Sunday, September 20, 2009

Haunted New York

Chelsea Hotel, NYC
Many souls have checked in but never checked out of this landmark hotel in the Big Apple. Dylan Thomas, Eugene O'Neill and Thomas Wolfe have all been spotted as apparitions here. In the elevator the ghost of Sid Vicious (the Sex Pistols lead bassist, who died of a heroin overdose) is reported to appear there from time to time.

At Greenwich Village’s restaurant, One if by Land, Two if by Sea, the ghosts are not limited to the bar area. This former carriage house was once owned and operated by Vice President Aaron Burr. He and his daughter, Theodosia (who was supposedly
kidnapped by pirates and forced to walk the plank), haunt patrons and staff; one maitre d’ quit after being shoved up and down the stairs every night by invisible hands, and numerous women claim to have had their earrings pulled off by Theodosia while sitting at the bar.

Morris-Jumel Mansion
Built in 1765, the Morris-Jumel Mansion, located at 175 Jumel Terrace in Washington Heights, is the oldest house in Manhattan.
Eliza and Stephen Jumel took control of the house in 1810. Their marriage was quite tumultuous, as Eliza was supposedly having an affair with former Vice President Aaron Burr. (Perhaps in the upstairs rooms of One if By Land, Two if By Sea?) In 1832, Stephen died as he "mysteriously" fell on a pitchfork. Without
wasting any time, Eliza married Aaron Burr. Eliza and Burr divorced three years later and Burr died not long after. Eliza's mental state deteriorated; she became a recluse, and she was a frightening sight to behold, with false teeth, unkempt hair, soiled clothing, and ungainly large feet. Finally, dementia took her and her babbling drove away even the staunchest relative."After her death,Eliza was allegedly seen wandering about the property in a white dress, producing spine-tingling noises. When a psychic went to the mansion and purportedly summoned the spirit of Stephen Jumel, the spirit said that he was murdered and buried
alive.
The City of New York took control of the museum in 1904, and tours
have been fraught with ghost sightings ever since. A famous
sighting occurred in 1964 when Eliza, wearing a violet dress,
supposedly appeared to some schoolchildren and yelled at them to
"shut up!"

Palace Theater
The Palace Theater was the center of the vaudeville universe in the
early 20th century, attracting acts from across the country; today,
it hosts Broadway's best and brightest. The Theater is said to be
home to at least 100 ghosts, including that of Judy Garland, who
once performed there. Acrobat Louis Borsalino fell to his death during a performance at
the Palace. But maybe you don't want to catch a glimpse of his ghost;
those who do are rumored to die shortly thereafter.
St. Paul’s ChapelGeorge Frederick Cooke, a prolific British actor who died of
alcoholism in 1812, was buried on the grounds of St. Paul's Chapel.
Not so wierd unless you consider that he was buried
without a head. Cooke donated his skull to science to pay medical
bills though it supposedly made its way into a stage production of Hamlet. Cooke was laid to rest sans cranium and, according to legend, haunts the chapel and churchyard in search of his head.