Haunted homesteads?

Sullivan domiciles with creepy pasts

By Rachel Zuckerman | Manor Ink

Need some folklore legends to keep you up at night figuring out what your next spooky trip with your family and friends will be? Well, try these two legendary spots in the Catskills, but try not to shiver in your timbers (just kidding).

The first of our spooky tales comes from the Dundas Castle, also known as Craig-E-Clair, in Roscoe. Originally, the 1,000-acre land held the Beaverkill Lodge, built by Bradford Lee Gilbert in the late 1800s. It was only used once or twice a year by him, not that frequently. Then in 1915, Ralph Wurts-Dundas purchased the land, and the lodge with it, to use the framework when building what would be a castle around it.

The building’s design comes from Wurts-Dundas’s love for the European-style castles and their Gothic architecture. Construction started around the beginning of WW I, but sadly, Wurts-Dundas passed away in 1921 before the castle was finished. The construction was completed later in 1924.

Now, about the spooks that come along with the castle. You see, Wurts-Dundas had a family and, unfortunately, the family experienced some unpleasant things. Ralph’s wife, Josephine Dundas, is believed to have been mentally ill, maybe as a result of their son dying from falling out of a window. She would sometimes hide herself in one of the rooms of their house (not the castle) to make sure no one saw her during her psychotic episodes.

Now, many decades later, it seems no one has ever lived in the castle, not even the Wurts-Dundas family. But some say they’ve seen the ghost of Josephine in its empty room, and I wonder if she’s there to make up for time lost in not living on the premises?

Now, on to the second tale, the scarier one, about the Burn Brae Mansion in Glen Spey. For four decades, both guests and the owners of this beautiful 1907 Victorian mansion have reported ghost sightings, unusual occurrences and just the general feeling of otherworldly heebie-jeebies. One of the more recurring ghostly events is about the mansion’s first owner’s son, Charles Elkin, who played the organ. Now and then, guests and staff will hear organ music playing through the halls.

According to the Burn Brae’s website, South Jersey Ghost Research investigated and found evidence of a haunting that they said was “off the charts.” Now, if you want to experience Burn Brae’s kooky, spooky, supernatural vibe yourself, the mansion offers you a chance every third Saturday of the month to conduct your own investigation. You can make reservations for groups up to 12 or simply go yourself, but according to the website, do so only if you dare. If you do go, you’ll get paranormal equipment to use later in the night while the ghost hunting. All findings can be revealed over a nice breakfast in the morning.

Of course, there are many other legends out there, some scarier and spookier, like skinwalkers, Bigfoot or other haunted locations. But I would rather be with my friends trick-or-treating, or hiding under my blanket watching movies, and not experiencing scares in real life. So beware – explore these tales with caution, even though they might be fun to hear and learn about. I wouldn’t suggest going out there. Instead, make sure to stock up on candy, my fellow readers, and have a Happy Halloween.

Mwah-ha-ha-ha!