Visiting Sullivan’s historic haunts

Some say ghosts frequent these sites  

By Savannah Chaboty | Manor Ink

October is the month for Halloween haunts, ghost stories, witches and goblins, and all manner of spooky goings on. In keeping with the spirit (ha!) of the season, Manor Ink visited two local places well known for ectoplasmic doings.

Ghosts in Glen Spey

The Burn Brae Mansion is a hidden gem located in Glen Spey. The mansion was built in 1907 by Magaret Ross MacKenzie Elkin as part of the estate of George Ross MacKenzie, Margaret’s father. The current owners, Mike and Pat Fraysse, bought the mansion and the surrounding property in the 1990s, and they currently use it as a bed-and-breakfast, where they invite guests to have dinner and breakfast while they tell stories of the hauntings. That’s right – the home is believed to be populated by ghosts.

You can stay in one of the mansion’s many rooms, and each has a unique history. Empath Art Petersen gave the Ink a detailed tour of the mansion and told many ghost stories along the way. There are reports of footsteps, dolls and toys moving on their own, of strange voices and of people leaving the residence feeling sick. There’s assumed to be around 17 spirits in the home, ranging from young energetic girls to old angry men.

The mansion holds many untold secrets still being uncovered. In 2021, a secret room was discovered by workers in the attic. This room is attached to a bedroom on the top floor, and it holds small furniture, old children’s toys and old photographs. The owners believe the room was used to hide a young child with special needs because in the 1900s, people with disabilities were frowned upon.

Paranormal investigators come often to get footage for their YouTube channels or TV shows, because all paranormal activity observed at the mansion is 100-percent real. The mansion’s owners strive to make everyone’s experience authentic, unlike some other better known haunted places. Some people do leave experiencing absolutely no activity at all, but Petersen says they’re usually people who aren’t open to believing these spirits exist. The spirits won’t want to communicate for no reason. “They aren’t here to entertain,” said Petersen.

At the back of the property, there is what’s now the Glen Spey Cemetery, and this used to be the MacKenzie family’s private graveyard. Here are the headstones of many family members, including Margaret Ross MacKenzie Elkin and her daughter Elsie, who is famously known to roam the mansion and interact with guests.

The Burn Brae Mansion is a one-of-a-kind haunted experience and is top-rated for that reason. The owners hold other fun events at the mansion as well, such as murder mystery dinners and their annual Haunted Halloween Trail, which is weeks in preparation. Everyone at the mansion is friendly and helpful and spending a night here is a must – if you dare!

The girl in a jail window

You’ve probably seen Sullivan County Sheriff Patrol officers out and about, keeping our county residents safe, but what you may not know is their old patrol building and jail is haunted.

The Sheriffs have been “Keeping the peace since 1809,” as their slogan goes, and they are an important part of the community. In March 2020, they moved into a newly-built jail, located not too far from the Bushnell Building, as the old patrol facility is known. That structure was originally a home, built around the 1850s, and it has a hand-laid stone foundation and copper pipes.

There have been a few ghost sightings in the Bushnell Building over the years, and people claim to have heard strange noises coming from all over the building. Patrol officers have on multiple occasions reported that the holding cell door would slam shut on its own. People also claim the main jail right next door is haunted, even though it was built separately from the house. While the County Sheriff was located in the Bushnell Building, officers would claim they heard mysterious footsteps on the second floor at night, and even noises coming from the attic.

The most notable spooky thing at the Bushnell Building happened to Lieutenant John Watson. While sitting in his patrol car in the parking lot in front of the building, he looked at his side view mirror and thought he saw a young, curly-haired girl wearing a nightgown in a second floor window. He was so surprised, he got out of his car and went into the building to check all of the offices. But but he found no evidence of a small child. This sighting occurred back in October 2018, just a few days before Halloween, and to this day no one can prove whether spirits exist in this old building. But more than a few people are sure of it.