The Haunting of...Bucks County Community College and The Logan Inn

The hauntings never stop in Bucks County.  No matter what part of the county you are in, you are never too far away from a haunted location.  Even some schools and hotels are haunted in Bucks County, so don't be fooled because you're never too far away from the supernatural.

Bucks County Community College - Tyler Hall

Address:

275 Swamp Road
Newtown, PA 18940

Bucks County Community College - Tyler Hall

Bucks County Community College, which was founded in 1964, is a two-year institution for residents of Bucks County to obtain higher education.  One of the buildings on the campus today is called Tyler Hall.  Tyler Hall, which is also known as Tyler Estate, was once the summer home of the Tyler family.

The Tyler family was wealthy and mainly lived on the Main Line in Chestnut Hill. However, they decided they wanted a summer home in Bucks County. The patriarch of the family was George Frederick Tyler. He was a prominent banker and farmer.  His wife's name was Stella Elkins Tyler. She was the granddaughter of William L. Elkins in which Elkins Park, PA is named after today.

Stella loved art and was a talented sculptress.  Stella Tyler also endowed the Tyler Art School of Temple University.  After World War I, the Tyler family began to buy some plots of land around the Newtown, PA area, and eventually, they decided on a location for their house, which is now Tyler Hall.

The house is 300 feet long and consists of 60 different rooms.  It even has towers and balconies. They wanted their house to be strong, so the exterior walls were built 2 feet thick. The rest of the house was custom-made and built to sustain any type of weather.  The mansion also consists of 20 fireplaces, a ten-car turntable garage and gold in each of the many bathrooms.  The Tyler's hired forty servants to keep the mansion running. In 1932, the Tyler family permanently moved into the mansion.

Once George and Stella Tyler died, their will stated that their Newtown property, including their mansion, would be donated to Temple University.  The rest of their property was sold to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to become Tyler State Park.  In 1965, the Bucks County Authority bought the 200-acre land from Temple to create Bucks County Community College.

Now, Tyler Hall is an administrative building for the community college.  However, the administrative assistants have an extra worker lurking around the building.  Rumor has it that Stella Tyler still roams around her house, especially at nighttime.  It seems as though Stella likes to make her presence known through sounding alarms, turning appliances on and off and baking in the kitchen.  Her spirit is said to be in the house because it is where she was the happiest during her lifetime.

The question is, are you brave enough to encounter Stella face-to-face alone in Tyler Hall? If you dare, here is a map of Bucks County Community College so you can find Tyler Hall and see a ghost for yourself.

The Logan Inn

Address:

10 West Ferry Street
New Hope, PA 18938

The Logan Inn

One of the most notoriously haunted locations in all of Bucks County is The Logan Inn of New Hope, PA.  Many paranormal investigators stay the night in many of the supposed haunted rooms within the inn.  The Logan Inn is close to 300 years old, so if anywhere was to have ghosts, it would be this place.

It is considered one of the most haunted destinations in America, and many different television channel crews have staked out late at night to try to capture some paranormal activity with their ghost hunting equipment.

Many investigators have captured ghost orbs roaming around most parts of the Logan Inn, but especially in the lobby.  One of the most "popular" ghosts is a Revolutionary War soldier that has been seen around the inn.

However, the most sought-after room for investigation is room 6, which is also known as Emily's Room.  Emily was apparently the mother of one of the previous owners and liked it there so much she never left. Her new job now, whether she is aware of it or not, is scaring the guests who sleep in the room.

Guests who have slept in room 6 have experienced the aroma of lavender, which seems to come out of no where.  However, it is documented that lavender was Emily's favorite perfume. You can put two and two together with this one.

She also has been known to be a trickster.  Emily often moves around guest's items either because she likes playing tricks or because she wants them placed in the way she wants them in the room.

Some have reportedly heard crying in the room, and others have had the pillows pulled from under their heads in the dead of night.  What a rude awakening!

However, the scariest story in my opinion is the face in the mirror. Guests have stated that in room 6 when they look in the mirror, they see a man's reflection staring back at them.  If that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will.

I think i'll enjoy The Logan Inn from outside of the building from now on.  Are you bold enough to investigate the supernatural inside The Logan Inn?

The Haunting of...Fonthill Museum, New Hope and The George School

It doesn't have to be October to experience some haunting activity around Bucks County.  Bucks County has alleged ghost activities in the most expected and unexpected places.  Let's begin with a story about a castle and its housekeeper.  If you are a ghost lover, you must read on.

Fonthill Museum

Fonthill Castle

Fonthill Museum may look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, a ghost is lurking through the halls.  As my previous blog post stated, once Henry Mercer passed on, he gave his entire estate to his housekeeper and her husband who lived in the castle.

Eye witnesses have described seeing an apparition walking through the halls that is believed to be Laura Swain, the old housekeeper who is now deceased. As the legend goes, Laura still goes about her daily housekeeping duties as if she is still alive.

Many workers and tour visitors throughout the years have seen Laura Swain walking along the barely lit hallways of the century-old castle.

Unfortunately, due to the delicacy of the castle, paranormal investigators are not allowed inside to do research.

So, if you want to experience a ghost, take one of the many daily tours offered at Fonthill. Maybe you will get lucky enough to see her doing her housekeeping duties.

Here is a video of the spooky exterior and some shots of the inside of the castle. Enter if you dare.

New Hope Ghost Tours

New Hope Ghost Tour Street

During the warmer months in New Hope, Bucks County, enjoy some haunted tales of historic New Hope.  Enjoy the cool September and October nights by participating in the lantern-led ghost tours. Walk along the streets at night while listening to ghastly tales about the phantom hitchhiker and the haunted Logan Inn.

Where does the tour begin? Intersection of Main Street and Ferry Street
When? June to the third weekend of November - tours meet every Saturday night
September and October only - tours meet every Friday and Saturday night as well as Halloween night
Time? All tours begin at 8:00pm
How much per person? $10.00
*All tours run rain or shine

The George School - Tate House

View picture here.

The George School is located in Newtown, Bucks County, and it is a prestigious day and boarding school.  The school is situated on a beautiful patch of land. However, with every patch of land comes its history, and not all of it is happy.

The Tate House is a building that is part of the school's campus, which now houses the teaching staff. This particular building was built in 1756 by a man named Anthony Tate.  Anthony had a son, James Tate, who eventually became a doctor.  James Tate inherited the house in 1781.

While the Revolutionary War was going on, legend has it that James Tate dug up the body of a Hessian soldier who was buried near his house (The Tate House). He had heard that the soldier died of a disease, and he wanted to get a closer look at his body. Not only did he get a closer look at his body, but he also dissected it.

Once he dug up the body, he carried it to his laboratory.  Once the dissection was complete, he buried the remaining parts. No, he didn't bury them back in the original grave. He dug a shallow grave in his own basement of the Tate House and buried the remains.

As the legend goes, whenever someone walks over the grave in the basement with a lighted candle, the flame will go out.  This even includes flashlights.

If you dare go to the basement in the dark, you may hear footsteps running up the basement stairs. Apparently, these are the footsteps of the soldier trying to escape the house.

Pretty spooky stories! If you must venture to these haunted places, I would suggest going with a group and not alone. You never know what you may or may not see.