BOONVILLE, N.Y. -- It's said the Hulbert House was the most famous hotel between the Erie Canal and St. Lawrence River in the early 1800s. And it's still in operation.
"If you had one single point in the area that became the village of Boonville it was the Hulbert House. That was the social center, the economic center," said Executive Director of the Oneida County Historical Society Brian Howard.
Other than additions to the now three-story building, the Hulbert House has stood in the center of Boonville throughout the years seeming almost untouched, which may have something to do with how it was built.
"There was a disastrous fire in Boonville in May of 1963 that destroyed buildings all around the Hulbert House. But the Hulbert House itself was spared, and that had a lot to do with its stone, its mason reconstruction," said Howard.
To preserve its history, its current owners are trying to keep the hotel just like it was so long ago.
"A lot of things have always happened here, a lot of the gatherings. Gatherings of the 97th Regiment were here before they went down to, I believe, Gettysburg," said Frank Daskiewich, the general manager.
Many Civil War figures stayed there, including General Grant and General Sheridan. Their signatures can be seen in a registry book that the owners have displayed in the hotel's dining room.
Some say there's no question that the Hulbert House has a rich history, but there are questions about that history. Despite a sign on top of the building that says "1812," historians can't agree on when the Hulbert House was actually built.
"The most reliable sources that I've been able to find indicate that it was constructed in 1819. Until we find, if they even exist anymore, until we find primary source documents that confirm a construction date it will remain a mystery," said Howard.
And the building houses its fair share of surprises.
When doing some remodeling, the owners discovered another fireplace in the wall, and a grote was supposedly found in the ceiling when the hotel was featured on the Syfy show, "Haunted Collector."
Civil War generals and other leaders stayed on the third floor and now it's rumored to be haunted.
"People have lived here, stayed here, died. People say they've seen things and they're wondering why people were dressed the way they were, and walking through walls," Daskiewich said.
Even snapping a photo of what the owners say is the ghost of a Civil War soldier they've named "Wayne" who they say haunts the building. Almost every fall the public has the chance to meet "Wayne" as part of the hotel's "Haunted Sleepovers."