Ghost Stories of Pennsylvania

When it comes to ghost stories, few states can boast the kind of rich tradition that Pennsylvania can. From the pre-Revolutionary colonial period through the Civil War's bloodiest battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania can boast over 250 years of spectral tales guaranteed to chill the spines of the most avid ghost hunters. Dan Asfar's book is laid out in various chapters with accounts of haunted houses, theaters, taverns, battlefields, even mundane items such as paintings which make Pennsylvania a prime spot for ghost hunters to visit. In New Hope you will find the Aaron Burr house. Oddly named because the house was built after Burr died. But after killing Alexander Hamilton in their fateful duel, Burr fled to New Hope where he had friends and hid in a cellar where the current house now stands. Visitors often feel the piercing glare as if someone is staring at them intently. And Burr's spirit is known to tug on the clothes of visitors as they try to leave and they are advised to kindly say to the spirit, "Mr. Burr, please let me leave." Gettysburg has long been considered the most haunted spot in the United States, and the site where over 50,000 men lost their lives during that climactic battle of the Civil War. Asfar first gives a short but concise history of the battle before delving into some of the strange occurrences and sightings that have been reported in the area for well over a hundred years. Ghostly lights and sounds are often heard as the spirits of the dead soldiers replay the battle over and over. Cameras have often been reported to malfunction around Gettysburg but work perfectly fine once you've left the area. Gettysburg should be the very first stop for any ghost hunter visiting Pennsylvania. The Tate House has stood for well over 200 years and was formerly home to Anthony Tate who died in 1781 and left the house to his son James who was a surgeon. James had a fanatical interest in anatomy and experimented as much as he could on various animals but he really wanted a human body to research. He got his chance when he dug up the body of a recently deceased Hessian mercenary, took it back to his cellar and dissected it. Tate buried what was left in the dirt of the cellar but shortly after strange things began to happen. When he would walk over the spot where the remains were buried his candle would blow out although there was no draft. At night he would seem to hear footsteps coming up the stairs from the cellar. Even today, the building is used as a teachers quarters for a boarding school, residents report hearing the strange sounds from the cellar. Haunted painting? You can find that in Pennsylvania, too. Nellie Tallman was three years old when she fell off a stool and broke her neck while posing for the portrait. Her father adored the portrait of his late daughter but every time he hung it up, he would invariably find it lying face down on the floor a short time later. The portrait would be given to a museum ma