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.