Pictured is the front lobby of the Lowe Hotel.
Kayla Hawthorne | OVP
Pictured is the mezzanine above the first floor where many believe the ghost of Juliette Smith dances.
Kayla Hawthorne | OVP
The hallway on the second floor is rumored to have the spirit of a young child riding a tricycle.
Kayla Hawthorne | OVP
The front lobby is pictured from above.
Kayla Hawthorne | OVP
Pictured is the sitting area on the second floor. The large sofa was formerly owned by “Bonanza” television star, Lorne Greene.
Kayla Hawthorne | OVP
POINT PLEASANT — The Lowe Hotel in Point Pleasant was mentioned in The Washington Post at the end of October in an article titled “7 spooky under-the-radar places to visit, according to a ghost hunter.”
As previously reported in the Point Pleasant Register, the hotel is rumored to be home to several ghosts.
Near the turn of the 20th century, the hotel was built and originally known as the Spencer Hotel until the family lost it in the stock market crash of 1929. The Lowe family bought the hotel and changed the name. In 1990, Ruth Finley, and husband Rush, bought the hotel. In the last several years, the Finleys have remodeled the rooms with vintage pieces and original artwork, but also a modern touch.
Ruth said since the article ran in The Washington Post, she has received many calls from people wanting to know about the haunted rooms in her hotel. She said there are two rooms that are particularly popular when people book their stay.
As previously reported, some of the guests include a young woman dancing on the second floor on the mezzanine. The spirit is rumored to be the ghost of Juliette Smith, a daughter of the original Lowe Hotel manager.
On the second floor, guests say they have seen a child riding a tricycle and hear the laughter.
The third floor is especially active with whistling, sudden chills, a sense of someone else being present, and items being moved.
Many also believe that the ghost of river boat Cpt. Jim O’Brien, who manned the Homer Smith in 1915, frequents the floor.
Rooms 314 and 316 are constantly walked, according to guest, by a man with a beard wearing 1930s clothing.
In room 309, there are reports of a woman kneeling at the bed, lumps under the covers, and curtains blowing.
Ruth said she did not expect the haunted to be what fascinated people, she expected the history to get to people. However, Ruth has often stressed to the Register, both the history and mystery are available for visitors to explore.
“It doesn’t matter how you come, when you come (to Point Pleasant), you get to see what our town is like,” Finley said. “They come for the haunted and they go away saying ‘I’d really like to live in this town.’”
Kayla Hawthorne is a staff writer for Ohio Valley Publishing. Reach her at (304) 675-1333, extension 1992.
