Author: The Lineup / Source: did you know?
In a city of over 8 million, there’s bound to be a ghost or two. From American Revolutionary spy girls to fallen American Indians, the spirits of old New York still linger amid the busy streets and towering skyscrapers.
1. Manhattan – The Morris-Jumel Mansion – 65 Jumel Terrace, New York, NY
On the northern end of Manhattan, in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, is the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the borough’s oldest house.
Far from the lights of Times Square and the boutique shops of Soho, the mansion offers a different kind of intrigue. It was built in 1765 by British military office Roger Morris and he lived there with his wife, Mary Philipse Morris, until 1775. Following that, the house served as important headquarters for both Loyalists and Patriots during the American Revolution. George Washington himself fled to the house in 1776 after losing the Battle of Brooklyn to the British.Fast forward a few decades to 1810, when Frenchman Stephen Jumel purchased the house and took up residence with his wife Eliza. Jumel died mysteriously years later and Eliza remarried to the testy former vice president, Aaron Burr. Today it’s said that Eliza continues to the live in Morris-Jumel, telling visitors to lower their voices. Other sightings include Hessian soldiers who still linger at the place of their death.
2. Staten Island – The Conference House – 298 Satterlee Street, Staten Island, NY
It may be the “forgotten borough” according to residents who feel that the city government often leaves their island out of the loop, but Staten Island was once host to an important meeting between both sides of the Revolutionary War.
Known as the Staten Island Peace Conference of September 11, 1776, the rendezvous went down at the Conference House (then known as Billop Manor), and included bigwigs like Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. Alas, the summit amounted to nothing. The war soon escalated and the Conference House, located on the island’s southernmost tip, briefly served as a way station for British soldiers during the war.In 1779, the home’s owner, British Colonel Christopher Billop, feared that one of his adolescent servants was a spy for the Patriots. He threw her violently down a flight of stairs and she died. Today her spirit remains, often heard moaning at the base of the stairs. Some even theorize that the girl was madly in love…
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