Staatsburg, NY— We often discuss “ghost stories” on our Facebook page. Urban myths run wild, especially in such a historic area as the Hudson Valley. While at first glace we quickly want to believe in these tall tales, upon closer inspection we can weed out those that are truly just stories and those that require more investigation.

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Always on the lookout for new haunted treasures here in the Hudson Valley, I came across some information on Hoyt’s Mansion aka The Point in Staatsburg. Like Wyndcliffe, Hoyt’s Mansion has fallen into ruin and has gone unnoticed by most of the people in the area. I’ve lived in the Valley my entire life and have never even heard of it. Legend has run wild regarding Hoyt’s Mansion, and I was intrigued to learn more.   Did the whole family really kill themselves in the house as urban legend suggests?

I did my research before heading out to the site and was prepared for my outing. In 1855 Lydig Monson Hoyt and Geraldine Livingston Hoyt began construction on their gothic revival home. The building was designed by Calvert Vaux who may be best known for designing Central Park in New York City. The house was strategically placed on a vista over the Hudson River for beautiful views to the north.

After Geraldine died in 1897, the house and 90 acre estate was passed to their son Gerald. It remained in the family until 1962 when greedy NYS took the house by eminent domain. The estate was flanked on either side by Mills Mansion and Norrie Point, both already owned by the NYS Parks Department. The department wanted to combine the parks with the land owned by the Hoyt family. Mrs. Hoyt refused to sell but lost the battle anyway when New York State abused their power.

New York state allowed the house to fall into ruin while a massive town pool was in the planning stages. The plan to build the pool complex never came to fruition and was finally scrapped all together as the historical importance of Hoyt’s Mansion were realized. Even though the building became a National Historic Landmark in 1990, it has continued to deteriorate . Today the home sits vacant and boarded up, just a shadow of what it used to be.

So is the house actually haunted? We may never know. Because the building is not safe, there was no legal way to enter.  While I did find a lot of research about the house architecture and family, I found nothing in regards to a family mass suicide. Does Hoyt’s Mansion’s crumbling walls hold any true spiritual activity, or are the rumors simply just the product of active imaginations ? Based on the history I’ll make my own assumptions, but without proof either way, I’ll leave you to your own opinions.

If you want to visit, check in at the visitor’s center of Mills Mansion to get hiking directions. It is a quick, easy walk on a major carriage trail, but don’t expect to get too close. The house has been condemned and is fenced to avoid any accidental injury. Don’t bother going at night. Not only is it not safe, but you are just asking to get in trouble. Some of the rumors include silent alarms tripped by motion sensors, and there are definitely motion sensor lights on the exterior of the building.

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Tarrytown, NY—Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, NY is the theatrical setting for Collinwood, the mythical estate in the Dark Shadow movies. And while Dark Shadows had its fair share of spooky elements and unearthly events that Lyndhurst can’t quite hold a candle too, there are a few instances that make Lyndhurst a little out of the ordinary.

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East Bedroom

In the first movie, The House of Dark Shadows, we learn that Barnabas Collins went to England in 1797. It would be another forty years until Philip Paulding began construction on what would become Lyndhurst, and another 132 years until the movie was released in theaters nationwide.

While the Paulding family was wealthy and prominent political figures, by 1864 they fell on hard times and were forced to move out of their gothic revival style home. They passed it furnished to George Merritt. Merritt made grand improvements to the property, building a massive wing and the three story tower. After his death, his wife sold the estate to Jay Gould. Lyndhurst remained in the Gould family until 1961 when the current owner, Anna Gould who had become the Duchess Talleyrand Perigord through marriage, gifted it to the National Trust so it would remain a historic property.

Rear Exterior of Lynhurst

One of the most key (and extremely rare among historic homes) features of Lyndhurst is the furnishings. As each family moved out, they left their furniture and trinkets behind, leaving us with a rich historical account of the lives and deaths of those who once lived there. This must have also been a great attraction to location scouts for Dark Shadows, as many scenes show items which are still in the house today. Any visitor to the estate will recognize desks, beds, vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, trompe l’oeil painted walls, gothic doorways and more from the movie. Dark Shadow’s fans will also recognize the carriage house, children’s playhouse, rose gardens, green house and other out buildings on the property.

While the grounds, mansion and internal furniture are beyond beautiful, one can’t help but wonder if the movie’s producers were attracted to its macabre curiosities. Was Dark Shadow’s shot at Lyndhurst only for the spectacular visual appeal, or was there another connection?

The library at Lyndhurst is one any bookworm would be jealous of. Thousands of volumes line the shelves and a combination of Gould’s and Merritt’s furniture make cozy reading nooks throughout. George Merritt was an avid reader, and mostly choose weighty topics to fill his library. Records show that he had requested the purchase of tomes on history, travel, nature and poetry. But if you look closely, you can find one solitary shelf with a few different topics. A Treatise of Specters, Travels of the Jesuits, Witchcraft, Christian Dogmas and more helped educate Merritt on the more “occult” side of life.

Another connection between the vampires of Dark Shadows and Lyndhurst is the painting Wallachian Caravan in Winter by Adolph Schreyer. This oil on canvas painting depicts a traveling line of pack horses and their handlers navigating through the snowy mountains. The Wallachia region is a mountainous area, conveniently located just south of Transylvania. While horses were a very common theme in his work, most of Adolph Schreyer’s paintings were entitled with the focus on Arabs. We found only one other mention of Wallachia in his work. Was this piece brought into the house purely for it’s Transylvanian connection?

Then there are the stories of the bizarre. Anna, the Duchess Talleyrand Perigord, was an animal lover and very much attached to her three Pekingese dogs. As each pooch passed on she had it interned in it’s own dog sized lead coffin. She never quite knew what to do with the coffins and they remained in the house for some time. Finally, knowing she couldn’t just keep them lying around the house, she had the coffins moved outside and they were placed on saw horses by the children’s play house, Rose Cottage. They remained there for years before they were finally moved to an unknown location. May the Pekingeses rest in peace.

Rumor has it that at least one someone isn’t resting in peace at Lyndhurst. We got a secret tip about an unexplained event in the home. One quiet evening at the estate as our mystery guest was working alone in the house, he passed through what used to be the servant’s dining room. As he walked up a short set of stairs he felt the presence of someone behind him. He turned to greet his follower and he found that no one was there.

Who was with him in the servant’s dining room that evening? Was it a family member of the Paulding, Merritt or Gould family’s who each enjoyed their time in their majestic castle like home on the Hudson River? Was it one of Anna’s dearly departed pups? Or maybe it was Barnabas Collins come back from England!

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Photo Credit: Donna Davies/Haunted Hudson Valley

Watch it online at Amazon Video on Demand.

Plan your visit to Lyndhurst:

Lyndhurst
635 South Broadway
Tarrytown, N.Y. 10591
(914) 631-4481

www.lyndhurst.org

Wyndclyffe 2009 Courtesy of L. Schnecke

Rhinecliff, NY–In the quaint town of Rhinecliff, New York rests the remains of one of the first grand mansions in the Hudson River Valley known as Wyndclyffe, the former home of Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones, cousin to the Astors of New York and the spinster Aunt of the Pulitzer Prize wining novelist Edith Wharton.

My journey started with quest to learn more about local legendary hauntings in the Hudson Valley. I had heard that Wyndclyffe was a popular destination for urban explorers and ghost hunters. By comparison, I would not call upstate New York urban, but it is a mecca for exploring ruins of the past and present.

After reading a short chapter about Wyndclyffe in Haunted Houses of the Hudson Valley by Lynda Lee Macken, I was intrigued by the story’s accompanying photo of a once magnificent home looking dark, dreary and in disrepair. The image was stereotypical of what one might think a haunted house would appear. In the book Haunted Houses of the Hudson Valley, Macken suggests that Wyndclyffe is haunted by a number of ghosts. “Ghostly fox hunts, a little girl’s specter, and the apparition of a hanged man all haunt the eerie Wyndclyffe (Macken, 2006 p.42).” I found this statement to be both vague in detail and unsubstantiated, however the sheer uniqueness of haunting beauty of this ruin preoccupied my thoughts. I had to learn more about this “haunted house’ and actually see it for myself.

The history of this mansion is fascinating. There is a wealth of information about famed novelist Edith Wharton’s relationship to the home which she obviously loathed. However, I was unable to find contradictory information about her Aunt Elizabeth. This home was obviously her vision and she must have loved it dearly. I was able to put the puzzle together from my research and the help of a couple of friends to determine Wyndclyffe’s location, which I will not disclose.

Road Trip…

“Wow!” That was all I could muster when I first saw the grand brick façade come

Courtesy of The Library of Congress

into view. The panoramic views of the Hudson River must have been incredible from the upper floors of the Norman style building. The distinct curves and arches of the brickwork were ornate yet simple, but gothic in design. I have never seen anything like it in my lifetime. The tower stood tall and menacing protruding from the vast green trees to the bright blue sky. I would have loved to explore the interior, but out of respect for the owners and because we value our health, we remained outside the fenced area. The property is rumored to be under construction. There is a dumpster on-site, but I can’t see how this majestic beauty could be restored to its former glory unless you are Donald Trump.

We did not stay at the site long and it was a good thing. We missed the troopers by minutes. I don’t advise that you go in search of Wyndclyffe. If you are haunted by the mystery of this gem in the rough as I was, I would understand. Do not go past the fence. The area is clearly not secure and you are TRESPASSING.

This was a learning experience. I now understand the magnetic attraction that Wyndclyffe holds for explorers of the unknown. I did feel haunted after my visit. Not in the paranormal way. It haunts me that some of the most remarkable architecture of eras gone by is left to fade away until it is reduced to a heap of rubble hidden by brush.

If you venture to Wyndclyffe and get stuck in the middle of a ghostly fox hunt, let me know.

Enjoy the photos.

Cited Sources:

Macken, Lynda Lee (2006). Haunted Houses of the Hudson Valley. New Jersey:Black Cat Press.

Visit these Web sites to learn more about Wyndclyffe:

The Library of Congress

Hudson Valley Ruins