Whether or not you believe that ghosts exist, the concept of a haunting is fascinating to think about. History comes alive before your eyes, or at least you might imagine this to be so. The naturally interesting past of a place mingles and mixes with urban legends and rumors and before you know it— presto. You’ve got a fabulous ghost story on your hands. Here are some of the spookiest, quirkiest, and most famous haunted houses in Pennsylvania.
1. The Jenny Wade House in Gettysburg, which was peppered with Confederate bullets.
The ghost of Jenny Wade is said to haunt this nondescript house in Gettysburg. The woman had travelled to the house to help her sister care for a newborn child when the property was suddenly assaulted with over 150 bullets. A stray shot broke through the kitchen door and killed Jenny as she kneaded dough.
2. The Baleroy Mansion in Chestnut Hill, which is sometimes called the most haunted house in America.
Many ghosts are said to populate the spacious, 32-room room estate just outside of Philadelphia, including the ghost of Thomas Jefferson, who is said to stand next to an antique grandfather clock. Within the mansion a 200-year old blue "cursed chair" sits within a blue room. It is said that this chair once belonged to Napoleon, and that anyone who sits in this chair will die. The Baleroy Mansion was once open for ghost tours, but now is a private residence where visitors are not allowed.
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3. The Home of the Hag of Pine Street, an elderly woman who terrorizes teenagers.
The hag, whose real name is not known, can often be spotted by pedestrians in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. She either glares from the dusty windows of her home on Pine Street, or meanders along the sidewalk, swinging her cane at passers-by. She reportedly passed away inside her home.
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4. The Bishop White House, where the first bishop of Philadelphia lived.
This house is famous as one of the most haunted in Independence Park in Philadelphia. Rangers report feeling a sense of dread upon entering the house, especially at night and have often spotted shadowy silhouettes moving throughout the house. Bishop White was famous for his charity work, especially during the Yellow Fever Epidemic that hit Philadelphia in the 1790s. Perhaps the spirit of his neighbors who passed away, or the spirit of the bishop himself, who died in the house, haunts the property.
Located in Horsham, Montgomery County, Graeme Park was originally constructed in 1722 as the summer home for Sir William Keith, a lieutenant-governor. One of Keith's descendants, Elizabeth Graeme, lived here with her husband, Henry Hugh Fergusson. Fergusson, a Scottish immigrant, gained political and social standing from his marriage into the Graeme family, but was later found to be a traitor, causing the seizure of Graeme Park. His wife, Elizabeth, managed to regain the land and lived out the rest of her days there, alone. Today, her ghost is often spotted walking around the premises. She is also associated with a lilac smell which sometimes comes from nowhere in Graeme Park.
6. The Bolton Mansion in Levittown, a patchwork estate where a collection of ghosts wander.
The estate, also known as the Phineas Pemberton House, was originally built in 1683 and has been updated numerous times, and today displays many different architectural styles and time periods. The most famous ghost here is that of a rebel soldier who ran away to fight for the South in the Civil War. Upon returning home, his father would not forgive him and he hanged himself from a stairwell. His childhood sweetheart found his body and shot herself after finding him; the two are said to haunt the estate together, bound together forever in death. Numerous other ghosts are often spotted here, such as a woman wearing a long, dark cloak and a little girl who appears to be lost.
7. The Pen Ryn Estate in Bensalem, where neighbors receive ghostly visitors every Christmas Eve.
The Pen Ryn Estate today is a popular spot for events such as weddings and corporate events, so don't let this spooky tale deter from from visiting the gorgeous, historic mansion. You might hear whispers, though, of Robert Bickley and a woman believed to be his girlfriend. Every December 24, the duo appears. The woman rides atop a black horse and whips anyone who approaches her; Bickley himself desperately knocks on the windows and doors of the mansion.
8. The Growden Mansion, where you might spot a famous historic figure.
Although the Growden Mansion in Bensalem was once a posh estate for a pewterer's family, today it operates as a museum. Often, people who visit hear report seeing the apparition of Benjamin Franklin as he flies his kite. Others say that they can hear sounds from the Revolutionary War.
9. This Dunmore home which, according to its owners, is only “slightly haunted.”
Perhaps you remember seeing it in the news a few years ago. This couple put their home up for sale after having a few experiences that were just eerie enough to give them cause for concern, but not scary enough to send them running for the hills. They put the beautiful Victorian house on the market with the warning that it was “slightly haunted.” A previous owner of the home visited and filled them in on a chilling piece of the home’s history; they found a human skull lodged into its foundation.
10. This home in Hanover, where a ghost attacked a photojournalist.
Whether you believe in the spooky or not, this story will challenge your skepticism. In July 2014, Fox 43 photojournalist Nick Petrillo visited a house whose residents complained of numerous ghosts and demonic activity. He left the house with physical marks upon his body from the alleged haunting, and a story to last him a lifetime.
Know of any other haunted houses? Share your stories below. And remember, many of these houses are located on private property whose living residents are not amenable to uninvited guests!
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