HGB Ep. 576 - The U.S.S. Forrestal

Moment in Oddity - The Cursing Stone Lyn Beasley

In Glasgow, Scotland back in 1525, the Archbishop, Gavin Dunbar was frustrated about reivers on the Anglo-Scottish border. Reivers were raiders, and Dubar issued a 1,069 word curse which was delivered from every pulpit in the diocese. The ranting curse was part of an excommunication of the reiver families, although they were not said to be religious people nor did they respect sovereign law or moral authority. I won't read the whole curse, but here is just a portion. "I curse their head and all the hairs of their head; I curse their face, their brain, their mouth, their nose, their tongue, their teeth, their forehead, their shoulders, their breast, their heart, their stomach, their back, their womb, their arms, their legs, their hands, their feet, and every part of their body, from the top of their head to the soles of their feet, before and behind, within and without." That was only 79 of the 1,069 words written in the curse. The Archbishop goes on to curse every aspect of their lives. In 2001 there was a piece of artwork installed at the Millennium Gallery in Carlisle, England. It was created by Andy Altman and was designed by artist Gordon Young. The piece is a 7.5 tonne granite boulder that is engraved with approximately 383 words from that historic curse. Since the installation, the stone has been blamed for an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease, major Carlisle floods and several other local tragedies. For centuries, humans have put pen to paper to document their frustrations seeking solace. But penning a 1,069 word curse upon enemies and then having an art installation featuring that curse centuries later lead to tragedies, certainly is odd.

This Month in History - End of the Guadalcanal Campaign

In the month of February, on the 9th, in 1943, U.S. forces secured Guadalcanal, marking the end of the six month campaign. Guadalcanal is one of the southern Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. During WWII it was the site of clashes between Allied and Japanese forces both on land and at sea. The Battle of Guadalcanal was code named Operation Watchtower, and on August 7th 1942, Maj. Gen. Alexander Vandegrift, launched an amphibious assault with approximately 6,000 Marines. They surprised 2,000 Japanese defenders on Guadalcanal. While making land, the Marines were strongly supported by both the Navy and Air Force. Within 36 hours the U.S. had secured the airfield on Guadalcanal and the harbor on Florida Island.  Over the next several months, intense fighting ensued, including major naval battles like the Battle of Savo Island and the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. After enduring severe losses, the Japanese began evacuating in late January, 1943. During the spanse of the battle, the Allies lost 29 ships, and 615 aircraft vs  Japan's 38 ships and 683 aircraft. The Allied victory of the Guadalcanal campaign was a crucial turning point in the Pacific Theater demonstrating the strength of the U.S. military.

The U.S.S. Forrestal (For-uh-stahl) (Suggested by: Karen Miller)

The USS Forrestal was one of the largest aircraft carriers ever built. She served for nearly four decades before being decommissioned in 1993 and then she was scrapped in 2015. During the Vietnam War, the carrier experienced a devastating tragedy with bombs on board the ship that led to several fires and over a hundred men dead. And because of that, stories of ghosts on the ship have been told about her. One particular ghost was known as George. Join us for the history and hauntings of the USS Forrestal.

The first new design for an aircraft carrier in decades is currently being built in Newport News, Virginia. This is the Gerald R. Ford-class. Newport News was the birthplace of CVA-59, a member of the Forrestal class. She was ordered in 1951 and commissioned in 1955 and would be the United States' first supercarrier. The largest carrier in the world up until that time was the Japanese carrier Shinano and now the Forrestal would surpass it. Since this aircraft carrier was the first in the Forrestal class, the carrier took on that name, with its namesake being James Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense in the United States. James Forrestal was sworn in under the Truman Administration on September 17, 1947. He served as Secretary of the Navy during World War II and guided it through the final year. The Cold War was a real test for the new position and President Truman and Secretary Forrestal had many differences over budget. He eventually left office in March of 1949 and tragically died less than two months later. Forrestal is often included as one of the most notable secretaries of defense and that is why this class of carriers was named for him. 

Many innovations were added to this new aircraft carrier: a steam catapult, and angled flight deck and an optical landing system. The carrier was 1,067 feet in length and was powered by 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers and 4 Westinghouse geared Steam turbines. The Forrestal was followed by seven big-deck conventionally powered carriers that would serve the country for 54 years until the last one, the Kitty Hawk, was decommissioned in 2009. The aircraft carriers that followed these would be nuclear-powered. The Forrestal could carry nearly 5,000 enlisted men and 552 officers and 85 aircraft. She spent much of her initial training in the Caribbean under Captain Roy L. Johnson after launching on December 11, 1954. The Forrestal's first duty was to hang around the Mediterranean Sea during the Suez Crisis just in case she was needed. Her first NATO operation was Operation Strikeback, which took place in the North Sea. This took place over a ten day period and was a simulation of an attack by the Soviet Union on NATO members. This included Navy warships and aircraft from the countries of the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Britain, France and the United States. The USS Forrestal was one of the 200 warships on site. 

King Hussein of Jordan was one of the first dignitaries to visit the carrier and this took place in 1959. The Forrestal and a C-130 would make history in November 1963 with 21 full-stop landings and takeoffs. This set a record for the largest and heaviest airplane to land on an aircraft carrier. In 1964, Operation Brother Sam was the United States helping with a military coup against the Brazilian president at the time. President Lyndon Johnson sent the Forrestal as support and the coup was successful and led to a 20-year-long military dictatorship in Brazil. In June of 1967, the USS Forrestal was sent for duty in the waters off of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. The next month, a tragic fire would kill many sailors.

Before we talk about the fire, we need to share a little background about the bombs that were on board on the Forrestal. The Forrestal had been stationed at Yankee Station in the South China Sea and was taking part in a bombing campaign against targets in North Vietnam. This was the longest and most intense bombing campaign in US Naval history at that time. The Forrestal was running out of bombs. The carrier met up with the ammunition ship Diamond Head. On board that ship were Fat Boys, which were Korean War-era surplus that had thinner skins and thus were more sensitive to heat and shock and their older Composition B explosive was more volatile because of its age. Nobody wanted to mess with these Fat Boys because they were too risky, but the USS Forrestal was desperate for ordnance, so they took on sixteen of these Fat Boys. They also had Zuni unguided rockets that had to have electrical pigtails connected at the catapult to prevent malfunctions and accidental firing. Ordnance officers didn't like how much time it took to launch, so they didn't hook up the pigtails. So what happens next was almost inevitable. 

The fire on board the U.S.S. Forrestal was devastating. It started with in the morning around 10:53 when a Zuni rocket shot across the flight deck from a plane parked on the starboard side of the carrier. The rocket struck  an A-4 on the port side. Four hundred gallons of jet fuel poured out of the A-4 and at least one of its bombs fell to the deck. Chief Aviation Boson's Mate Gerald Farrier, who was the head of the firefighting crew, got on scene within a minute and started fighting the fire with a hand-held extinguisher. The first of the hose crew arrived about 30 seconds after that and they got salt water pouring on the fire. Unfortunately, that bomb that dropped to the deck exploded 30 seconds later and decimated the fire crew. A few seconds later, a second bomb exploded. The aft end of the carrier would be rocked by seven more explosions in succession within the next five minutes. Forty thousand gallons of jet fuel fed the fire, so there was no stopping it. The two inch thick armored flight deck was no match for the explosions and holes were punched through it in several places and flaming bits of metal and fuel poured down into the compartments below, most of which were crew berthing areas. The fire on the deck was contained within an hour, but the fires below deck raged until the next day. When all was said and done, 134 sailors and airmen died and 161 others were seriously injured. Damage exceeded $72 million, which is $415 million in today's dollars.

(Mort - I have a fun fact about the fire. Us - Mort, we don't need any death statistics about fires right now. Mort - Ah shucks. Ok, how about this, John McCain was aboard the ship when the fire took place and this was shortly before he became a Prisoner of War. Us - we'll take that.)

Tragedy and fires would continue for the USS Forrestal thru the decades. In October of 1968, an aircraft went off the angled deck and hit the water nose first and then flipped onto its back with six crew on board. Three were recovered and three died. A catastrophic fire erupted while she was moored in Norfolk on July 10, 1972. Investigations found that a crewmember started the fire that forced firefighters to cut a hole in the flight deck and pour hundreds of gallons of water throughout the carrier, which caused her to list and some feared she might capsize. An A-7 Corsair II from VA-81 crashed on the flight deck on the evening of January 15, 1978, killing two deck crewmen. This was due to a miscommunication with the pilot thinking he was okay to land and he realized too late that he was mistaken and the flight deck was full of other aircraft. He ejected in time and lived with only minor injuries. On June 24, 1978, LCDR T. P. Anderson was killed when his A-7E Corsair II crashed into the sea during a practice bombing mission. There are plenty of reasons for this carrier to be haunted.

There were good times though too. A really cool thing earned the Forrestal the distinction of being the largest naval warship ever to come up the Mississippi River. During a mission dubbed Ocean Safari '87, the ship and crew performed so well that they were awarded a special liberty, which were ways that Navy personnel were rewarded with trips to other parts of the United States. The Captain at the time was a native of New Orleans, so he decided they would go there for Mardi Gras. The Forrestal was there for four days and conducted tours for over 40,000 visitors. People got to ride one of her four aircraft elevators. (Mort - Whee, Us - Mort, get off that thing!) In 1989, the Forrestal was sent on a secret mission off the North West coast of Puerto Rico. On her second evening there, SEAL Team Six arrived on the flight deck via two helicopters. The team and the crew of the Forrestal then cruised for 3 days to the South West Caribbean sea off the Panama and Colombian coasts. SEAL Team Six then left on their mission. This was so secret, we still don't know exactly the purpose, but it was probably one of two things: an attempt to capture Manuel Noriega or apprehend Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. 

The end of the USS Forrestal's Naval career would come in 1993 after more than 37 years of service. The Navy decided to decommission Forrestal and this happened on September 11, 1993 at Pier 6E in Philadelphia. In June of 1999, there were efforts to turn the carrier into a museum and Baltimore put in a bid to have it moved there, but these plans and the funds never came together. Next, there was an effort in 2007 to turn the ship into an artificial reef, but that plan also never came to fuition. In 2013, it was announced the Navy was taking bids from companies to scrap the carrier and All Star Metals in Brownsville, Texas won. The ship was towed from Philly to Texas by a team of tugboats and by December 2015, she was no more, save for her stern plate that was saved and restored and is on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. The ships anchors were given to the USS John C. Stennis during refueling and complex overhaul in July of 2023.

Shortly after the fire, crew members claimed that secured hatches would open and close on their own. Shadow figures and apparitions were reported. Sometimes, sailors would hear weird garbled voices on the intercom phones and disembodied moaning was heard. Public Relations Officer Lt. James Brooks sent out a news release in 1988 and he wrote, "Whatever, or whoever it is, crew members swear ghosts are responsible for the flickering lights, voices on disconnected phones, and all things that go bump in the night. Incredibly, when performing their duties below deck, men adamantly claim that they’ve seen ghosts." In that news release, Brooks also featured a photograph of a disembodied pair of khaki slacks entering a hatch. Brooks claimed that the photo featured George the Ghost, who had been haunting the carrier for at least three years. No one is sure who exactly George may be. Some claim he is a pilot who died in 1986. The name George is also said to have come from the ship's former food officer who died during the fire in 1967. He is seen as a full-bodied apparition in a khaki uniform, so people believe he had to have been an officer or chief petty officer. People have also claimed to be pushed, woken up from their sleep by something they couldn't see and things have been thrown around.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Gary Weiss saw a khaki-uniformed man passing through the holds and realized it was a ghost when it disappeared from area that had no exit. Weiss and another crew member were working in the freezer when they heard a disembodied voice say, "Hello, shipmates." They stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. They knew neither of them had said that and there was no one else around. Weiss had also heard unexplained footsteps and saw supplies and food go flying.

Petty Officer Dan Balboa was in charge of the Officer’s Mess and he said that crew members avoided the freezer storage lockers for years after the fire because they had been used as temporary morgues and they got weird feelings in there. Balboa said that one cook refused to go in the freezers and asked to be transferred off the ship because he saw the ghost of someone he knew. He also said, "I’ve sure heard some strange sounds when down there. One night, when I was below taking inventory, I heard the heavy steel deck grating being lifted and slammed back down several times. Yet, each time I turned around to investigate the sound, nothing was there. Another time I was checking the freezers’ temperatures and all the doors that I had just latched, reopened by themselves."

Stan Shimborski was a welder who was working to dismantle equipment in the freezer storage area in 1993. He told reporters, "I no sooner got down to work, when I hear this loud clanging noise. I think it’s another worker down there. I get out my wrench, and I clang back, ‘clang clang.’ A few seconds later, I hear this return clang, ‘clang, clang.’ For the heck of it, I clang again, ‘clang clang.’ Again a few seconds, ‘clang, clang.’ Finally, I decided to see who it was that was returning my clangs. Leaving my work, I go through the doors and at the end of the long room is the figure of a horribly burned chief petty officer  just staring at me. Then he slowly faded away. Needless to say, I got out of there fast!"

M.C. Farrington wrote on the Hampton Road Naval Museum blog about some experiences with George he had heard from fellow crew mates on the Forrestal. He wrote, "The Sailor working closest to me claimed that he had an experience with George. He had been working with one other man at the bottom of a vertical access trunk that terminated at two reefer spaces. They had just finished filling up one reefer and had just opened the hatch leading into another empty one. One new problem that developed was that they could not get the lights in the space to turn on, but a much worse problem quickly became apparent. Despite having to traverse a further 25 feet to place the boxes along the opposite bulkhead of the newly-opened space, the petty officer overseeing the work above had refused to send down any more men to bridge the gap. The man at the end of the chain would have to quickly run each new box across the reefer from the entrance after receiving it from the second-to-last man (the teller of the tale) at the bottom of the trunk. Meanwhile, a box continued to come down about every five seconds. Despite the new challenges they were facing, the Sailor at the doorway tried to keep up with the pace. After handing off the first box to the Sailor inside the darkened space, he pivoted upward to catch the next box being handed down from above, but he was shocked when a pair of hands emerged from the pitch-black doorway and grabbed it from his hands when he pivoted downward again. After the following box dropped into his hands, he pivoted back down to the Sailor who was again back in the doorway and asked him, 'How’d you do that?' as he handed over the box. 'How’d I do what?' the man replied breathlessly. 'How did you get back here so fast?' 'I got back just now.' 'No, you grabbed the last box just a few seconds ago and now you’re back again.' 'No I didn’t. I just got back.' Meanwhile, more boxes were coming down the access trunk unabated, so the two had to put their argument on hold, yet neither of them were able to keep the pace after that, nor were they ever able to sort out just what had happened. Neither could I, after hearing the tale that day down at the bottom of a similar trunk near a similarly dank, dark reefer space. But there’s one thing I did know. 'George is supposed to be an officer; a ‘khaki,’ right?' 'That’s what I heard,' replied the Sailor. 'Then it can’t be George,' I said, 'because no khaki, living or dead, would ever come pitch in all the way down here.'"

The YouTube channel Snarled shares a story from one of their followers. In the 1970s, a sailor had gone down below to an area where they stored tools and this was a dark and cluttered space. Most sailors didn't care to make supply runs here. He saw a man out of the corner of his eye watching him from across the room. When he turned to look at the man, there was no one there. The sailor quickly grabbed the tool he had come down for and hurried back up to where his mates were working. He didn't say anything to anybody. A little while later, this same sailor was making his way through one of the carrier's long corridors when he smelled smoke. He even started coughing. He then saw a man running towards him, wearing a sweaty and sooty white t-shirt. When the man looked up, the sailor could see that the man was toothless and his eyes were sunken. This thing then reached for the sailor and passed right through the sailor. The sailor again didn't tell anybody. For weeks after this, he kept experiencing strange things like that smell of smoke with no fire, disembodied laughter and boxes that would tip over by themselves. Just before his tour ended, he and his friend named Bruce were bringing an engine part up to the deck when they saw four men on the deck engulfed in flames and they watched as the men jumped into the water. The sailor and Bruce quickly put down the engine part and dived into the water to help the men. The sailor reached one of the men and when he grabbed his hand, it was ice cold. They noticed that none of the burn victims looked human. They had charred skin that was barely there. The sailor and Bruce were pulled up out of the water by the other sailors and there were no other men found in the water. The sailor and his friend Bruce then compared notes and realized that they both had been having paranormal experiences, but had been too scared to share them with each other. 

Tomcat Tweaker posted on Reddit, "Forrestal was super haunted. I knew the reputation and was pretty excited at the chance to see something when I saw I was going to spend some time on her. I was only on her for two weeks and, had 0-0400 hanger watch twice during that time, and saw stuff each time. Once I saw a pair of chocks get kicked out from a wheel. About pissed straight down my bell bottoms. I probably didn't move for 30 minutes, trying to justify what I saw. The other time (like 3 nights later) I saw a guy sitting on wing, swinging his legs for like 5 seconds. He wasn't there, then was, then wasn't."

There is nothing that demonstrates military power better than an aircraft carrier. If you have never been aboard one, we highly recommend the experience. The U.S.S. Forrestal suffered many tragedies, but she served our nation well through the decades. One is left to wonder what became of her ghosts. Was the U.S.S. Forrestal haunted? That is for you to decide!

HGB Ep. 575 - Haunted Wall Street

Moment in Oddity - Bog Butter

Michael Boyle is a farmer in CO Donegal, Ireland. While excavating a drainage area on his farm, something strange was sighted. The object did not look natural. They proceeded to remove the item out of the peat bog. Immediately Michael smelled what he stated was a cheesy like butter scent. As it turns out, he had just unearthed an artifact known as 'bog butter'. This is an antiquated method of preserving dairy or animal fat. Cool, oxygen-poor depths of Ireland's peat bogs proved to be an excellent way to preserve the butter. It is not unusual to find bog butter in both Scotland and Ireland. The practice dates back to the Iron Age but has even been used as recently as the 19th century. This particular chunk of bog butter may just be the largest ever found in Ireland weighing in at about 50 pounds. Paula Harvey, an archaeologist who inspected the site where the butter was found and even tasted some of it stating, "It does taste like butter, unsalted butter at that. I had a sliver and I'm still here to tell the tale". The bog butter is being analyzed by experts at the National Museum of Ireland. There is optimism that the butter will eventually be displayed locally at the Kilclooney Dolmen Center. We love butter but cannot imagine consuming something that has potentially spent hundreds of years in a peat bog. In our opinion, bog butter certainly is odd.

This Month in History - Charles Darwin Birth

In the month of February, on the 12th, in 1809, Charles Robert Darwin was born. His grandfather and father were doctors. His father's domineering  insightful medical observations taught Charles much about human psychology. As a teen, his choice of studies were not popular in the English public schools. His father considered Charles a degenerate with his only interests being game shooting. Because of this, his father sent him off to study medicine at Edinburgh University. Darwin was influenced by freethinkers at a young age which sculpted his radical views of the world. This led him to becoming the English naturalist, geologist and biologist that the world knows recognizes him as today. He is most well known for his theories on evolutionary biology. For the time, his suggestions that animals and humans shared common ancestry were shocking to the religious Victorian community. However, his beliefs were quite interesting to the growing numbers of professional scientists. At the time of Charles Darwin's death, his theories on evolution had extended throughout the world of science, literature and even politics.

Haunted Wall Street

The name "Wall Street" immediately brings images of financial markets, the stock exchange, ticker tapes and a giant bronze bull, but Wall Street was originally a wall that formed the northern boundary in the 17th century of what would become New York City. Eventually, the area near this wall would become the heart of America's financial district. Wall Street has inspired books and movies and led to probably hundreds of suicides. It's not surprising that Wall Street would have its share of haunts because not only is the Stock Market a volatile thing, but the financial district has a gory past. Join us for the history and hauntings of Wall Street.

The Financial District is located in lower Manhattan and is often referred to as FiDi. It's northern border is City Hall Park, which had been the site of public hangings in the 1800s. And even before that, during the Revolutionary War, patriots were held in two jailhouses that were here and many were starved, died of sickness or were hanged. Their bodies were buried in the park and it is thought many of those bodies still remain there. At the foot of Wall Street, near the water, a slave market had sold men, women and children into bondage in 1736 making New York, at the time, the second largest slave-owning port city. There was even a slave rebellion here in 1741 and over 100 men were captured and imprisoned in the dungeon that had been located in the basement of British City Hall, that is today known as Federal Hall National Memorial. Many of the prisoners were executed. And just steps away from the New York Stock Exchange is the famous Trinity Church, whose graveyard was founded in the 1690s. Many, many people were buried here and it got to the point where the sexton buried people on top of each other or he dug up bones and put them in the charnel house, so that he could bury a fresh body. There are probably 120,000 people buried here and quite a few are probably unhappy about being moved or covered over.

But what the Financial District is really known for is money. The New Amsterdam settlement that was founded by the Dutch in 1624, would be anchored in the future Financial District. The main economy in the beginning was fur trading. The original name of Wall Street was Het Cingel, meaning "The Belt." The British would take over New Amsterdam in 1664 and rename it New York City. The Compromise of 1790 established Wall Street as the financial capital of the US. The Buttonwood Agreement was signed by 24 stockbrokers in 1792 and this founded the New York Stock Exchange. The first skyscrapers in New York City would be built in the Financial District and Bowling Green would become a residential section with the worst housing conditions in the city. Manhattan is set upon solid bedrock, so building huge structures here made sense. 

The first skyscraper would be the Tower Building, which stood eleven stories and was designed by Bradford Lee Gilbert. This was the first building to have a steel skeleton and was completed in 1889. And how did Gilbert come up with such a design? Well, he asked himself, why couldn't we turn a railroad bridge on its end and build further up into the sky? The Tower Building was demolished in 1914. Eventually Wall Street would become home to the New York Stock Exchange, the Federal Reserve Bank, NASDAQ, and dozens of banks, brokerage firms, insurance companies, trust companies and securities dealers. Wall Street has been a route to quick riches and devastating losses like the stock market crash of 1929. With a history like this, it isn't surprising that this section of Manhattan is crawling with ghosts.

Charging Bull and Bear Statues

Let's start with a couple of well known statues set up on Wall Street, the Charging Bull and the Bear with its threatening paw. People wait in long lines to snap a selfie with the Charging Bull bronze sculpture that sits in the heart of the financial district. We know because we did. The sculpture weighs over 7,000 pounds and was created in 1989 by sculptor Arturo DiModica. For tourists who visit at night, they might get more than they bargained for. There are claims that the bull's eyes glow green and this is an otherworldly greenish glow. There is sometimes even a low growling sound. It is said, according to legend, that the bull seems to awaken in this way when the market is bearish. And that brings us to the Bear statue a short distance from the bull. The Bear is bad luck in the Stock Market, meaning things are going down. Something described as a spectral chill eminates from the Bear statue during a downturn in the market. Even on hot summer days, people claim to feel this "financial frost." The full-bodied apparitions of two men, in business suits of an earlier period, have been seen near the statues and they seem to be in a duel with each other. In Lee Brickley's The Ghosts of Wall Street: Paranormal Activity in the Financial District He shares the experiences of seasoned trader Martin Weller who recalled looking down from his offices above the statues one night and "he noticed the figures wrestling by the statues. Startled, he watched as their struggle intensified, their translucent forms flickering in the moonlight. 'I've seen market volatility, but never like this," Weller recalls. 'I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was as if the market's struggle had taken a physical, or rather, spectral form.' A night watchman named Benjamin Strauss shared with Brickley, "The figures seemed to be absorbed by the Bull and the Bear. Their forms shimmered for a moment and then disappeared, swallowed up by the bronze beasts. It was as if the spirits of the market had become one with these symbols of financial power and uncertainty." Are the bear and bull harbingers of what is to come for the Stock Market?

Federal Hall

As we shared earlier, Federal Hall was the home of a prison during the Slave Rebellion. It is located at 26 Wall Street and was fashioned in the Greek Revival style, designed by Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis, and completed in 1842 to serve as the Custom House. Before that,  John Damen's farm had been here and he sold the land to Captain John Knight in 1685 and eventually it ended up in the hands of the Mayors of New York. The first structure built here would become City Hall and was designed by James Evetts. It served its purpose from 1699 to 1703. There was a library, firehouse and debtors' prison here as well. In 1765, the building was renovated with a third story being added. French architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant was commissioned to do another remodel to the building to make it more American after the Revolutionary War and he added Georgian styling. In 1789, the building was renamed Federal Hall to reflect that New York was the first capital of America. President George Washington took the oath of office here and the Bill of Rights was drafted in the building. This building would house New York government offices when the capital moved to Philadelphia and when the New York City Hall was completed in 1812, Federal Hall was demolished. It was replaced by the Custom House, which later became the Subtreasury, which held millions of dollars worth of gold and coins. 

When the Federal Reserve Bank was opened in 1920 the Subtreasury was moved there and the building served a variety of purposes including a passport office. For the most part, much of the building was vacant and this was because nothing could be decided how to use it and most everybody was against demolishing it because of its historical value. During the New York World's Fair it held exhibits about finance and then after a fight and raising of private funds, it was decided to open the building as the National Memorial it is today. The selling of war bonds and blood drives were hosted during World War II. After 9-11, 300 members of Congress held a session here for the first time since 1790 to show support for New York City and solidarity to the country. Extensive renovations were done to the building right after that too as cracks and other long term damage were exacerbated by the collapse of the Twin Towers. The place has seen a ton of history. 

Visitors and staff claim to hear disembodied voices and they have seen full-bodied apparitions, one of whom is said to be George Washington. This could be residual as it is often seen near the spot where he took the oath of office. A security guard was locking up one night when he saw a figure out of the corner of his eye and he turned to tell the person that they needed to leave when he was astonished to see a stern looking man wearing Colonial period garb. He then watched as the figure disappeared into the shadows. Visitors feel a chill near the spot of the oath taking and near Washington's statue. They claim to feel as though they are being watched. Some people even claim to see Martha Washington hanging out with her husband. And Alexander Hamilton might be here as well. He had been the first Secretary of the Treasury after all. A janitor thought he was alone in the building when he heard loud footsteps on the marble floor approaching him. They sounded as though they were behind him and when he turned around, there was no one there. Books in the library end up on the floor and objects have been known to move around. Investigators have captured EVPs saying "I solemnly swear." Colonial attired individuals are also seen outside of the building. 

J.P. Morgan Bank Building

The mysterious J.P. Morgan Building is located at 23 Wall Street and that is what everyone calls the building, 23 Wall Street. This is a four-story building that became home to the most influential financial institution in America during the late 19th century. It started as a partnership between Anthony J. Drexel and J.P. Morgan Sr that was named Drexel, Morgan & Co. Drexel died in 1895 and his name was dropped. The bank had been housed inside the Drexel Building, which Morgan felt was too small and after much wrangling, he finally got the Drexel family to sell it to him and he demolished it, replacing it with the building that stands today. Architects Trowbridge & Livingston were hired and the cornerstone was laid in 1913 by J.P. Morgan Jr. His dad had died before the building could be started. The new bank opened on November 11, 1914. The building was damaged in the Wall Street Bombing of 1920 that killed 38 people, including a Morgan employee. This would remain the House of Morgan until 1988. The building was later owned by Africa Israel, an international investment firm, and then the China International Fund and Sonangol Group. There was fighting, lawsuits, a Blink Fitness Chain leased basement space and then a 99-year lease was signed by Jack Terzi of a holdings company who defaulted and now the building stands empty. 

The spirit that haunts the location is none other than J.P. Morgan himself. Years ago, a maintenance worker was working late at night and he was cleaning a boardroom when a strong chill came over him. He felt like something was behind him and he spun around and saw a ghost sitting at the head of the table. It seemed to be looking at a ledger. He felt the ghost looked like Morgan because it had a bushy moustache. The spirit faded away. Sounds like something residual. A security guard watched a figure stride through the entrance hall one evening. This figure was wearing a suit from an earlier time, but he still thought it was a real person, so he called out because they weren't supposed to be in the building. This man turned and looked at him and the guard had no doubt that it was the long dead Morgan. The ghost then disappeared. This crazy account was shared by Lee Brickley in his book, "A group of financial analysts working late one night. They were huddled over spreadsheets in a conference room when they heard the unmistakable sound of a gavel striking wood, echoing through the silent building. Venturing into the main hall, they were stunned to see a spectral figure, standing at the podium, presiding over an invisible audience. As they watched in disbelief, the figure turned to them, revealing the familiar countenance of J.P. Morgan. The ghostly financier then vanished." Morgan may not be the only ghost here. Other employees claim that victims of the bombing in 1920 haunt the building and have been seen in period clothing and their disembodied footsteps are heard. One female custodian claimed that something brushed her cheek one evening.

Trinity Church

With 120,000 bodies in the cemetery, it's no surprise that the church is said to be haunted. The church is located at the Broadway and Wall Street at 89 Broadway. Anglican services had been held in the colony's fort chapel in the late 1600s and the members wanted to have their own building, so they petitioned New York's Royal Governor and he gave them a charter. The first Trinity Church was built in 1698 and faced the Hudson River. In 1705, the church was given 215 acres and this provided room for a cemetery. The Great Fire of 1776 destroyed the church. The second church was finished in 1790 and was wider and longer and faced Wall Street. President George Washington was at the consecration ceremony. He not only attended the church, but so did Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. This church had to be demolished when heavy snow caved in the roof in 1839. British architect Richard Upjohn designed the current church in the Neo-Gothic style and it was opened in 1846. The grand steeple rises 281 feet and this made it the tallest building in the United States until 1869 and it was the tallest building in new York City until 1890. The parish has existed for over 300 years.

The church's offices are located behind the church at 68-74 Trinity Place and there is a pedestrian bridge to Trinity Church. Apparently, employees had many experiences with ghosts in their offices and many of these experiences were shared by a man named Jeremy Sierra on the church's blog. A woman named Rita saw a ghost in period clothing with a big-brimmed hat on the fourth floor in a storage room and then she saw the same ghost at a later date, peering into her office. Two other employees saw this same spirit on the 10th floor another time, peeking around a corner. In the archives, a box of note cards threw itself off of a shelf as an archivist watched. Alexander and Eliza Hamilton are buried in the cemetery and Hamilton has been seen near his grave. He also hangs out at City Hall Park. An inventor named Robert Fulton has been seen wandering around the churchyard with a model of his steamboat named The Clermont. Comedian Adam Allyn is buried here and people swear they hear laughter coming from his headstone. And why not throw in Captain Kidd who haunts everywhere. He apparently provided a winch to raise the stones for the church steeple and he wanted to be buried there. He died in London, but somehow his spirit made his way here and walks the churchyard. 

There is a Lady in White that wanders in the churchyard. She wears a colonial-era style white dress and large bonnet. The bonnet hides her face, but people can feel the sorrow coming from her. Lee Brickley shares, "John, a Wall Street banker who lives nearby, recounted his encounter with the apparition. 'I was walking my dog in the churchyard one morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise. Suddenly, I saw this woman standing by one of the gravestones. She seemed so out of place, like she had stepped out of another time. I approached her to see if she needed help, but as I got closer, she simply vanished into thin air. I was left standing there, utterly baffled.'" And a man in a military uniform has been seen. Brickley shares this, "Samantha, an executive at a nearby investment firm, had a chilling encounter with the spectral soldier. 'I was leaving the office late one night when I saw this figure standing by the churchyard wall. I thought it was a reenactor or something, but as I got closer, I realized there was something off about him. He was transparent, like a mirage. I tried to speak to him, but he didn't respond. He just stood there, staring out into the distance. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. I was left there, standing in the cold, unable to shake off the eerie feeling that I had just witnessed something supernatural."

The Stock Exchange

The New York Stock Exchange started in 1792 with the Buttonwood Agreement that was signed by 24 stockbrokers. It was called Buttonwood because it was signed under a Buttonwood tree. Stock trading was informal in the early years. Deals were made in coffeehouses and taverns. A formal organization was created in 1817 and an NYSE Board was formed. A constitution was also written to govern trading. A room at 40 Wall Street was rented so the brokers had a place to gather twice a day. They had a list of 30 stocks and bonds at the time. As the United States grew, more and more bonds were added to finance infrastructure. Stocks were issued by railroads, insurance companies and banks. By 1865, there were 300 stocks and bonds and the Exchange bought a permanent home on Broad Street. Roaming the trading floor would soon follow and continues to this day. The stock ticker was introduced in 1867 and this made stock trading even easier. The opening and closing bell started in the 1870s and the original bell was a Chinese gong. 

Telephones came to the Market in 1878 and by 1886, trading volume hit 1 million shares. The NYSE moved to a new building with a bigger trading floor in 1903 that was designed by George B. Post. This is located at 18 Broad Street and features a Beaux Arts style with large colonnades holding up a pediment featuring commerce and industry. The interior was grand with large windows, Georgian marble walls and gilded ceiling. The gong was replaced with a brass bell at that time too. This was the first air-conditioned building in North America. There also was this new fandangled pneumatic tube system. October 24, 1929 brought the market crash that led the nation into the Great depression. The Exchange and Market recovered post World War II and during the war, women worked on the trading floor for the first time. Technology throughout the decades has improved the Stock Exchange. An additional stock trading floor is located at 11 Wall Street and is called The Garage.

Traders and employees have reported unexplained sounds and shadowy figures. There are employees who have reported seeing a group of traders dressed in period clothing gathered around what probably was ticker tape, talking excitedly. A ghostly figure has been seen near the "Bell Podium," wearing a suit from the early 1900s, looking very sad. When approached, it disappeared. A maintenance worker was fixing an electronic ticker one night when he was startled by a hand touching him on the shoulder. He turned around wondering who else was in the empty building and saw that it was a man in a period suit standing there. The man pointed at the ticker machine and then evaporated. The machine began working instantly. And speaking of a ticker tape machine, there was one that would turn itself on at night and started spewing tape even though it was unplugged and hadn't been used for a couple years. This happened several times and even crazier, the numbers on the tape were clearly from a bygone era. And the spirit of a janitor has been seen in the building and it is believed the ghost belongs to a janitor who hanged himself in the building during the Great Depression.

The Hamilton Custom House 

The Hamilton Custom House is today the National Museum of the American Indian located at 1 Bowling Green. This is a gorgeous seven-story building in the Beaux-Arts style that was decorated by 12 artists with Corinthian colonnades, sculptures and nautical motifs. The four sculptures that grace the entrance were designed by Daniel Chester French and are titled Four Continents, representing Asia, America, Europe and Africa. At the top of the main entrance is a keystone that depicts the head of Columbia. The columns are topped with carved heads of Hermes and there are twelve statues that personify seafaring nations. There is a ton of symbology around this building! The interior has murals by Reginald Marsh, Multicolored mosaics, bronze gates leading to a passageway to the Great Hall and there is a large rotunda. There is marble everywhere.

The main spirit seen here dates back to the early 20th century and is thought to be a customs officer based on the uniform he wears. The full-bodied apparition is seen walking in the corridors as if on patrol. A female employee told Brickley, "I was alone in one of the galleries one evening when I saw a man in an old-fashioned uniform walking towards me, I was startled but assumed he was part of a historical reenactment. I began to ask him about his uniform, but before I could finish my question, he vanished. It was as if he walked right into a wall." A legend claims that a customs officer was accused of embezzling and he subsequently killed himself. A visitor claims to have heard a voice whisper in her ear, "I didn't do it." Is this his ghost? There are also people who claim to not only see individuals in the building late at night when they look from outside, but guards claim to hear the bustling noises of business even though the place is empty. The people looking in from outside know its strange because the employees inside are all wearing period clothing.

The Woolworth Building

The Woolworth Building is an iconic building located at 233 Broadway. The architect was Cass Gilbert and the architectural style is Neo-Gothic and because it looks like a cathedral, it was nicknamed "The Cathedral of Commerce." Some of the decor was inspired by the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The first four stories are surfaced in limestone and the rest of the building has limestone-colored and glazed terracotta panels in shades of blue, green, sienna and rose. The structure rises 792 feet into the air and was the tallest building in the world until the Chrylser Building was completed in 1930. The interior features a glorious lobby with ceiling mosaics, veined marble from the Greek island of Skyros, gold-leaf decorations and grotesques. The basement features a pool. The Otis Elevator Company supplied the elevators, capable of traveling 700 feet per minute. The Woolworth Building is named for F. W. Woolworth who immigrated to the US in 1886.Everyone is familiar with what made him a success: The Five and Dime! Woolworth made a deal with banks to get financing. He contributed $1 million and the bank put in $500,000 and signed a 25-year lease for several floors of the building. Construction was completed in 1913 and a grand opening dinner was held. Woolworth died in 1920 and his heirs sold the building in 1924. The 1970s brought extensive renovations and today the building has both commercial leases and residential condominiums. The penthouse is going for $79 million. 

Ghost stories have haunted the Woolworth Building since its opening. The elevators moved between floors without riders. The lights flickered or turned themselves on and off. A female ghost in a period dress is seen in the lobby. She seems to be full of melancholy and is probably residual since it doesn't interact with people. A ghostly maintenance worker has been seen for decades and seems to be going about his duties and usually has a toolbox with him. And a former boardroom seems to host ghostly gatherings. An employee heard the faint sounds of laughing and music coming from down the hall and when she got near the boardroom, she was sure there was a group of people in there, but when she opened it , the room was empty. And there's this weird account from Brickley, "Another intriguing account comes from Jonathan, a security guard who had a close encounter with the building's spectral tenants. Late one night, while making his rounds, he saw a light flicker on in one of the upper-level offices. Upon investigating, he found an elderly man, dressed in an early 20th-century business suit, engrossed in examining a set of blueprints spread out on the office desk. Startled, Jonathan challenged the man, only to see him disappear right before his eyes. The blueprints, however, remained on the desk, tangible proof of the spectral visitation. The blueprints were, in fact, original plans of the Woolworth Building, kept secure in the building's archives."

The Federal Reserve 

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is located at 33 Liberty Street and rises fourteen stories, but also has five stories going underneath the ground. Architects York and Sawyer designed the building to resemble Italian Renaissance palaces and Samuel Yellin constructed the decorative ironwork. The facade is made from limestone and sandstone. The interior has vaulted ceilings covered in Guastavino tile. The basement houses the massive three-story gold vault that sits right on top of Manhattan's bedrock. There is 6,331 metric tons of monetary-gold reserve in that vault. There are six other vaults in the basement full of money and securities. Construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1924. The building was expanded in 1935. The Federal Reserve Bank in New York is one of twelve in the country created when the Federal Reserve Act was passed in 1913. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. 

The labyrinth of corridors within this large bank plays home to a phantom banker. Many employees have seen this banker wearing a early 20th century suit. He likes the old vaults according to a security guard named Marcus. Marcus told Lee Brickley, ""I was doing my rounds late one night when I saw him. He was standing near the old vaults, looking as real as you or me. But when I approached him, he simply vanished." There is also a female ghost that weeps. Employees hear soft sobbing and sometimes see this ghost wearing an early 20th century dress. Nobody knows who this woman could be or why she is crying inside the Federal Reserve.

Battery Park

We visited this park on our visit in 2020, so that we could get a picture of the Statue of liberty, which can be seen from the park. This is the gateway to Ellis Island and the Statue. The Lenape and Munsee tribes used the Battery area for hunting and fishing. Eventually Fort George would be located at The Battery and it remained until it was destroyed in 1790. It was decided to change the grounds into a public promenade. But the threat from Britain wasn't gone so in 1807 Castle Clinton was built at the Battery as a circular sandstone fort. This still stands today and is now a National Monument. The fort never saw any battle and was converted into a 6,000 seat entertainment venue and the name was changed to Castle Garden. In 1855, it became an immigrant processing depot. By 1896, this became the first New York Aquarium and remained that until 1941. The fort was renovated and reopened in 1975 and since 1985 it has served as a visitor center and launching point for ferries to the Statue of Liberty.

Spectral soldiers are seen here and unexplained lights appear. Glowing orbs have been photographed. The soldiers usually appear in the park at night and are dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms. The group of soldiers seems to be residual as they follow the same route. Brickley shares the experience of a Wall Street trader named Robert, ""I was strolling through the park, lost in thought. Suddenly, the air grew cold, and I heard a faint sound of drumming, growing steadily louder. It was as though an invisible army was marching towards me. Then, out of the mist, a group of soldiers appeared. They were translucent, almost ethereal, and were marching in formation. I could see the pain and determination in their eyes as they passed through me, leaving me chilled to the bone. They disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared, leaving nothing but the echo of their spectral march in their wake." A female in period clothing from the Victorian era has been dubbed the Phantom Picnicker and she has been seen by security guards and visitors sitting on a park bench. She has the scent of lavender perfume around her. And the park has a ghost dog has been seen playing and barking and then disappearing.

Fraunces Tavern

Fraunces Tavern is said to be one of the most haunted bars in NYC. The original structure was built by the DeLancy family in 1719 at 54 Pearl Street and was either their private residence or a rental property. A man named Samuel Fraunces bought the building in 1762 and opened its as a tavern named Queen's Head Tavern. During the Revolutionary War, Fraunces left the tavern to his Loyalist son-in-law to run while the British had control of New York. Later, this place became popular with patriots like the Founding Fathers and George Washington set it up as a pseudo headquarters. As a matter of fact, George Washington gathered a group of his officers here on December 4, 1783 to thank them for their service in the recent defeat of the British. He then bid them farewell as he headed home. The museum above the still working bar has a first-hand account of this farewell and has many tributes to Washington and the Founders. The Department of Foreign Affairs worked out of the building from 1785 to 1788 and then it became a tavern again. The tavern became a boarding house in 1798 and ballerina Anna Gardie and her husband lived there and both were stabbed to death in what was ruled a murder-suicide. Serious fires almost destroyed the building three times. In 1900, the building was almost demolished, but the Daughters of the American Revolution saved it. They restored it to its 18th century appearance. It reopened in 1907 as a museum and restaurant. In 1975, four people were killed here in a bombing. In 2019, the building celebrated 300 years of existence. 

The place just has to be crawling with spirits then, right? A bartender tells the story of a woman who worked at the bar and was closing up when evening and she passed out. When she came to, she claimed that a man appeared out of nowhere and walked up to her and then her lights went out. When the CCTV camera was checked, she had been alone in the bar. A night porter heard what sounded like a party going on, with clinking glasses and chattering. Staff members have reported hearing voices and unexplained temperature changes. The spirit of an elderly woman in colonial garb is sometimes seen. And Brickley reports in his book, "Perhaps the most infamous spectral resident of Fraunces Tavern is a gentleman known only as the "Dandy." Dressed in late 18th-century fashion, complete with a powdered wig and a tricorn hat, the Dandy is known for his flirtatious interactions with female staff and patrons. He is often seen winking or tipping his hat before vanishing into thin air. The Dandy's flirtations aren't limited to visual encounters. Several women have reported feeling a light touch on their shoulders or a whisper in their ear, only to turn around and find no one there. Over the years, the Dandy has become something of a spectral celebrity, his antics adding an element of playful mystery to the tavern's ghostly lore. One unforgettable encounter with the Dandy was experienced by Sarah, a server at Fraunces Tavern. One busy Friday evening, as she was carrying a tray of drinks to a table, she felt a distinct tap on her shoulder. Assuming it was a customer trying to get her attention, she turned around, but found no one behind her. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure in colonial attire standing by the bar. He winked at her and lifted his hat in a courteous greeting before dissolving into the bustling crowd. Sarah was left standing in awe, her tray of drinks momentarily forgotten."

Clearly, Wall Street isn't just a place that is home to lots of money. Are there spirits hanging around in the Financial District? Is Wall Street haunted? That is for you to decide!

HGB Ep. 574 - Merchant's House Museum

Moment in Oddity - Jumping Spiders Dream (Suggested by: Jared Rang)

In terms of spiders, jumping spiders tend to be the cutest, at least in our opinion. There are many videos out there of Peacock Sparklemuffin jumping spiders going through their breeding dances. They look like they are waving at the camera along with other antics. Back in August of 2022, there was a study published by Harvard that revealed that jumping spiders dream! The researchers analyzed 34 juvenile jumping spiders. Due to the spider's young age their exoskeletons were translucent. Using an infrared camera the jumping spiders were observed in a REM dream-like state with the same types of characteristics found in humans and other mammals. The behaviors exhibited were limb movements like leg twitching and curling. It is believed that this is the first study of its kind performed on terrestrial invertebrates. What ultimately led to this study seems somewhat happenstance. There is a European jumping spider that hangs from a silk thread while sleeping at night. The researchers happen to notice how the spiders would twitch and move almost like dreaming. They waited for newly emerged babies to conduct their study due to the slings (another name for baby jumping spiders) translucency. While filming the young spiders they were actually able to see that the retinas were moving at the same time as the other movements the spiders were displaying. Pondering the idea that creatures like jumping spiders actually dream is fascinating, but it also certainly is odd.

This Month in History - Cochise Arrested

In the month of February, on the 4th, in 1861, Apache Chief Cochise was arrested in Arizona by the U.S. Army for raiding a ranch. Cochise was a prominent leader of the Chiricahua Apache tribe, known as the Chokonen band. A rancher's son had been kidnapped during an Apache raid and the rancher as well as the U.S. Army accused Cochise and his people of the attack. It was later proven that the Coyotero Apache tribe were the ones who attacked and kidnapped the Arizona rancher's son. Lieutenant George Bascom was leading the confrontation of Chief Cochise prior to his arrest. Cochise was able to escape while being held captive in a tent. The Apache Chief would not accept being unjustly imprisoned and the arrest led to the long conflict known as the Apache Wars, which are often referred to as the "Bascom Affair". Over a ten year span, Cochise and his warriors heightened their attacks on American settlements. By 1872, the United States wanted the tensions and raids by Cochise to cease. The tribe was offered a large reservation in the southeastern portion of Arizona if the Chief were to discontinue his warfare against the Americans. Chief Cochise conceded and said, "The white man and the Indian are to drink of the same water, eat of the same bread, and be at peace".

Merchant's House Museum (Suggested by: Marie Fisher) 

The Merchant's House Museum at 29 East Fourth Street in Manhattan is a relic from the past making it a treasure in New York City. The house has stood for over 180 years and seen many changes to Manhattan, but one thing that hasn't changed is its interior. It is likely the only house in New York City with a fully preserved 19th-century interior. There are those who claim this is the most haunted house in Manhattan and many of the spirits belong to the family who lived in the house for generations, the Tredwells. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Merchant's House Museum.

Fourth Street in Manhattan starts at Avenue D and continues to Broadway, where it becomes West 4th Street. There is a four block section from MacDougal Street to University Place called Washington Square South which forms the southern border of Washington Square Park. The museum is about 5 blocks down from Washington Square Park. This is also just outside of Greenwich Village in an area called NoHo short for North of Houston Street. NoHo has gone through three transitions beginning as a residential neighborhood where the wealthy built their houses in the styles of Federal and Greek Revival. Many of the buildings here were made from cast-iron to facilitate manufacturing in the 19th century as factories and warehouses were built. The 1960s brought an evolution as an artistic center that attracted artists and bohemians like Robert Mapplethorpe and Andy Warhol. Actors Sam Shepard and Edward Norton have lived here and David Bowie lived here for a time. 

Hatter Joseph Brewster built his four-story Federal-style brick house between 1831 and 1832. No one is sure who the architect was, but the National Park Service claims it was Menard Lafever. Architectral historians believe that the house was only inspired by some of Lafever's designs. The house is three bays across with a raised basement and is a typical rowhouse from the 19th century. An iron railing lines the facade and leads up a short stairway leading to the front door that is framed by Ionic columns. The slate tile gable roof is steeply sloped with two protruding dormer windows on the fourth story. 

The interior featured 18 rooms with the front door opening up into a square vestible with a marble floor. The first story hosted the formal double parlors with mahogany doors. The basement had the kitchen and there was a family space with fireplace that was used like a dining room. The kitchen had a built in Dutch Oven, dumbwaiter, stove, brickoven and sink that got water from a backyard cistern. The stairs leading to the second floor had a door underneath that lead to a tea room. The second floor and third floors had family bedrooms and the top floor had the servant quarters. The interior has delicate plasterwork, which is endangered today because of a push to develop the land next the house. There is a way you can help to preserve the house by going to the website and getting information to write to the city government. https://merchantshouse.org There is Siena marble throughout on the floors and with the mantlepieces. Other floors were covered with moquette carpet. Moquette is a type of woven pile fabric in which cut or uncut threads form a short dense cut or loop pile.

One of the unique features in the house is a secret passage. No one can ascertain when exactly it was built, so lots of legends have cropped up around it. These stories range from a way to sneak suitors into the house to another way to reach the street to a part of the Underground Railroad. The real reason is probably something boring like it helped facilitate the maintenance of the sliding parlor doors. The second floor has three bedrooms coming off a long hallway that extends the entire length of the house. Two of the bedrooms are considered Master Bedrooms and have Greek Revival-style doorways and windows with pilasters, lintels, architraves, and cornices. The four-poster beds in both bedrooms are original. The children's rooms are on the third floor and the decor is much plainer. The fourth floor had four bedrooms for the servants. In the 1850s, a manually-pulled elevator supported by a rope and a winding mechanism would be added between floors that carried Sarah Tredwell to her room.

Joseph Brewster came to New York City in 1814 and began his trade as hatter and within five years, he had opened up two stores. His hattery business would become one of the largest in making hats. Because he was successful, he was able to invest in real estate. His success in trade enabled him to invest in property. He built several homes besides the house that would come to be known as the Merchant's House. He lived in it for two years and the museum pays homage to him by displaying his portrait above the mantelpiece in the dining room. Brewster sold the house to Seabury Tredwell for $18,000. Seabury Treadwell was a Hardware Merchant and very successful. He was a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers. In the early 1800s, hardware wasn't just tools and nails. It was anything made out of metal. By 55 he had made his fortune, so he decided it was time to move his family into what was considered the suburbs of New York City. Seabury had married Eliza Parker in 1820, when he was 40 years old. She was the daughter of his landlady and 23 years old. They had eight children: Elizabeth (1821), Horace (1823), Mary (1825), Samuel (1827), Phebe (1829), Julia (1833), Sarah (1835). and Gertrude (1840) who wasn't born at the time they moved into the house. They also had four Irish servants that they moved into the house with them.

We don't often talk about the Irish servants these rich families in New England and New York employed. For the Tredwell's, they changed out their staff every ten years. The houses' website describes their lives and work thus, "The work of the servants was physically demanding, and their hours were long. They were on call 24 hours a day. They were expected to rise before dawn and their work was not finished until after dark, with only one afternoon off per week. Every day the servants climbed flights of stairs over and over carrying heavy buckets of coal upstairs and ashes downstairs; clean water up, dirty water down; clean clothes and linens up, dirty clothes and linens down. The servants washed and ironed and cleaned and cooked and dusted and scrubbed on their hands and knees. And only at day’s end could they sew and mend their own clothes."

The six Tredwell girls attended an elite private female academy known as Mrs. Okill’s Academy. This was one of the most elite private female academies at that time and women came from as far as Ohio and Louisiana to attend. The Tredwell daughters would have been highly sought after by men because they stood to inherit their father's fortune and they were high up in the New York social circles. The museum has some of the girls' dance cards in their archives. There are several playbills as well. Gertrude was the youngest daughter and family lore holds that she had a gentleman caller named Luis Walton. Luis’ father was a physician who had trained in England, so many people in America felt that his medical education was on a lower tier. The Walton family were Roman Catholics, while the Tredwells were staunch Episcopalians, so they didn't like Catholics. The Tredwells had servants from Ireland and Luis' mother was Irish. So one can only imagine what Seabury thought of this suitor of Gertrude's. So the couple never married, but Gertrude did mention him in a letter she wrote in 1924 to a nephew. It read, "You know Dr. Walton had Angina Pectoris but he lived for years with it – Strained himself climbing the Alps." Gertrude had maintained that if she couldn't marry Luis, she wouldn't marry at all and she didn't. Neither did Luis. Luis died in 1903 and the age of 63. A carte-de-visite (photograph mounted on a piece of card) of Luis was found in Gertrude's possessions. 

Samuel married Mary Louisa Thorp in 1849 and she would die in 1870. He married again in 1884 to Ella Williams. Despite this big family, only six direct descendants are alive today and they all come from Samuel and Ella. Seabury died in 1865 and Eliza died in 1882. Her daughters Elizabeth and Mary had preceded her in death and Horace would follow in 1885. He never married. Three of the Tredwell daughters lived in the house together in their older years because they never married: Gertrude, Julia and Phebe. A tragic accident occurred on October 3, 1907, at 6 o’clock in the morning. Phebe was making her way downstairs when she fell down the stairs, breaking her femur. She was 78 years old at the time and it killed her. Here's a little fun fact, falls on stairs are the second most common cause of accidental death, after car accidents. 

Gertrude remained in the house until her death in 1933. She died in the house. The house then passed onto her niece Lillie Nichols who decided to sell the contents at auction and then sell the house. A distant cousin named George Chapman purchased the house because of its historical value and he established a non-profit organization to operate the house while he funded it for the next 25 years. it. Chapman died in 1959 and the house fell into disrepair.  In 1962, The Decorators Club of New York City, which at the time was the oldest professional women’s organization of interior designers in the country, decided they wanted to rescue the house as their next project and they raised funds and began restoring the furnishings, carpets and draperies. They got the house designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1966. 

Extensive structural repairs needed to be made in 1968 and so New York University Architect Joseph Roberto was called in to help and he and his wife Carol fell in love with the house. Roberto was supposed to just serve as an advisor, but he jumped in and over the next nine years a full restoration of the house was completed including all the beautiful ornamental plaster work. Whenever possible, Roberto reused original materials. The Museum reopened to the public in November 1979. In 1981, the interior of the Merchant’s House was formally designated as a landmark by the City of New York and part of the reason is because the ornamental plasterwork. They offer guided tours and self-guided tours and hold various events. 

The museum features some cool collections. "More than 100 pieces of Tredwell furniture dating between 1815 and 1880, almost all of New York City origin, grace the formal parlors and private family rooms, including a set of 12 chairs attributed to Duncan Phyfe, one of New York’s finest cabinet makers. Lighting includes candle stands to Argand oil lamps with crystal prisms to fancy gas chandeliers, the lighting Tredwell devices, numbering close to 70, represent a full range of 19th century lighting technology. Among the garments and accessories held in the collection are a remarkable group of 39 dresses worn by Tredwell women ranging in style from 1815 to 1890, as well as hats, parasols, shawls, shoes, gloves, reticules, and fans. Recently, the Merchant’s House collaborated with 3D modeling firm PaleoWest Archaeology to create an interactive 3D model of one of the 39 dresses in the Tredwell Costume Collection. The model allows the viewer to look at the dress from all angles and zoom in on details."

They do ghosts tours in the house and staff and guests have all experienced unexplained things. Reports of paranormal happenings started all the way back in the 1930s when the house first opened as a museum. The spirits are thought to belong to Tredwell family members. (Book)

Anthony Bellhov is a museum board member and tour guide at the house. He told HauntTV, "During some of the ghost tours we have had people feel someone breathing on their neck and they turn around and no one's there. Some are tapped on the shoulder. Figures have been seen walking by in rooms that are empty. We don't know how well the Tredwells like having their house open to the public, but they seem to be accommodating us and we like to think it's because they realize that with the public coming here we can raise the funds to keep the house standing." He added, "The house has changed so little since that time, if Einstein's correct and time is not linear but just keeps happening I like to think that sometimes we just bump into each other. They're still here living their lives, using the objects that are still here in the house and we're here at a different date you know a different time and sometimes we just overlap and we just bump into each other. Which leads me to wonder, do they see us and think we're ghosts? They might not even see the people that are around and they just might be still in their same time and place when they left it so it's very normal to them."

The museum does a raffle every Christmas and one of the raffle prizes several years ago was this beautiful crystal dish. Staff had placed the dish in the center of a table over the weekend and a winner was coming to pick it up on Monday. When they came in on Monday morning, they found the dish shattered in pieces on the floor. The museum had been closed all weekend, so they had no explanation as to how the dish could've become broken.

Eldest son Horus Tredwell is thought to be one of the spirits here. Roberta Belulovich of Visitor Services tells the story about two men who came to do a self-guided tour one day. About five or 10 minutes after they came in, one of them came up the stairs and he said, "I saw Horus in the family room." Roberta asked him, "How did you know it was Horus" and he showed me the book that had family pictures in the book and he said it was him. Roberta asked the man to describe what Horus was doing or how he appeared and he answered that he was dressed all in black and was carrying a top hat and he was leaning on the mantle piece. It was as if he was in mourning and Horus appeared to be very sad. 

Executive director, Margaret Halsey Gardiner, told the New York Times back in 1998, "Many visitors got a ''cold, creepy feeling'' in Gertrude's bedroom. ''For months, I just couldn't make it all the way up the stairs to turn the lights on in the morning. Finally, I told them, 'I come in peace,' and we've been fine ever since.'" One of the craziest ghost stories is about Gertrude. Gertrude was the only Tredwell child born in the house and she died in the house, so she lived in the house for nearly 100 years. Despite her father leaving a substantial sum to his daughters, the money had run out by the time Gertrude died and there were several mortgages on the house. She had loved the house and probably didn't want to leave. Shortly after her death in 1933, the neighbors were all outside watching their children play. The kids had gotten pretty rowdy playing stick ball right in front of the house and suddenly the front door of the Tredwells' house opened and a small elderly woman wearing a brown dress rushed out on the stoop and waved her arms as she yelled at the kids. She was very upset. And the kids were terrified. The old woman went back in the house and the crazy thing is that all the neighbors witnessed this. And they knew Gertrude had passed away two weeks before and that no one should've been in the house. They all recognized her as Gertrude. (Book)

Anthony remembers his first encounter with Gertrude, which took place in a rear bedroom on the second floor that contains the original bed that it is believed Gertrude was born in. Anthony was closing everything up for the evening and he came into the room just to check on things and everything was open with the lights on and windows open. He walked up the hallway to close up all the other rooms first and when he returned to the back bedroom, the door was now closed. He thought it odd and opened the door and found the windows and shutters were closed and the lights were turned off. He would soon find that this room often has the doors and blinds opening and closing on their own. On this occasion, he was terrified and bolted out of the house. He didn't come into work the next day either. Gertrude is able to interact with all types of objects according to staff.

There is a Lady in White here and staff believe she is The eldest daughter Elizabeth. She is seen as a full-bodied apparition roaming the halls. Anthony saw her one day when he was preparing for an event. He said, "The guest speaker and I were seated here on the main landing discussing what we were going to do. Something like, I'll say this and you'll say that, I'll introduce you, that sort of thing. I was seated right on the step just like this and she was seated here and while we were talking I noticed there was motion and a bit of a rustle up at the top of the staircase and I was able to look past her right up to where the staircase bends around again and there was a woman standing there leaning on the staircase, on the handrail and looking down. In fact, I felt our eyes had actually connected. She was wearing a period dress. She looked absolutely solid. I could see her face very clearly. It was a beautiful face, almost heart-shaped. It must have been close to a minute and then somebody from downstairs hollered up, 'Anthony we are ready to open the house' and I looked down. Then I looked up the stairs again and the mysterious woman had
completely vanished."

Sturges Paranormal has been granted unprecedented access to the museum for the purpose of an open ended investigation that has lasted 17 years. During the pandemic, they were able to leave equipment going 24/7. Dan Sturges, who heads the team, has conducted over 75 investigations at the house and shares some EVP captured at the museum on his website. (I am not afraid) (Bells) (Servant) (Soul should be saved) (I wish you hadn't told me about that) Anthony said, "The last time that I was truly terrified when something happened in the house was during one of our paranormal investigations with Dan Sturges. I had been taking things pretty much in stride and become quite used to the unexplainable things that seem to happen on an occasional basis here at the Museum but this one was disturbing. We were conducting an investigation and we were here in Mr Treadwell's bedroom. It was night, it was dark and there were about five of us in the room. The usual team and a guest psychic joining us that night and she verbalized that she got the impression that someone wanted the lights turned off because the lights were disturbing someone. She asked, 'Do you want the lights turned off?' and suddenly this door right behind me slammed. I screamed like a little school girl."

Hans Holzer visited the house three times and he wrote about it in his book Travel Guide to Haunted Houses, "Sometimes, people who die in emotional, traumatic ways remain trapped in that world and setting. They're so used to a place, they defend it and refuse to leave. The great love of Gertrude's life was denied, and she closed herself off in that house and didn't want to leave it, even in death." Holzer's fascination with the house prompted the Holzer Files to visit. 

The Merchant's House Museum really is a one-of-a-kind house in Manhattan. A family's love ensured its survival as a time capsule to the future. We get a great glimpse of what life was like here in the 19th century and beyond. Are some of the family's spirits still here? Is the Merchant's House Museum haunted? That is for you to decide!

HGB Ep. 573 - Carlinville Courthouse

Moment in Oddity - Colored Honey Candy Eating French Bees (Suggested by: Mindy Hull)

Honey has many restorative qualities, especially raw honey. Many people use it for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Back in 2012, beekeepers in Alsace, France discovered that the bees in their apiaries were producing honey in unnatural shades of blue and green. Puzzled, the beekeepers determined the cause of the unusually colored honey was due to a nearby M&M's processing plant. The waste which was housed outside was attracting the bees who were bringing the colors back to their hives. Although the colored honey still tasted like honey, the apiculturists considered the colored honey being produced as tainted and unsellable. This problem affected about a dozen beekeepers who were already dealing with high bee mortality rates after a harsh winter. France is one of the largest honey producers in the European Union with approximately 18,330 tons being produced annually at the time. The Mars plant discovered the problem around the same time that the beekeepers discovered the colored honey. The company cleaned its containers and moved the incoming waste indoors to keep it away from the local bee population. Although colored honey is unique and somewhat visually pleasing in its own right, honey bees snacking on sweet shades of scrumptious treats only to serve up a seriously strange product, certainly is odd.

This Month in History - Norman Rockwell Birthday

In the month of February, on the 3rd, in 1894, Norman Perceval Rockwell was born in New York City, New York. He had an older brother, Jarvis Jr., and his parents were Jarvis and Anne Rockwell. As a fourteen year old boy, Rockwell transferred from his high school to Chase Art School. From there he attended the National Academy of Design and then he went on to study at the Art Students League of New York. Norman took small jobs while still in school and at 18 he landed his first major artistic job illustrating Carl H. Claudy's book, "Tell Me Why: Stories about Mother Nature". At the age of 19, Rockwell became the art editor for Boys' Life, which was a magazine published by the Boy Scouts of America. The next evolution in Rockwell's career came when his family moved to New Rochelle, New York. With the assistance of cartoonist Clyde Forsythe who worked for The Saturday Evening Post, Norman garnered his first cover painting titled, "Mother's Day Off". He was only 22 years old. Over the next 47 years, Norman Perceval Rockwell illustrated 322 magazine covers for The Saturday Evening Post. The majority of his pieces highlighted subjects from everyday family life and small town life, often with a bit of humor. His art was quite detailed with a realistic feel. Although his art was disregarded by most critics as lacking artistic merit and authentic social observation, in 1977, Rockwell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford.

Carlinville Courthouse 

Carlinville is a small town stop along the original Route 66 and is located in Macoupin (MuhCoop en) County, Illinois. The town is home to the "Million Dollar" Courthouse, which seems a bit out of place because it is so massive and cost so much to build. The building began as a small project that ballooned out of control, surrounded by money laundering schemes and scandals. Today, the courthouse is a top tourist attraction and is the final stop on the local ghost tour. Someone who knows a thing or two about that tour and has had her own experience at the courthouse is Courtney Egner. She will be joining us as we explore the history and hauntings of the Carlinville Courthouse.

The city of Carlinville and Macoupin County were established around 1829. Interestingly, they are the only town and county to have their respective names in the world. Carlinville was named for Thomas Carlin who was a state senator that helped found the county. Carlin would go on to be the governor of Illinois in 1838. Growth was slow, but it had the standard tavern and shops in the center square. Storms and a fire destroyed some buildings before 1853. The town was the seat of government in the area, so a courthouse was built. This first rendition was made from logs for under $160 - quite the difference from the future "Million Dollar Courthouse." The building served the county until 1840 and was replaced by a two-story brick structure. This courthouse was used until 1870 and housed court cases involving Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, and Lyman Trumbull. In the Macoupin County courthouse, Lincoln appeared five times and one case resulted in a 43-page reply, believed to be the longest existing document in Lincoln’s handwriting. The Chicago-Alton rail line eventually made its way here and that helped with the economy of the region. The Great Rail Road Festival was held in 1852 when the rail line was completed. One of the reasons this was needed is because Carlinville became a mining town when the Carlinville Coal Company founded its first mine in 1867 and hired 45 men. Five hundred thousand bushels of coal were mined every year. Standard Oil also opened the Berry Min a little while after that. Around that same time, it was decided that Macoupin County needed a new, bigger courthouse.

The Macoupin County Courthouse at 210 East Main in Carlinville, Illinois, would become that third courthouse and was constructed between 1867 and 1870. The architect was Elijah E. Myers and the original plan was to spend $150,000 on construction, funding the project with bonds and taxes. Myers would go on to design the capital buildings for Michigan, Texas and Colorado. When construction was halted in 1870, the cost of construction had reached $1.3 million. And that's why the building was stopped. The cost had gotten outrageous. This was the second largest courthouse in the country at the time, with a courthouse in New York City taking the top spot. Since the construction was stopped, the planned ornamentation for the third floor courtroom was never finished. No fancy sculptures and the like would be added. It took the county 40 years to pay off the debt. At least they can claim that it is the most magnificent courthouse in the state. When finished, the courthouse stood four stories and was topped by a dome. The exterior of the courthouse was made from magnesium limestone and fashioned in a couple of styles, Century Victorian Classic Revival and French Second Empire. There are these large Corinthian columns and the way the building is proportioned, it makes the structure look taller. Some describe it as awkwardly tall. 

The interior ceilings and walls are sheet iron and the walls are three feet thick. The floors throughout are laid with tile. The architecture in this courthouse gets more detailed as you move through the floors. Much of the "extras" are made out of cast iron, which gave the courthouse the ability to declare itself fireproof. The courthouse claims to be the first building to be built fireproof in the United States. One of the really interesting details on the banister posts, relates back to our previous episode about the Rathskellar at the Seelbach Hotel. There are three pelicans formed out of the cast iron on these posts. So this made us want to dig in a little deeper to the symbology of the pelican. The first is death, as we mentioned on that previous episode, and the legend that inspires this goes that a mother pelican will give her life for her young if she can't find food. She will wound herself in some way, so that she can feed her young with her blood. In the process, she slowly dies. Another reason for the symbol is Christian in origin. The church has used it to represent Christ's sacrifice on the cross of giving His life and atoning for sins with his blood. So clearly, pelicans and blood and death have some kind of connection. Pretty fitting to have it inside a courthouse. The balustrade of the main stairway at the north are ornamented with wolf and dog heads done in iron.

The main doors to the main courtroom on the second floor are massive and absolutely amazing. They are twenty feet tall and weigh over a ton. The interior of the courtroom features stained-glass windows, large wooden pews,  several medallions on the ceilings with hanging chandeliers and at the front are massive columns framing the judge's chair and desk. The chair cost $1500 to make back in 1868 and hand carved from oak and walnut. The hand-carved walnut judge's chair is seven feet in height. Lions are carved in each of the huge arm rests.A cast iron banister with spindles separates the judge's area from the rest of the courtroom. The interior of the dome on the courthouse is here. The courthouse houses records going all the way back to 1829. One of the main people behind the push to build this new courthouse was also one of the judges. He was called "The Iron Chancellor" but, his real name was Thaddeus Loomis. He studied at the Illinois College at Jacksonville and went on to get his law degree at the University of Kentucky at Louisville in 1849. He became ill and decided to head west with a group of men to seek their fortune in gold. Loomis stayed in California for five years, mining and exploring. He returned to Illinois in 1854 and in December of that year, married Sarah Duckels, who had been born in England. The couple had five children and lived on a farm just outside of Carlinville. 

In 1861, Loomis was nominated for the office of county judge and he won it, holding the office for eight years. It was for his relection in 1865, that the idea of the courthouse was born and it was understood by voters that if they chose Loomis, they were also choosing to build a new courthouse. It was said of Loomis, "He started upon his mission to build the Courthouse, and he built it; and it stands today a monument to his indomitable courage and will that brooked all defiance and set at naught every will opposed to him. He set his hand to the plow, so to speak, and would not turn back; and time, the great leveler which makes all things even, is slowly but surely applauding him for his courage and constancy in doing what he then youth, and yet thinks, was for the best interests of the whole county. And let it be here said to his credit, that in all the transactions and handing of immense sums of money necessary in that undertaking he came out of it without a stain upon his personal integrity. Of the many who opposed him, none have charged him with official corruption or dishonest."

And yet, the vast cost of the building was not held as a positive and the cries of corruption were loud.
Allegations of corruption started flying against Judge Loomis and the county clerk at the time, George Holliday and soon there were lawsuits and indictments. The courthouse was planned in secrecy under a four-man court commission, which had absolute power by law in Macoupin County. The other two members were A. McKim Dubois and Isham J. Peebles. The secrecy continued as construction got underway with a ten-foot-high board fence around the construction site. Despite hiding information, local officials soon caught wind of just how much money was being spent and they started protesting. Citizens got involved also and they complained about taxation without representation. The battle went to the state legislature and the politicians stuck together, so the commission won. 

Later, the county records revealed that the commissioners voted themselves heavy appropriations for travel and other expenses. An audit of the build revealed that it should have only cost $643,867, so where did the other $736,633 go? Another interesting tidbit is that Carlinville native Gen. John M. Palmer was elected governor of Illinois while the courthouse was being built and he wasn't about to not have that courthouse finished, so he used his influence to get it done too. People may ask, why was there such an ambitious plan? Apparently, the commission was hoping to inspire a move of the capital to Carlinville with this prestigious courthouse. The final bond was paid in July of 1910 and a celebration was held and the bond was burned. And this was a big affair. There was bunting decorating everything, there were balloon rides and an automobile parade a mile long. The Chicago Tribune reported in August 2021 the "At the time investigators began looking into the finances of the courthouse, George Holliday was observed carrying a small suitcase and waiting calmly on the station platform to board the train to St. Louis. And then he vanished." That didn't keep him from being indicted for embezzlement and fraud. And well, why not throw another log on this fire? The good Judge just happened to be building his Loomis Hotel in the town at the same time as the courthouse. The same materials were used to build the hotel and the judge claimed it was left over. He was never charged with anything.

Carlinville hosts a ghost tour because several buildings in the town are reputedly haunted and this includes the courthouse. It is thought that Judge Loomis and George Holliday haunt the courthouse. Staff at the courthouse claim to hear disembodied footsteps and the doors open and close by themselves and remember, these are incredibly heavy doors. At night, the haunting activity ramps up. Troy Taylor's American Hauntings launched the ghost tour here headed up by Kaylan Schardan, who also wrote "Haunted Carlinville: History and Hauntings That Shaped Macoupin County." And someone who helped out with that ghost tour, joins us to share her incredible experience.

Courtney Egner experiences with the courthouse, "This is an experience I had while working for a local haunted history tour in 2015. I went to a small liberal arts school in central Illinois and there I wrote for the school paper. In one issue, I wrote a story about supposed haunted spots on campus. I have always been a believer in the paranormal, but had never experienced anything myself, but had heard countless stories from students on campus. There are endless stories I could tell about the alleged ghosts of the campus, but that would take hours to chronicle. Our school paper was also distributed around the local community, and when the campus ghosts story was published, I had gotten an email from a local reporter at the county paper, Kaylan. She was someone I had met and talked to before but she didn't know I was into the paranormal. She asked me if I wanted to help her with the local haunted history tour of the town. This was the first haunted history tour in Carlinville, and it was being sponsored by Troy Taylor, a pretty prominent writer, historian, and paranormal investigator in the Midwest. I told her I would be happy to help her and joined the team, which was mostly her, with some help from Troy. The tour was a walking 'haunted history' tour around the town. The tours were around 2 and a half hours each, and occurred twice on Fridays and Saturdays (6:30pm and 9:30pm) all through September and October. The small town had a town square and a MASSIVE courthouse that was built as a result of a money laundering scheme. It was at the time, and still is I believe, the biggest courthouse in a small municipal city.

Kaylan and I would meet at this courthouse half hour before each tour. We would have to meet a local police officer who would give us the keys to the courthouse each night. Kaylan and I had a few experiences while we were alone doing walk-throughs prior the tour, but nothing like what I experienced. The tours started and ended at the courthouse. So the participants would gather outside the courthouse and we would start the walking tour there. My role in these tours was the 'caboose.' Kaylan led the group (there was never more than 20 people) and did ALL of the talking. I was behind the group, keeping a headcount and making sure everyone stayed where they were supposed to be. The tour itself covered everything from local crimes committed, alleged hauntings, and historical buildings. The courthouse was the grand finale, so to speak, since it was the last stop on the tour and we would take everyone inside and end the tour in the largest court room, with all the lights off, and Kaylan would tell stories of the most infamous cases to take place in the room. 

When we would get to the last stop prior to the courthouse, it was my job to then walk ahead of the group, go into the courthouse, and then let all the guests inside. While in the courthouse, I had to be one floor ahead of the tour groups to let everyone in the courtrooms, because these doors and various floors were locked at all times. This is where my encounter comes in. This occurred during my second year doing these tours (I did them during my junior and senior years at the school). It was pretty early in the season, I think we had only been doing them for 3 weeks that season at this point and it was the late tour (9:30pm) on a Saturday. The tour went on as usual and I went to unlock the courthouse and let the guests in. As always, I was one floor ahead. There were 3 total floors, and the third floor was where the biggest courtroom was where we ended each tour. The court room was huge and incredibly ornate. A lot of the fixtures were made of pure iron, so they were heavy and bulky.

On the third floor, at the back of the courtroom behind the judge's desk, two massive irons doors on either side wereeast 15 tall and had passive round door knockers/pulls on them. When I would go up to the third floor, I would have to go through one of those doors and turn all the lights in the room on and then walk to the far end to the entrance of the court room to let everyone in. I cannot stress enough how massive these doors were. They were tall and so heavy. It took both my hands to pull the door open and there is just absolutely no way that a draft, or anything else, would be able to open or close the door. It took a lot effort. These doors also had signs on them that said "DOORS MUST REMAIN SHUT AT ALL TIMES", and each night I would go up there and both doors would be closed. On this particular night, the door on the right (farthest from the light switches) was open. It was slightly ajar, but enough that a person could walk through it. There were two steps that went up to these doors, so they were slightly elevated. That's probably a terrible description but there were two steps. I went up to pull that door shut since, 1: it was supposed to be in the first place, and 2: it was the door farthest from the light switches. I pulled it shut and then walked back over to the other door to get to the switches.

As I go to pull the door open, I felt a hand physically grip my jacket and YANK me backwards. I was wearing a leather jacket and I still remember it so vividly, feeling it lift behind my neck and the pull I felt on the sleeves. I fell backwards on to the ground. I was on the same level as the doors, so there were two steps I fell down. Except I didn't. I didn't hit either step and ended up about 5 feet from the stairs. Luckily, I didn't hit my head, but I did land right on my ass on the hard marble floor. I sat there for a second before I really realized what had happened and looked around, both iron doors still closed. Now, I am TERRIFIED. I get to my feet and RUN down the stairs to the group. I run right to Kaylan and didn't explain what happened, but I told her that I wasn't going up there alone. She could tell I was shaken up and didn't question it. About 20 minutes later, the tour made it to the third floor, and the entrance to the courtroom. Normally, I would be at the entrance doors letting everyone in, so Kaylan and I had to use a different key to open it from the outside. Kaylan and I open the two entry doors and the courtroom is dark, but you can seen light pouring in from across the courtroom. The two iron doors behind the judge's desk were open. Wide open. I had pulled the one on the left shut and never even got to the right door to get to the light switches. At this point, I am audibly shaken. I explain to Kaylan what happened and how I shut the door on the left and the one on the right never got opened by me. The tour group that night obviously thought this was just part of the tour  and I was doing a prank or trying to scare them, but Kaylan believed me and I knew she did.

Kaylan finished the tour as usual. While Kaylan reviewed the court cases and stories, I sat at the desks that were in front of the judges desk (the place where the prosecution and defense teams sit) and Kaylan was standing between the two desks. I could tell that she was also shaken and I noticed that she kept looking behind me. During this part of the tour, all of the lights were off, but Kaylan had a flashlight she used to read the stories, so I could see her face. When the tour was over, we led everyone back outside and said goodnight. Kaylan and I walked to the police station to return the keys and she told me that she saw a man standing behind me the entire time we were in the courtroom. She believes it was the man who built the courthouse. That was always one of the stories told during the tours, how the man who embezzled the money to build the courthouse itself still stuck around. She firmly believes it was him based on his facial features and suit. I never saw him, but I absolutely believe she did that night. After that night, I never went into the courthouse again by myself. The entire experience not only shook me to my core, but also Kaylan. So we never left each other alone after that. Nothing else happened on those tours after this experience."

The Carlinville Courthouse is the pride of the town for good reason. It's a big beautiful courthouse and with a few resident ghosts, that makes it even better. Is the Carlinville Courthouse haunted? That is for you to decide!