The Shanley Hotel, Napanoch, NY

Napanoch, NY—Crossing over the Shawangunk Mountains is like driving backwards through time. The western valley is a landscape dotted with old farmhouses, trailer homes and empty motels. As you take the turn off Route 209 into the tiny village of Napanoch, you transcend even further. What was once a bustling mill town is now practically abandoned with some buildings on the main street vacant since the 1930s. When Sal and Cindy Nicosia bought the Shanley Hotel they hoped their plans could revitalize the town. Little did they know they would be bringing life back to approximately 40 souls dying to be heard.

In the beginning of 2005, the Nicosias were your typical couple with a passion for a fixer-upper house. When the Shanley Hotel went up for sale they saw the project of a lifetime, bringing the urban ruin back to a thriving inn. It was merely 24 hours after the building was officially theirs that their lives changed forever. There was no electricity running in the building yet, so they sat on the second floor in the darkness celebrating the next chapter in their lives over some beers with a friend when the sound of footsteps started up the grand staircase. This event marked the beginning of their ghostly adventure into the past.

First built in 1845 by Thomas Rich, the hotel changed hands many times but it is James Shanley’s  name that still adorns the building today. Shanley and his wife Beatrice were well loved in the town of Napanoch and their inn was like home to many guests who enjoyed a variety of social activities and events hosted by the hotel.  For some guests,  being at home meant visiting the Gentleman’s Club located on the first floor or the three bedroom brothel on the second. Sal believes that the comfortable feeling the patrons experienced at the inn is the underlying reason why  so many spirits still remain at the Shanley today.

Aside from  the comforting atmosphere of friends and family, there were also times of tragedy and debauchery at the inn.  Tragically, all three of Mrs. Shanley’s children died before they were 9 months old.  Rosie, the four-year old and daughter of the in-house barber, drowned in a nearby well.  As with any hotel, there are stories of accidental deaths and possibly even murders. The spirits remain to tell their stories after the history books have closed.

By working with many different psychics, paranormal experts and extensive historical research, the Nicosias have been able to identify at least 40 different spirits residing at the Shanley Hotel. Nearly every paranormal research technique has yielded positive results.  People have experienced full-body apparitions as well as other visual and auditory cues including doors opening and closing, rocking chairs moving, whistling. The spirit of Rosie loves to play with jewelry and has been known to take it right off some women who visit. Of course, video and still cameras as well as electronic voice phenomenon records have documented mind boggling results. In fact, most EVPs that are recorded here are Class A, a concept almost unheard of in the industry.

The amount of data that Sal and Cindy has accumulated is extensive.  Connections made range from the spirits of Mr. and Mrs. Shanley themselves to  Jonathan, a playful six- year old, T.J., a bartender who died in the 1980, Joe, a spirit who prefers to be left alone and will tell you so, and Claire, a suicide from the 1800’s. Clearly, all the spirits have a story to tell. The use of  EMF meters, EVP recorders, cameras and other gadgets as well as the human mind have been used to help tell that story, as well as transform the Nicosias into true believers.

Over the few years, not only did the building go through some massive renovations, but so did the Nicosias themselves. Becoming more in tune with their spiritual guests, the Nicosias have become experts in a field they never expected. They have been featured on countless radio shows, TV programs and articles of both local and paranormal interest. 

We would like to thank Ami and Ken for sharing their EVPs from the Shanley Hotel

“This is an EVP that we took while we were sleeping at the
Shanley Hotel on August 23rd 2009. We shortened the clip because the other 4 hours was mostly unrecognizable noises. However, at the beginning of this clip we hear a pretty recognizable “I used to be here.” Further down the clip you will hear 3 instances of what sounds like train whistles. Sounds like an old steam train whistle to us. They are pretty low and we heard them better with headphones on. The first part you will hear right away when you play the clip, the whistles you will hear at around 1 min 14 secs, 1 min 18 secs and 1 min 51 seconds. I know the train doesn’t run by there today.

Well, hope you enjoy and let us know what you think.

Community Submission of EVPs from the Shanley Hotel

I would like to thank Jessie and Phil for sharing their personal  EVPs from their recent overnight at the Shanley Hotel in Nappanoch, NY with our Haunted Hudson Valley Community. Take a listen and tell us what you think. Click on the links below and the file will play in a new window.

From Jessie:

Here are some EVPs from the Shanley Hotel.  You need to really turn up the sound (a pair of noise canceling headphones works great!) as 4 out of 5 answers are very low whispers.  You will hear chatter from other investigators who are usually on a completely different floor or in another room – just think of them as static noise and try to block them out if you can.

Our favorite is the first EVP.  A young child talks over our voices (my husband and I) and says loud and clear something like “yoohoo…come on over in here”.  We were the only people on the third floor at the time, and we couldn’t hear her with our ears, but on the EVP she sounds like she’s shouting right next to us.

Come on over in here (.WAV 1.56MB)

The ‘crickets’ EVP is a woman answering ‘no’ in a low whisper when I ask if they like the sound of cicadas and crickets.

Do you like that noise? (.WAV 2.16MB)

The third EVP is a woman whispering what sounds like “help us”.

Woman says help (.WAV 1.29MB)

The fourth EVP a man whispers what sounds like “don’t go” over my voice as I’m stating ‘you can shift a couple of things outta…”

Don’t Go (.WAV 884KB)

The fifth EVP is my huband asking “you want to let people know you’re here” and you hear a low “no” being whispered in response.

No (.WAV 2.95MB)

Thanks for listening and leave your comments below.

The Ghostly Giggler

Mohonk  Mountain House – New Paltz, NY- For five years I worked part time in the gift shop at Mohonk Mountain House. Anyone who had worked there long enough had some kind of personal ghost story to tell, but I was always skeptical. But one early morning in the dead of winter changed my mind.

The hotel gets pretty quiet in the winter. Families stayed away and rooms were never sold out and the ones that were booked were usually with corporate retreats. This particular day I was working the opening shift, as I typically did. I arrived around 7:30 a.m.  expecting to spend the next half hour alone preparing the store to open for the day.

The building is old, dating back to 1869 and the heat is hard to regulate. As I unlocked the doors I immediately started stripping off my winter coat and scarf, the closed up shop was unbearably hot. Before I could start my morning routine I needed a cold beverage before I started to sweat. I rounded the counter and bent down to slide open the old cooler. As I bent down to grab a bottle of water I heard a noise directly behind me.

A child giggling.

I immediately spun around, startled as I didn’t think anyone was there with me. And yet, I was more surprised to see that there was no one there.

I had worked there long enough to recognize the strange noises that the old building made. I knew the routines of my coworkers. I know that that noise was abnormal. It wasn’t a noise, it was a giggle.

Even though I know for a fact what I heard I was still skeptical. I checked under tables for the secret intruder. I checked the floors above and below the shop, the rooms were empty and locked. I finally checked the guest registry and I found what I expected. The hotel was only booked by a corporate group and there were no kids registered.

I never figured out who my ghostly giggler was. Was it someone related to the ghost who touches peoples shoulders in the parlour? The child of the woman who can be seen in mirrors. Was it the child who was rumored to be hanged in the attic? I have no idea. But I’m sure that child is still laughing somewhere in that hotel.

Author: Anonymous, Pleasant Valley, NY

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