Exploring New York From a Different Side (Part 1)

At the highest point in Manhattan in Washington Heights at the corner of 160th St. and Edgecomb Ave. you can see of all things a southern style mansion called the Morris-Jumel Mansion. It was built before the Revolutionary War of 1776 by a British subject Colonel Rodger Morris. Today it is a museum open every day to the public until 4 pm.

During the battle of Long Island in 1776 George Washington made his headquarters at the mansion. When it was reclaimed by the British General Sir Henry Clinton stayed there. After the war at one point the mansion became a tavern called Calumet Hall. In 1810 A French wine merchant Stephen Jumel and his American wife bought the mansion which stood on 35 acres of land.

There are at least 5 ghosts who have made it their residence mostly residing on the 2nd and 3rd floors and the balcony. In January of 1964 a group of school aged children arrived to tour the mansion. As they waited to be let in the children saw a woman in a purple gown come out onto the balcony. She hushed the children and then disappeared through the closed doors behind the balcony. When the curator Mrs. C arrived to let them in the children asked about the woman on the balcony and wanted to know why she wouldn’t let them in. At that point Mrs. C realized the mansion was haunted and by description it seemed that the apparition had been Madam Jumel.

On the top floor in the servant’s quarters a distressed young woman has been seen. Apparently a young servant girl jumped out of one of the top floor windows after she had become romantically involved with a family member. A history teacher eager to see the mansion headed up the stairs. She got quite a scare and fainted when reaching the top landing she was confronted by a Revolutionary War soldier who stepped out of a painting. He has been seen on other occasions as well. Unfortunately a teacher with a heart condition had a fatal heart attack after being confronted by a apparition. Hans Holzer has informed people that ghosts will not harm them and that they should not be afraid. But aren’t we all afraid of the unknown?

Four ghosts still exist in this mansion however Stephen Jumel was helped to the other side by Hans Holzer and medium Ethel Meyers. They helped him vent his anger for being murdered by his wife. After an accident with a pitchfork she removed his bandages and he bled to death. Having been able to tell his story he found peace at last.

The Thayer Home originally the home of Colonel Syvanous Thayer who was the Superintendent in charge of the 16,000 acre of the West Point Military Post and Academy from 1813 – 1833. It also served as the home used by the assigned Lieutenant Army General who is in charge of West Point. During a psychic investigation in 1972 then the home of Superintendent Norton the Thayer Home was ghost infested.

Built in the 19th century in the officer housing quarters on West Point Army Military Post and Academy which is located on the west bank of the Hudson River some 50 miles from New York City. Over the past years some strange happenings have been going on at the Thayer Home. In the master bedroom when the bed is made some unseen hands disarrange is again. When this is corrected the process just repeats itself. General Norton, his wife and overnight guests have seen apparitions which appeared to them. Unexplained knockings could be heard on doors and doors would slam shut by themselves. To make matters worse when guests stayed at the home the unknown and at times unseen residents would take their personal belongings from closets and drawers and deposit clothing, wallets, jewelry and the like all over the house. Try explaining that to an overnight guest who’s looking for his/her slippers.

Gifted psychic demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren were asked to investigate the Thayer Home. Arriving there Lorraine picked up the faint "keening" of troubled spirits, felt chills and noticed the play of shadows and light in the corners of the home which indicates the presence of unseen entities. They were shown a mysterious wet spot on a wooden breadboard which refused to be dried. It had been there for many months. This was an authentic "apport" which is an object that proves the presence of unseen entities.

The first three rooms were free of any psychic activity but in the fourth room had a prominent spirit. She sat down in a rocking chair and closing her eyes Lorraine felt her heartbeat increase and had "aural sensations" which symptoms appear before contact with ghosts. Feeling a gentle prodding on her arm she looked up to see the image of President John F. Kennedy standing beside her. This was the room he stayed in when visiting there and the chair he would sit in. He was a sad but friendly spirit.

In the master bedroom the spirit of a troublesome woman was felt. The sensation was that the spirit was a strong-willed domineering woman and most likely the one the disturbed the beds and played havoc with guest’s belongings. Later in the evening Lorraine, Ed and their military friends held a séance around the master bed. At this time Lorraine saw this insecure, unpleasant woman. She was identified as Mrs. MacArthur and successfully exorcized from the home.

Continuing to walk around the home Lorraine sensed that something violent had happened there and that an angry entity was involved. Just before leaving West Point she looked out of the big front window. There she saw an angry entity a black man in a turn-of-the-century uniform that had been stripped of all its honors. The apparition gazed at her sadly. When she asked who he was he told her his name was Greer and she visualized a prison cell. Then the apparition vanished.

Presences are still making themselves felt here. Lorraine later found out that Greer had killed a man but was cleared by a military court and given back his rank and privileges. However this sorrowful and angry entity couldn’t seem to accept what he had done and roamed West Point venting his anger at his own behavior on the living.

The Palace Theater on Broadway between 46 and 47 Streets in New York City’s theater district has its own tale to tell. This 1913 theater has been restored to classical splendor and has 3 levels of seating. It opened on March 24, 1913 as a vaudeville show place. From 1913 to 1929 it was the tops in vaudeville. After Sarah Bernhardt was booked to perform there the popularity of the theater skyrocket. Whenever a vaudeville act reached the pinnacle of their career they were booked at the Palace Theater. From 1915 – 1920 all the top stars performed here including Irving Berlin, Eddie Cantor, Leon Errol, Helen Keller, Sophie Tucker, Blossom Seeley, Harry Houdini and Fanny Brice. In 1924 Jack Benny made his debut here. 1926 – 1930 came such talents as George Burns and Gracie Allen, Judith Andersen, Laurette Taylor, Helen Morgan, Bob Hope and Ethel Merman.

When the popularity of radio and movies grew the competition became steep. Then came the Depression and the theater struggled. Finally it became a high class movie theater. In the 1950s there was a feeble attempt to revive vaudeville featuring stars such as Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland.

In the 1960s the Palace Theater was renovated and reopened as a true theater in 1966 featuring musical shows. The first one being "Sweet Charity".

Manifestations began in the 1950s when a high wire acrobat team "The Four Casting Pearls" performed there. A tragic accident occurred when tight-rope walker acrobat Louis Borsalino working without a net fell to his death. Now when the theater has been quiet and still the apparition of Louis Borslino has been seen walking on the "dress circle rim" i.e. swinging from the rafters. Then those who are watching this apparition hear him scream and fall to his death.

Paranormal Research and Investigative Studies Midwest plan to investigate the theater and find evidence of this haunting through scientific means. Meanwhile the entity of Louis Borsalino is still trying to get his act together unfortunately the apparition always falls at the end.

226 Fifth Ave. one of the oldest streets in New York City. The house in question is #12 in Greenwich Village just around the corner from busy 6th Ave. This elegant townhouse has existed since Revolutionary War times and at one time had a morgue next door.

The house has four stories built in an artistic style popular in the 1800s. It has a complete puppet theater in the basement because it once belonged to the famous puppeteer Frank Paris. The second story was a duplex apartment for Paris and an assistant. In 1924 a new section was added which covered an existing garden in the back of the house.

Sensations of unseen beings can be felt and they are heard walking up and down the stairs at night. A man in evening attire complete with top hat and tails appears in the doorway smiles politely and then disappears into thin air. Lost ghosts possibly from the morgue that was once next door have been seen in the puppet theater.

Hanz Holzer made three investigations. In the first medium Betty Ritter made contact with a restless ghost dating back to the Prohibition era. In the second medium Ethel Meyers made contact with a French diplomat who complained that he had been tortured here but held onto his secrets and in the third medium Shaun Roberts in a televised investigation in 1991 contacted a tortured soul who had died violently for holding onto "something".

Apartment residents still feel the sensation of a shadowy presence. A man in a black suit has appeared in front of people on the front steps of the building smiled and then disappeared right in front of them and the man in the top hat and tails has been seen inside the building by residents.

Nothing can beat springtime in New York. Ghost hunting anyone?