayed there while performing at the Milford Theater.
Its ghost story concerns another apparent guest: a man whose clothing looked as though it belonged to the 1940s. Writer Allison Mowatt collected accounts from diners who said he looked solid and ordinary until they noticed the old-fashioned clothes.
Several customers described seeing him take the same path through the dining room and out the front door. Mowatt included the recurring figure in her February 2012 survey of the region’s ghost stories.
Sources
- Allison Mowatt, “Do You Love the Chills?”, Connections, February 2012, printed page 7, dining-room apparition at Laurel Villa
- Laurel Villa Country Inn, archived operator history, stagecoach stop, performers and family ownership
- National Register, Milford Historic District Boundary Increase, resource 289, 1876 Laurel Villa Lodge
- Interview with Laurel Villa chef and owner Carl Muhlhauser, Second and Ann Street location
- La Posada, current operator, Second Street address
