Historic Hotel Broadalbin

The Haunting

The Historic Hotel Broadalbin, formerly the Kennyetto Inn, has lived many lives as many things and definitely seen its fair share of history. It started as glove factory in 1854 before the building was transformed a Keeley Cure inebriate hospital in 1895, a commercial medical operation that offered treatment to alcoholics.

In the summer of 1898, a sanatorium was conducted by Dr. H. C. Finch. This was most interesting due to his miracle cure, called the "gold cure" by locals, which ended as a scam at the hospital. At one point there were more than 200 of these operations, thought to be a humane approach to alcoholism as a disease. However, the treatment was more than questionable and included injections of some poisonous ingredients, such as strychnine, alcohol, apomorphine, willow bark, ammonia, and atropine. The injections were dissolved in red, white & blue liquids and the dosages varied. In addition, patients would receive individually prescribed tonics every 2 hours throughout the day. Treatments lasted for a period of 4 weeks.

Eventually, the mainstream medical profession stated that the "cure" was "unmitigated charlatanry and quackery." As a result, some patients suffered blindness and pain... and even death. Could it be these unfortunates that still haunt the building??

Visit the Historic Hotel Broadalbin and you may soon find out. Visitors have soldiers standing at the top of the staircase, figures in the windows, and felt something poke them in the middle of the night. Most recently a lamp that has stood in the same place for over five years fell down, as if pushed by an unseen force.  

Contact:

59 West Main Street
Broadalbin, NY 12025
P: 518-883-5414