Haunted Maine: Damariscotta's Former Salt Bay Café
Damariscotta is a popular tourist town in Maine built on an eponymous river that empties out into the Atlantic Ocean at at The Great Salt Bay. A horseshoe crab mating ground as well as a marine preserve, it's also where nearly 80% of Maine's oysters are farmed. One of the more notoriously haunted restaurants in the small town used to be known as Salt Bay Café.
The original structure was built as a home in 1810 for Rufus Flye. The building used to face the other direction, this side entrance used to face the street. It was lifted and turned to make room for the present day DB&T bank drive-thru in 1980.
The Salt Bay Café employees and owners that came in early or close-up late often hear the side door open and close, then footsteps going upstairs. They’ve never found anyone there; in fact they heard it so often, they didn't even bother investigating it anymore.
A man who worked in the kitchen saw shadows and thought he was there alone -- he ran out and never came back! The kitchen area is very small and they are used to having to make way for each other. A recent employee heard a distinct male voice say “I’m right behind you, Wendy”, she spun around and NO ONE was there. Another waitress, Jackie, heard her name called and had her hair pulled out of its ponytail by an unseen hand!
Other waitresses have also heard their name called and one recently heard footsteps while she was in the walk-in cooler, but there was no one about when she went to see.
A manager who was watching the front door from an upstairs office camera on a slow afternoon - saw a female silhouette at the front door, but then saw a car out on the road through the person! This continued for about 5 minutes as traffic went by and she tried to determine if it was sun or light angle, etc, but it stayed and she continued to see cars through it. She went to get her phone to take a picture of it on the camera, but then it was gone.
The owner once experienced a black mist floating through his office – passing through the door, hovering near the ceiling and exiting through the far wall! He also had “someone” blow on his neck, when there was no one near. A delivery man, just last year, saw a shadow in the storage area where there should not have been one. Did moving the house in 1980 stir up some spirits? A doctor used to live here and have his office here, is it he going upstairs after a house call, or maybe returning from a house call to care for a patient?
There have been a few paranormal investigations done in the building, with some interesting results. We’ve also gotten several orb photos here above the roof as well as an “energy bolt.” One guest at an investigation had her leg touched by an unseen hand, 2 people became very nauseous in the back area, and a lady using dowsing rods became unable to move her legs.
