It is finally spooky season, a time to ask whether the shiver up your spine is just the brisk air or something…dare we say…otherworldly. Fans of this website know we’ve already investigated a few of the ghostliest spots in the neighborhood, with some terrifying results. Here, we’re taking a look at the tales behind these local haunts. Whether you’re a skeptic, history buff or die-hard believer, now’s the time to check out some of the scariest spots in Lower Manhattan.
Fraunces Tavern
As one of, if not the oldest bar in the city, it should come as no surprise that the 300-year-old Fraunces Tavern (54 Pearl St.) has racked up its fair share of ghost sightings. Drinkers and ghost-hunters alike might, for instance, encounter the specter of Anna Gardie, a ballerina who was found dead with her husband in a suspected murder-suicide in Fraunces Tavern’s boarding house in 1798. Not that Anna is the only ghost on the premises — for years, folks have reported experiencing unexplained phenomena, ranging from sudden drops in temperature to spotting an actual figure.
Trinity Church
Though the Trinity Church (89 Broadway) we see today is from the 1840s, the original church dates all the way back to 1698. And with around 120,000 bodies buried beneath the church over the centuries — with notable figures including Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, who you might remember from a certain musical — it’s no surprise we get spooky vibes from the graveyard. Visitors, for instance, have reported hearing laughter near the grave of comedian Adam Allyn, and stories have long circulated about strange, unexplained occurrences at the office building behind the churchyard.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel (209 Broadway) is the oldest standing church in New York City, as it was completed in 1766, and its long history has been rife with ghost sightings. The most famous legend surrounding the church is that of Shakespearean actor George Frederick Cooke. Cooke was first interred in the Stranger’s Vault in 1812, but when his remains were moved to a public grave in the churchyard, workers noticed that his head was missing. Rumors abounded; some people suspected Cooke’s head had been left to science, but others believed it was used as Yorick’s skull in posthumous productions of “Hamlet.” Whatever happened to Cooke’s noggin, folks have reported seeing a ghost with no head wandering the graveyard. Another ghostly presence in the church? George Washington himself, who used to worship at St. Paul’s and even attended a service on the day he took his oath of office. His pious spirit has been spotted walking the grounds, presumably on his way to pray.
There is so much spooky history in the streets of Lower Manhattan, and this only scrapes the surface. For an in-depth examination of the neighborhood’s ethereal nature,, check out a ghost tour offered, or visit one of the spots on this list to see if you can scare up any spirits. Happy hunting!
