Historical Long Island Hauntings and Legends

In this section are found stories which I have culled from area libraries, local history collections, old Long Island newspaper accounts, books and records of the 18th, 19th and early 20th century. These are fascinating stories that provide rare and long forgotten first hand historical accounts of the origins of the ghost stories and legends that provide so much of the basis of the colorful history of Long Island. Most of these stories, people and legends you may never have heard of. I am less interested in the often publicized and notorious "ghost and legends" stories often told and written about of Long Island and more interested in those that have their roots in history and require digging and research to uncover. I will not write about things that have no historical basis behind them and you can trust you will find stories that give you the background as to why a place may be considered haunted or what the basis for a legend really is. History, legends and hauntings. Sit back and enjoy.

Boggy Swamp – and the story of the Long Island Werewolf

The fear the “Were-Wolf” caused resulted in the people of the area avoiding Boggy Swamp at all costs after dark and traveling a great distance just to avoid it.

The article refers to a book written about Glen Cove during the time of the Revolutionary War that recounts that the town though primarily neutral did have a number of citizens that were patriotic supporters for the American cause(2). It goes on to say that there was indeed a spot referred to as Boggy Swamp that was used by the Patriots of the town to hide from the British soldiers stationed in the area (2). The author of the article hypothesizes that the patriots may have created the story of a Werewolf who lived in Boggy Swamp in an effort to keep the British from venturing into their hiding place (2).

This story was further supported by the following comment from a Miss Martha D. Carpenter, who was a granddaughter of a suspected American spy during the Revolutionary War. Her ancestor was a Jesse Coles who resided in Glen Cove during the war and her comments are captured in an article I found. The spelling mistakes are as they appear in the article.

" Jesse had taken messages out of New York City and hidden them in a bottle in Boggy Swamp at Dosoris. Boggy Swamp according to Miss Carpenter was and important hiding place for local Patriots during the British occupation of Long Island as the cavalrymen would not enter the swamp. fearing the "War Wolf", a sort of war phantom, would kill their mounts." (3,4,5)

Interesting that this account refers to a "War Wolf". Most likely just a spelling mistake. In addition Glen Cove is referred to as Dosoris. This is the name of a main road in Glen Cove that existed at the time (as well as today) and was often used back than to refer to the town.

This passage and the book sited before provide a fascinating bit of historical color to the area of Glen Cove and how its citizens participated and acted during the war. Picturing towns people hiding in a local swamp to avoid the attention of the occupying British and Hessian soldiers helps to bring to life the real life drama of that time and how some Long Islanders dealt with it. But was the "Were- Wolf of Boggy Swamp" a real phantom beast feasting on unsuspecting travellers or just a story made up to keep British soldiers from venturing into the patriots hiding place? I guess we will never know for sure. To our knowledge, there have been no sightings of the Boggy Swamp Beast in modern times and documented evidence of the legend beyond the passage in the books sited, a few old newspaper articles and oral history passed down through the years is scarce.

But consider what Glen Cove Historian Dan Russell said when asked if he believed in the legend of the Boggy Swamp Werewolf. He answered by referring to the LYCANTHROP, which is a person who believes that he is a Werewolf. Said Russell; "There is usually a grain of truth to many of these legends". If a person believes he is a Werewolf and acts as if he is a Werewolf, what have you got”? .(1)

Who knows? Somewhere deep in the swampy area around what is now West Pond something may well have been hiding and waiting…… and may still be doing so today!

Sources for "Boggy Swamp and the story of the Long Island Werewolf"

• 1. Long Island Heritage, April 1985 - by Bunny Cryan - “A Were-Wolf In Glen Coves Boggy Swamp”

  2. "Glen Cove in The American Revolutionary War" - Robert R. Coles and Daniele Russell

  3. "The Coles Family of Long Island" - "rootsweb" genealogy site

  4. "The Carpenter Family In America - Daniel H. Carpenter, The Marion Press Jamaica NY

  5. "Jesse Coles Patriot Spy" - Daniel B. Russel - Glenn Cove Public Library (in Coles File)

The Legend of Indian Hill Hollow

Amaganset is a small town located on the South Fork of Long Island. It was founded in the early 1600’s and has a long and fascinating history rich with folklore and tales of people and events that have been painstakingly recorded by the residents of the village.

One of the more fascinating tales I have found is the simple but touching story of the "care keeper" of Amaganset’s Indian Hill Hollow.

The story and the events related here come from a book written in 1948 by the Book Committee of the Amaganset Village Improvement Society (1). One of the stories related in this book is the” Legend of Indian Hill Hollow”, which was taken from and older story written by a Gene Finch (2).

The story relates that in the early days of the towns founding many of the people of the village maintained cows that provided milk to their families. These cows were kept outside of the village in the small hills that surrounded the town, where they were free to graze throughout the day. To guard their flocks and keep them from wandering to far, the villagers employed what they described as “and old crippled Indian” who stayed with the cows from sun up to sun down and watched over them as if they were his own. He was diligent, honest and hardworking and became known as a friend to the people of the town. He was often seen in the hills and valleys surrounding the town, shuffling with and awkward gait as he tirelessly watched over his charges.

In exchange for his services he was given food and provided with a well-built “wigwam” located right outside of town near what was known as “the well of good drinking water”. This place was nestled inside of a special area called Indian Well Hollow. This area was well known by the Indian tribes of the day for the special drinking wells that existed there, and the quiet and enchanting beauty of the “hollow” where they could be found.

One day the villages awoke to find their cattle roaming the streets of the town. They instantly knew something was wrong and they raced to Indian Well Hollow only to find the old crippled Indian laying in his wigwam gravely ill and near death. As they stood by his side and tried to make him comfortable during his last hours several Indians appeared on the rise and noiselessly descended on the wigwam. With them was a famed medicine man. The villagers backed off and the Old Indian was taken to the “well of good drinking water” and bathed in its cooling waters. He was then taken out, his face painted to scare off any evil spirits that may have been lurking and after he passed, he was buried somewhere in the Hollow on a small hill with the Indian Medicine Man loudly chanting and praying over this grave. When the ceremony was done, the Indian party silently left, disappearing over the same small hill they had appeared on and were never seen or heard from again. Who these Indians were and how they knew of the impending death of the old man remained a mystery to all.

For many years after the death of the old Indian it was said that his presence could be felt in Indian Well Hollow. It is said that even today you will sense it. Indian Well Hollow was always a place of great beauty and mystery to the Indians of the area. Its waters were always the most refreshing and clean. Its beauty and mystery were only enhanced by the “old crippled Indian” who made it his home, and whose body and spirit rest somewhere under a small hill in the quiet hollow.

On the morning I traveled to Amaganset and found the monument honoring the drinking wells, I took a moment and stared into the woods behind it. Although it was a busy summer day and cars passed quickly behind me heading for the beach….. I felt something. For a moment, I felt the calm and peacefulness of the wind that blew on my face….. I watched the trees wave in the light breeze… and I felt briefly at peace, the peace that was always spoken of in the tales of Indian Well Hollow. And I think I might just have felt the presence of the old man who made this place his home. That is enough proof for me that this man did indeed did exist!

Sources for The Legend Of Indian Well Hollow

1. Amaganset Lore and Legend, 1948, Book Committee of the Amaganset Village Improvement Society

2. Amaganset Lore and Legend, 1948, taken from reference 1 above recounting a tale of Gene Finch

"The Ghosts of Fort Hill (Lloyd Harbor)"

Lloyd Neck is a small village located on the North Shore of Long Island in the town of Huntington. It is one of the wealthiest villages in New York State and the home of a number of Long Island’s famous “Gold Coast Mansions”. It is a scenic village sandwiched between Cold Spring Harbor on its western side and Huntington Harbor on its eastern side with the Long Island Sound bordering its northern shores. It is also an area steeped in history. Like many parts of Long Island, Lloyd Neck was originally prized Indian land that was bought from them by white settlers. In this case, James Lloyd purchased the area where the village now sits in 1676 from the Matinecock Indians (1) (thus the name Lloyds Neck). Members of the Lloyd family continued to live in the area and on the property in question for hundreds of years. During the Revolutionary War the town of Huntington along with the village of Lloyd Neck were occupied by the British. In fact, they built a fort in a cemetery overlooking Huntington Town as well as two forts on the shores of Lloyd Neck which were designed by the British to defend the harbors from the French and Americans.

I began my research and immediately discovered a number of fascinating mid-19^th century newspaper articles relating to the hauntings of the Fort Hill area. One, and article in the 1872 issue of the South Side Signal entitled “The Fort Hill Ghost; Romance and Reality”(4), is representative of the basic outlines of all the articles and stories I found. The story that follows comes from this 1872 article.

The article opens by telling of the building of a fort along the bluffs of Oyster Bay by the British during the Revolutionary War. It was built to defend against the French fleet which was fighting on the side of the Americans. The British named the fort “Fort Franklin”, later to me renamed Fort Hill. The article goes on to say that the fort was commanded by a young and handsome British Officer named “Captain Flanders” who one day while walking through the woods outside the fort stumbled across a beautiful Indian girl who happened to be the daughter of a local Chief named “Tecumwah”. Immediately smitten by the beauty of the girl, he abducted her and brought her back to the fort as a prisoner. As the story goes, the Indian Princess soon became enamoured with Captain Flanders and after some time agreed to stay with him. Meanwhile, Tecumwah, Chief of the Wauwepek Indians who inhabited the area around the fort, searched in vain for his lost daughter having no idea she had been abducted by the British and was living only miles away within the confines of Fort Hill.

One day while traveling through the forest near Fort Hill Tecumwah came across his daughter and Captain Flanders walking hand in hand. He cried out to her and began to rush towards them with joy. Flanders, realizing this may be the young girl’s father grabbed her in his arms and sprinted to the safety and security of the fort. Tecumwah, realizing he had been betrayed stood outside the fort and vowed vengeance and promised he would come back to reclaim his beloved daughter.

The newspaper story ends by claiming from that point forward the woods around the Fort were haunted by the Spirits of these three tragic individuals. Chief Tecumwah searching the forest in vain for the head of his daughter screaming in anguish for its return. Captain Flanders searching in vain for the lost love of of his life. And finally, reports of villagers claiming to have seen the head of the Indian Princess rolling and bouncing through the forest in an endless search for its body.

Another recounting of the story in an 1872 article in the Brooklyn Eagle entitled “A Ghost Story”(5) adds some more details to the legend. The plot is almost identical but a few other facts are added. This story identifies the Indian Princess as “Viola” and goes on to say that know no one would venture into the forest where this happened or build a home there because it was such haunted ground. Finally, a “Mrs. Lloyd” of the Lloyd family who owned the property where the fort had stood, defied the rumors and built a house directly on top of the old fort naming it Fort Hill House. She only lived there briefly, abandoning the house soon after moving in. Gossipers claimed she had been chased out of the home by the spirits that haunted the fort. The house sat vacant for many years and was hence forth referred to as the “Haunted House”.

This article concludes by saying the house remained vacant until it was bought by “the Jesuits of 16^th Street” to provide a home for professors and teachers of their school to live in after retirement. Hearing the stories of the house being built on haunted ground, a man was sent by the Jesuits with a bottle of holy water to bless the place, and from that time until the Jesuits left the spirits and ghouls disappeared.

And so we discover the origins of the century old rumors of the haunted woods of Lloyd Neck. Other fascinating articles about the legend are listed below. But are there any historical facts behind the story? Yes indeed there are.

History tells us and number of sources (listed below) have confirmed that there was indeed a Fort Hill in Lloyd Harbor; however it was originally named Fort Franklin (1). Just as our story says, it was located on the western tip of Lloyds Neck overlooking Cold Spring Harbor. It was built by the British during the Revolutionary War when they occupied nearby Huntington Village. The fort was designed to protect the water ways of the area from the possibility of an invasion by the French fleet. All facts mentioned in our story.

And what about the account of the attack on the fort by the Americans with Indian support? Well I was able to find at least one account of such a raid. In an article in the “Long Islander” entitled “Fort Franklin Protected British Defense on Long Island’s North Shore”(1), a story is told of a successful raid made by the Americans on Fort Franklin (Fort Hill) on September 5, 1778. It tells of the raid being led by Major Benjamin Tallmadge accompanied by a company of men who sailed from Connecticut. The raid was a success and a number of captives were taken and brought back to Connecticut as prisoners. An incident very much like the attack told of in our story.

And what of the Waunepek Indians? Yes indeed, I did find there was a settlement of Indians from a Waunepek tribe in the Floyd Neck, Cold Spring Harbor area (sometimes spelled Wauwepek)(2). In fact there once stood a “Wauwepek Hotel” in the area(3). It was the “Wauwepek Indians” that the legend says Chief Tecumwah came from. And remember how the distraught Captain Flanders escaped and drowned himself in a nearby lake? Well, within a short distance of the site of the fort exists two such lakes. One within the confines of what is now Caumset State Park and one directly outside the area. All facts consistent with our story.

The legend goes on to say that the area around the fort was so haunted that no one would build a house or live in the vicinity of the old fort until a Mrs. Lloyd dared to do so. Indeed, the 1872 Brooklyn Eagle article entitled “A Ghost Story”(5), after repeating the details of the haunted legend as related in our story goes on to say that a Mrs. Lloyd of the famous Lloyd family of the area did build a home directly on the site of the old fort. It describes it as a square house windowed on all sides with a cupola. It goes on to say that it remained in the family for many years but was only occupied briefly and then left abandoned. It was called the “haunted house” by people of the area. It was sold in April of 1878 to the College of Saint Francis Xavier as a retreat for the professors of the college (5). Was there a Jesuit college or institution on 16^th Street in Manhattan that these priests could have come from? Yes indeed there was.

Alas, no matter how much I have tried I have found no historical reference to a Chief Tecumwah, an Indian princess named Viola or a British Captain named Flanders. It’s not to say they did not exist, just that I have not found them.

So what of the historical likely hood of our legend being true? Well, at the very least I think we can say we have discovered the events that had occurred that most likely formed the basis of the stories. As our legend tells us, there was a Fort Hill built and occupied by the British. It appears to have been successfully attacked by the Americans from Connecticut and prisoners were taken. There is a lake nearby where the doomed Captain Flanders could have drowned himself. The Wauwepek Indians were from this area. A Mrs. Lloyd built a house on the site of the old fort and it was purchased by the Jesuits after lying abandoned for a number of years. All facts eerily similar to those relayed in our story.

However, like many historical legends it is difficult to fully support the tales as they are told, and newspaper articles, no matter how fascinating, cannot be used as sole confirmation of facts. But this fascinating story has enough antidotal and factual information attached to it that it at least gives us some real historical support for the origins of this haunting legend.

Post Mortem:

Today there is a beautiful private mansion built over the site of the original Fort Hill. The mansions worth is in the millions of dollars. Incorporated into portions of the house are remnants of the original earthworks of the fort itself(3). The property is in close proximity to Camuset State Park and through the years a number of artifacts from the Revolutionary War era have been discovered both at the site of the old fort as well as the area surrounding it.

A 1923 article in the Long Islander mentions one of these finds (2). Buried within the article is a passage that states that quite near the site of Fort Hill House (the house built on the site of Fort Hill) is found a sheep pasture. Found in the brambles on the edges of the pasture can be found an old gravestone of a British Officer whose name is not legible. What can still be seen is the following: “There’s some corner of a foreign field that is forever England – 1781”

An article in the April 1923 Long Islander (6) tells of the unearthing of two skeletons found on the slopes of the property surrounding Fort Hill House, on the site of the old Fort Hill. One of the skeletons was found with an “old knife” or “bayonet blade” buried by its side. The other body was found a short distance away with the head separated from the rest of the bones of the body.

The headstone of a British Officer. The bones of a man with a knife next to him. Perhaps the weapon used to inadvertently decapitate a young daughter? The bones of a person whose head is separated from the body. Coincidence or perhaps the remains of the main characters of our story? Frozen in time. Spirits over and over again reliving the horrible events that occurred so many years ago.

Sources for "The Ghosts of Fort Hill"

(1) – Long Islander – “Fort Franklin Protected British Defense On Islands North Shore” -9/6/1951

(2) – Long Islander (Huntington)- “Lloyd Neck History” – 5/4/1923 page 15

(3) – The Origins of the Fort Hill Beach Association – 5/1991 / Anne H. Wingate

(4) - South Side Signal – “The Fort Hill Ghost” – 11/2/1872

(5) - Brooklyn Daily Eagle – “A Ghost Story” – 8/28/1872, Page 3

(6) - Long Islander (Huntington) – “Two Skeletons Unearthed” – 4/20/1923 page 16

(7) - Historical Descriptive Sketches of Suffolk County – Richard M. Bayles 1874

(8) - Historical Descriptive Sketches Of Suffolk County – Richard M. Bayles 1874 – Pg 141

(9) - Indian Place Names On Long Island and the Islands Adjacent – William Tooker – 1911

(10) – Wikipedia

(11) – Caumsett State Park Historic Park Preserve Master Plan – Chapter 6, page 111 6/2/2010

(12) - New York Herald – “Mysteries of Fort Hill” – 8/25/1872

(13) – Final Master Plan/ Final Environmental Impact Statement for Caumsett State Park Historic Preserve – 6/2/2010

"The Conklin Pirate House In The Valley Lost To Time"

the woods caused by a small animal, there are no other sounds. It is if you entered a portal to a secluded forest in some remote area, somehow hidden from the scramble and noise of one of the largest and most populated suburban areas in New York. The trees tower over your head forming a canopy of greens and browns. The leaves of the trees block out much of the sun, causing a sense of twilight for most of the day. When you do pass areas where streaks of sun make their way through the high ceiling of the trees however, the light that it produces is almost magical, illuminating areas of the valley in strange ways.

And indeed, this is a unique place. A place that holds a special place in Long Island history and folklore. For it was in this hidden valley that an old house stood for hundreds of years. In fact, it was said to have been the oldest house built in Babylon. The house stood on the west side of the southern ridge of the valley until December 17^th, 1918, when sadly it was destroyed by fire. To generations of locals, the house was known as the “Conklin Pirate House”, named after the original settler in the area and the man who built the house in 1710. It was named the “Conklin Pirate House” because Mr. Jacob Conklin was the man who built the house, and was said to have been a member of the notorious Captain Kidd's crew. As the story goes, he was able to escape from his forced indenture one night when Captain Kidd's ship the San Antonio lay off of Cold Spring Harbor. Ordered by Captain Kidd to bury a portion of the crew’s ill obtained treasure, he instead made his escape with the loot and sought a secluded place where the murderous Captain could not find him. This is how he found this remote forest that at the time was far from any of the other early inhabitants of Long Island. And it was here he built his home from the timber of the woods that where abundant in the area and from the stones and rocks that were scattered about the floor of the valley. A house that stood for over 200 hundred years lived in by generations of the Conklin family and later purchased by the Catholic Archdiocese of Brooklyn as a retreat and training area for the church. It was in the 1960’s that the land was sold to the USDAN, preventing it from being converted to low income housing and helping to preserve it.

The valley also contained a fresh water spring that produced some of the cleanest and most pure water on Long Island. During the 1800’s and early 1900’s this water was so clean and so fresh, enterprising entrepreneurs bottled it and sold it to people in the surrounding areas and in New York City. If you are familiar with the area you no doubt are familiar with Colonial Spring Road in Wheatly Hills, named after the famous Spring that once ran through the area.

A 1969 essay found in “The Human Story of Long Island” by Verne Dyson (5) provides a fascinating description of the valley in which the Conklin House sat and the house itself. This essay seems to be based on an essay written much earlier than 1969 by an unknown author entitled “The Adventurous Life Of Jacob Conklin”(6).

"Going south from Melville on the Pinelawn Road and looking across to the hills to the east, the light of the afternoon sun falling on the gravestones in the old Conklin burial plot on a hilltop, you behold one of the highest points in the town of Babylon; and down the steep slope from the burial place, is a broad opening of comparatively level ground where great oaks and walnut trees stand. Here Jacob Conklin built his home."

"It faced the south, the one story below its long, lean-to, rear roof looking up the hill behind it, while before it was a gentle slope to the valley and a wide outlook to west and south. A porch extended across the entire front, its roof edged with a low balustrade."

There it is, the old Conklin duck pond hidden in the backwoods at the bottom of the hills, lined with tall oak and maple trees, some of them well over a hundred years old. It's an old, dreamy and quiet place, as nature in its undisturbed glory can be. The old duck pond is steadily fed by numerous small, crystal-clear mineral springs. It's mighty restful there under the shade trees and near the placid pond.

The high grass and some reeds around the old duck pond provide ideal protection and hiding places for a breeding ground for wild ducks. Regularly every spring, they return to this natural breeding ground and nestle down for their seasonal life. Occasionally one can see there a beautiful blue or white crane perched in a tall tree.

Woodpeckers hammer lustily a song-like rhythm. The place is alive with birds of all kinds. It's a veritable sanctuary. It is a convenient watering place for deer with their hidden paths through the woods, and a happy hunting ground for nocturnal carnivorous animals like the raccoon, the possum and the red fox.

It's a beautiful spot, the old duck pond in the back woods with its romantic old atmosphere, and the present owner, the writer's good friend, Brosi Hasslacher, is doing his best to preserve its original character. The old duck pond is somewhat a mystery but it still remains with us with all its hidden secrets of an old and glorious past; yes, it is still there at the foot of the hills, as cozy as ever, while the immediate area is getting stocked with new life.

Although the trees are ages old, the pond itself is older yet; for centuries life passed it by. Only the mineral springs feeding the old duck pond stay forever new, alive and sparkling clear; and new and bright, too, is the tall grass which sprouts anew with every spring(5)".

That it is preserved today much as it is described above and much as it appeared hundreds of years ago is truly amazing.

During my visit to the valley I was able to locate the long forgotten Conklin cemetery mentioned in the description above. It is the burial place of the Conklin family and it contains headstones dating back to the early 1700’s. Amongst them is the grave of Jacob Conklin, the man who escaped from Captain Kidd's ship and first inhabited this mystical valley and building the famous “Pirate House”. Resting alongside of him among the weeds and overgrown grass are the graves of generations of the Conklin family, paying quiet testimony to the people who called this place home so long ago.

My research of the “Pirate Conklin House” and the surrounding area turned up no stories of ghosts or hauntings. It is the incredibly unique and mystical nature of this special place however that makes it a suitable candidate for inclusion in this section. A slim sliver of hidden forest preserved much as it would have appeared hundreds of years ago. A place where an actual member of Captain Kidd's crew escaped to and built a house which lasted for generations. A place where a spring provided water so clean and sweet that it was bottled and sold for generations. And a place where a very special cemetery still exists, fighting to hold off the ravages of time and neglect to survive to be a testament of a time long ago.

Sources for the "Conklin Pirate House In The Valley Lost To Time"

1) Brooklyn Eagle – 9/8/1900 page 14 – Jacob Conklins Place At Half Hollow Hills

2) Brooklny Eagle – 10/26/1902 – The Old Conklin Farm at West Deer Park Sold

3) New York Times – 4/21/1903 – Bishop McDonnel Gets Conklin Estate

4) New York Times – 7/17/1960 – Camp to Replace Housing Project

5) “The Human Story of Long Island” – Verne Dyson – 1969

6) “The Adventurous Life Of Jacob Conklin” – Unknown

7) Wikipedia – History of Wyndanch

"The Old Brick House"

The story relates that the house was built by "an old pirate" in 1696. The pirate had collected a great deal of treasure in his earlier days, and it was rumored he had buried it somewhere in the swamps near his home. The story goes on to say that in order to protect his treasure, the old pirate had killed a young Negro boy from the town and buried him with the treasure with the belief that his spirit would serve to ward off all those who may try and steal it.

After many years, the old pirate lay dying in his bed on the second floor of the house. In the moments before his death, a huge black crow flew in the window of the room and perched on the bed where the pirate lie dying. There it sat until the pirate breathed his last breath, at which point the huge bird flew out of the window and disappeared into the trees. The family was clearly upset by the strange occurrence, but soon put it behind them as they buried the body of the old pirate in a plot of ground not far from his old homestead.

Within days however, the family discovered something was seriously wrong in the house. For no matter how many times they attempted to close the window in the old mans room they would wake in the morning to find it wide open. After trying in vain for years by many means, they soon gave up their efforts and the window remained open until the day the house was torn down. Through the years towns people and those who actually lived in the house claimed to have seen the large black crow fly through the window at night and rest on the bed of the old pirate. It was believed that the crow had the soul of the pirate himself, and that he would not be deterred from returning to the house he loved so. The story relates that for years people came from far and wide to gaze up at the oddly shaped window which was always open, and to strain to catch a glimpse of the huge crow that carried the dead mans spirit.

At the same time, the swamp surrounding the house gained its own notoriety. Because for many, many years cries and moans were reported coming from the area where the young Negro boy had been rumored to be murdered and buried with the pirates treasure. Fisherman and boaters steered clear of this section of the swamp and it was too be avoided at all costs after dark. Reports of these moans and cries continued well into the 1900's, when the stream feeding the old swamp was damned up and the swamp was flooded. The grave of the young boy, perhaps with the old pirates treasure, now sits far below the water, and the cries of the dead can no longer be heard.

So what are the historical facts behind this story? Well, the Old Brick House actually existed and it actually was built and lived in by a "pirate". A full page story in a 1915 New York Times(1) article sheds light on the house and its events. Indeed the story confirms that the old brick house that sat on Merrick Road was built and lived in by someone who was rumored to be a pirate. He was the well known historical figure Major Thomas Jones. The same Thomas Jones that Jones Beach on Long Island was named after. He was at the time believed to be a pirate in his younger days, but in reality he was commissioned by the British government to hunt pirates and attack ships that were considered enemies of Britain. Part of the deal was he and his crew were able to keep some of the fruits of his labor, and thus his mistaken reputation as a pirate.

I was able to find this very rare picture of the Old Brick House shown below, which is probably one of two that exists. It was actually done by the very famous Nathaniel Currier, from Currier and Ives fame. He did this print sometime prior to 1859, before he was famous and before he teamed up with Ives. It is entitled "The Old Stone House L.I.", but it is actually the Old Brick House of Massapequa fame. The painting was referred to in a book called oddly enough, "Brook Trout" (5). It is a modern book discussing the history of fishing in the North East and it contains a fascinating description of the Old Brick House and its haunted history. It seems that Massapequa Lake where the old house sat, had for hundreds of years been famous for its brook trout. The article says that "such was the fame of the Old Brick House" that Currier captured it in a painting. Eerily enough, you can actually see the famous window that was reported by so many to be haunted. It is shown at the top side of the house right below the chimney. True to the stories, you can see the odd shape of the window but it is shown closed. I assume the print shows the house prior to the death of the Pirate Jones and thus prior to its haunting.

The house was so famous that upon it being torn down in 1837 David Floyd Jones, a well know writer of the time, wrote a sad poem about it titled "The Destruction Of the Old Brick House"(7). Well, we know the house actually existed. The "pirate" actually existed. And we know that people for hundreds of years lived in fear of it, including family members who lived in it. Was the old house really haunted by the spirit of the old pirate? Was the swamp next to the house really haunted by the young Negro boy who was murdered and whose ghostly screams and moans were heard echoing through the night? You have to decide.

A passage in the 1915 New York Times article sums up the fear the "Old Brick House" imbued in the people of Long Island;

" During all the later years of this houses life, no traveller passed it without a shudder. Looking up to the small circular window in a gable wayfarers would peer curiously and hurry buy. For that particular window so said the neighbourhood, was haunted by the ghost of the old "Pirate" and none cared to visit that gable".

Today, the area along Merrick Road where the old haunted house use to stand is clogged with traffic and suburban sprawl. There is a historical marker at the approximate site where it sat. It is hard to imagine what the area use to look like in the 1800's. But if you go there at night and stand quietly along the road side near where the house once stood you can catch a glimpse of another time..... and perhaps you will hear the squawk of a crow and the hair on your arms will rise.

Sources for the "Old Brick House"

(1) - The Long Islander - 7/25/1851- "The Massapequa Haunted House"

(2) - New York Times - 6/20/1915 - Capture of Hon. Tom Jones - Sarah Comstock

(3) - Dentons History of New York - 1900

(4) - Furmans Antiquities of Long Island - 1827

(5) - Brook Trout - 2002 - Nick Karas.

(6) -New York Times - 6/20/1915 - Capture of Hon. Thomas Jones

(7)- The Massapequa Connection - "A Tale of The Massapequa Indians" by Eric Usinger

(8)- Jones Beach - An Illustrate

"The Grave Of The Pirate Jones"

In reality, Thomas Jones was first buried along the water at the southern end of what was than known as Fort Neck. It was his wish that he be buried near his beloved sea. Almost immediately after his burial scavengers began trying to locate his grave to retrieve the treasures that were rumored to be there. Family members visiting the grave would often find mounds of dirt and large holes surrounding the head stone and it was said that they took elaborate measures to safe guard the burial place. Finally, when family members decided they wanted to move the remains to a safer burial ground, they were only able to locate the skull of Thomas Jones (1). It is this skull that is buried today with the remains of his wife, Freelove. Some people claim that the rest of the body was scavenged as a souvenir of the great man. Some say they were carelessly discarded by the rouges digging for his treasure. Others say rising waters from the bay may have overtaken the burial site during a storm and the other parts of the body were washed away. Either way, these stories added to the haunted legend of Thomas Jones, as upon discovering the missing bodies parts the stories of the hauntings of the "Old Brick House" were supplemented by the rumors that the headless body of the old pirate was now wandering the area looking to find his head so he could rest in peace.

In a strange side note I was able to find a passage in a book on the history of Jones Beach (2) that mentions that a family member had actually kept the skull of Thomas Jones for many years and showed it to visitors as a curiosity. The note claims that it was only after years of this bizarre side show that the skull was finally buried with what was left of the pirates body in its final resting place.

I visited the grave of Thomas Jones on a cold day in February. The church behind which it sits is a lovely historic building that is open for tours. It resides alongside the hustle, bustle and noise of Merrick Road. As you walk back behind the church however you are surrounded with a strange quiet. The back and sides of the old burial ground are surrounded by a residential community. It had taken me a while to find this burial place, as descriptions of where it was varied depending on the article I was reading, with some containing out of date place names and descriptions. Thomas Jones headstone looks like something from a gothic horror movie. Large, browning with age and slightly crooked. The land where the church sits was donated by the Jones family in the 1800"s and other family members are buried in the small plot where Thomas and his wife Freelove rest.

True story. As I was standing looking at the old weathered headstone, I was startled by a loud screeching noise. I looked up to where the sound was coming from and saw a large black crow sitting on the branch of an old tree looking down at me. The spirit of Thomas Jones in the body of the black crow?

Sources for the "Grave of The Pirate Jones"

(1) -New York Times - 6/20/1915 - Capture of Hon. Thomas Jones

((2)- Jones Beach - An Illustrated History- John Hanc and Ed Low

"The Hermitage of the Red Owl"

Walking through the forest on a cold winter day of that year Codman tells of coming across a large red owl freezing to death in the woods. He picked up the owl and brought him back to his house to warm him in front of the fire. It was here that Codman claims that the owl began to speak to him. The owl explained that he was actually the spirit of the Indian Chief Oriwos, and that he had been murdered by the Mohawks many years before. He was left to die in the woods and as a result, he had never received a proper burial. It was because of this that he was doomed to wander the earth in the body of an owl until someone found his bones and, as was the custom of his people, given them a proper burial. When the owl finished his story, he abruptly flew from the house.

Codman was touched by the story and began to search the woods for the bones of Chief Oriwos. Within a few days he discovered them under a pine tree in a ravine located behind his house. Codman took the bones and buried them where he found them underneath the pine tree. Within three days of the burial the red owl re-appeared to Codman and thanked him for setting him free. The owl flew out of the house and was never seen again. Thus was born the legend of the Hermitage of the Red Owl that is still told today.

As strange as it may seem today, the story of the red owl was accepted as fact among all of the people of Brentwood. Charles Codman was considered an upstanding and intelligent man who was in possession of all of his senses. He was a leading citizen of the town and was also one of the original trustees of the Brentwood Cemetery Association and a host of other civic organizations. This was not a man who was prone to telling wild tales and making up stories.

Codman was so effected by this occurrence that he named his house "The Hermitage of the Red Owl". He painted a portrait of the owl which hung in the living room until his death and also wrote a book about his experiences. He was known throughout his life to visit the site where he had buried the old Indians bones paying homage to his friend.

Sadly, in the later years of his life he become quite feeble. Caring neighbors intervened and took him to a hospital in the area to be cared for. Once there however, he pleaded with his friends to let him return to his beloved Hermitage to die. They relented, and brought him home. Each friend took a turn looking after him until the time came. Charles Codman died in 1911at the age of 83 years.

And what of the Hermitage? It met the fate of so many of Long Island's historic structures. It lasted until the early 1960's when it was torn down to make room for a shopping center. Most of the beautiful forests and pines that surrounded it also disappeared. But you can visit the site where it once was. It stood on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Brentwood Road south of the Brentwood railroad station. A fast food restaurant now stands where the house once did. And the ravine where Oriwos bones were buried? If you pull into the parking lot of the fast food restaurant where the Hermitage once stood and look straight ahead you will find it. A strip mall sits there today, but you can clearly see the depression where the ravine was once located, now covered in stores.

Somewhere beneath those stores rests the bones of the old Indian. Or at least we hope they still do. There have been reports of owls in the Brentwood area over the years. They are seen in the woods that still exist in the area of the Hermitage. They could just be what is left of the dwindling owl population of Long Island. Or maybe those bones were disturbed and the owl has returned to seek help once again.

Sources for "The Hermitage of The Red Owl"

* New York Times - 2/4/1911 - "Hermit C.A. Codman Dead. Old Boar Hunter and Painter Who Lived In the Hermitage of the Red Owl"

* Brentwood Historical Society - " The Legend Of The Red Owl"

* "A Century of Brentwood - Appendix A - By Verne Dyson

* Long Island Oddities

"The Spirits Of Fort Massapeag"

The park sits on the site of Fort Massapeag and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. This designation is only given to sites the National Park Department feels have the most important links to the nations past. The location of this Historic Park is kept a closely guarded secret, and few of those who live in its immediate area have heard of Fort Massapeag or what happened there. The secrecy is the attempt of officials and concerned historians to discourage those who would desecrate the site in search of artifacts and trinkets, and in and effort to allow the spirits of the many Indians whose remains rest below the park to rest in peace.

You must look very closely at the park now to make out what little remains of the visual evidence of the fort. There is a small open field of grass on the northern boundary of the park that contains a small swell. This grassy area sat in what was the central enclosure of the fort and the small swell that you see is what remains of part of the earthen boundary and protective ditch that surrounded the fort. This was not a massive fort, but instead a smaller "outpost" type enclosure.

The site came to the public's attention in 1933 when clearing of the land around the fort by the Harmon National Estate Corporation began. This work was done to prepare the area for the construction of a new housing development called Harbor Greens. Until that time, the land had remained untouched since the early colonial times. Work was stopped when bulldozers began to uncover human skeletons and what appeared to be Indian artifacts. Local newspapers soon discovered the story and reported the grizzly find which resulted in hoards of curious locals and treasure hunters descending on the site and hauling off human remains and artifacts. Finally, town officials stepped in and stopped the looting, but not until numerous priceless historical artifacts and the remains of many of the Indians who had been killed or buried there had been carted off, disappearing for ever.

Eventually the actual site of the fort was donated by the developers to the town for preservation. It is here that the small park sits today. Many of the areas surrounding the fort however where Indian burial grounds exist were lost to the developers. Reports from the 1933 and later exploration of the site indicate that the houses located just north of the park sit on the primary burial areas and largest concentrations of Indian remains which still exist.

It is widely accepted that the fort itself was most likely used primarily as a trading post by the Indians dealing in wampum which was greatly desired by both the European occupiers as well as other Indian groups. In times of disturbance, the fort was used as a safe haven for the Indians who lived in the area. The story of the Indian massacre is disputed. One version states that the bodies that were found around and in the fort were those of the local Massapeag Indians who lost a fierce battle in 1653 to the forces of Captain John Underhill, an English solider. No mercy was shown the Indians, and hundreds were brutally massacred. An account of the attack contained in an article in the Massapequa Connection (7) tells the morbid tale of Underhill and his men piling the bodies of fallen Massapeag Indians up on the south side of the fort after its fall(where the south boundary of the park exists today) , and than sitting besides them to have their breakfast. It goes on to say that more than a hundred years later an author by the name of Samuel Jones wrote that "the spot where the bodies of the natives were piled up was still tinged with a reddish cast, which the old people said was occasioned by the blood of the Indians" It was reported that for generations the survivors of the massacre told of the indignity and horror they felt seeing their loved ones treated in such a fashion. Other researchers however feel that this attack never really occurred and that the bodies that were found were from Indians traditional sacred burial areas which surrounded the fort and the village.

In either case, this much is known. The bodies of possibly hundreds of native Indians were desecrated and disturbed by the construction of the housing development that now sits around the remains of the fort (park) today. And in many cases , houses sit on top of burial grounds that contain the bodies of hundreds of Massapeag Indians. The occupants of those houses most likely have no idea what rests below them, but the area in the vicinity of the old fort has been the subject of countless tales of unusual spiritual activity dating back to the late 1700's.

One such story made the national news and was reported around the world. It involved a young family in the neighboring town of Seaford that experienced weeks of unusual activity and flying objects that were documented by local police and town officials. The house was reported to have been sitting on a the site where Massapeag Indian survivors buried some of the bodies of their people who died in the massacre at the hands of John Underhill. This haunting became the basis for the 1980's horror movie "The Poltergeist", with the locals calling the spirit that supposedly haunted the house "Popper the Ghost" for its habit of "popping" the tops off of bottles and jars before flinging them across the room.

Could the spirits of those massacred by the English in 1653 be seeking revenge for their deaths or the desecration of their resting places? Who knows, but uncovering the history of the places we live opens up a unique window to view those who came before us and perhaps those who are still trying to reach us to tell the long forgotten stories of their lives.

Sources for "The Spirits of Fort Massapeag"

"The Rescue of Fort Massapeag" - Ralph S. Solecki

" A National Landmark Nobody Knows About - John Rather - New York Times / May 8th, 2005

"The Fort Time Forgot - Forgottenli.com

" The Massapequa Connection - "A Tale of The Massapequa Indians" by Eric Usinger

A Haunting In Old Port Jefferson

“Walters' wife, Elizabeth, was eating johnnycakes, a regular Saturday morning treat. Her first husband, renowned shipbuilder Matthew Darling, had died in February 1849. She married Henry Walters, a carpenter and farmer, five years later. Martha Jane, Elizabeth's daughter by her first marriage, was also sitting at the breakfast table along with her 26-year-old husband, William Sturtevant, a ship carpenter”(3).

Authors note – The gruesome details of this event were passed from generation to generation of Port Jefferson families.

“William died first, the heavy iron bar striking his head, splattering brain matter on the walls and furniture. Silent but smiling, Henry hit William again and again, leaving the young man lying senseless on the carpeted floor”(3).

Authors Note – They never saw it coming.

“Henry attacked Elizabeth and Martha Jane next. The battered mother and daughter fled to the front yard and down a hill with the frenzied killer in pursuit. Elizabeth tried to shield herself from the savage blows, but soon fell to the ground mortally wounded, her skull fractured and dress soaked with blood”(3).

Authors Note – There was still more to come…

“Henry Walters next hunted for Emmet B. Darling, the 11-year-old son of Elizabeth and Matthew, but could not find the boy. Emmet remained in the attic during the rampage, concealing himself under a bed. While his stepfather searched another room, Emmet crept from his hiding place and dashed down the stairs. Walters pursued the boy but he miraculously escaped”(3).

Authors Note – The Murders end……

“His demons released, Henry returned to the barn, covered his face with a white handkerchief, and hanged himself from a joist. His coat and vest, neatly folded, were later found on a bench. The funeral was held the following Monday at the Methodist Episcopal Church on Thompson Street, the Reverend John Booth leading the service. A reporter for one of the big New York City newspapers drawn to sleepy old Port Jefferson by the grisly slayings wrote that it was probably best that Walters hanged himself because the locals would have lynched him”(3).

Authors Note – At the time, this murder suicide sent shock waves through all of Long Island. Henry Walters brutally murdered his wife Elizabeth and his son in law , William Sturtevant. He than proceed to the barn and hung himself. William and Elizabeth were first buried in the “Old Cemetery” in Port Jefferson, but both bodies and headstones were moved within a few years to Cedar Hill Cemetery in Port Jefferson. The body of the murderer, Henry Walters, was dragged down from the Barn by outraged towns people and buried in an unknown location. Ever since the murders, the sight where these atrocities were committed have been rumored to be haunted. Cries, shouts and screams have been reported echoing across the waters of Port Jefferson harbor from the area where this house and barn once stood. So what drove Henry Walters to commit such an unspeakable crime? Two theories were put forward, as described in the "Revisiting A Double Murder" article shown below (3).

Theory 1

“What precipitated the killings? Villagers gossiped that Elizabeth, 46, and Henry, 57, had a rocky relationship, frequently quarreling, not even sharing a bed. Elizabeth purportedly showered her children with gifts, ignoring Henry, who worried that his wife would leave her substantial estate to Martha Jane and Emmet(3).

In a creepy attempt to win back his wife's affections, Henry bought a shroud from local coffin maker Ambrose King. Walters often wore the white burial sheet about the homestead, threatening to commit suicide if Elizabeth did not return his love"(3).

Theory 2

Henry had brawled with ship carpenter Amasa Sturtevant, who lived down the block on Beach Street and was William's father. Walters and young Sturtevant also feuded, a potentially explosive situation since both lived under the same roof.

On the day before the killings, Henry received a letter written by Thomas Strong, William's attorney. Walters was warned to retract statements he had made about young Sturtevant or to expect a slander suit. Henry was given until 5 pm on November 21 to resolve the matter, which he "settled" that morning in a murderous rampage.”

Epilogue

The house where this horrible incident occurred is now occupied by the LILCO power plant complex on Beach Street in Port Jefferson. The house itself stood and was occupied until 1955 when it was burned down by the Port Jefferson Fire Department as part of a training exercise after the property had been sold to the utility. So was the murderous rampage of Henry Walters caused by his jealousy of his wife Elizabeth and her relationship with others in her family, or was it revenge for the perceived injustice done him by Amasa Sturtevant? We will never really know for sure.

Sources for "A Haunting In Old Port Jefferson"

(1) New York Herald - 11/25/1857 - "The Port Jefferson Tragedy"

(2) New York Times - 11/25/1857 - also "The Port Jefferson Tragedy"

(3) Northshoreoflongisland.com - 7/31/2005 - "Revisiting A Double Murder, suicide in Old Port Jefferson"

Picture Credit - House at 401 Beach Street courtesy of Port Jefferson Village Historical Archive

The Ghosts of Whooping Boy Hollow – East Hampton

Myths and Legends of our Own Land, by Charles M. Skinner, [1896], at sacred-texts.com

“From Brooklyn Heights to Montauk Point, Long Island has been swept by the wars of red men, and many are the tokens of their occupancy. A number of their graves were to be seen until within fifty years, as clearly marked as when the warriors were laid there in the hope of resurrection among the happy hunting grounds that lay to the west and south. The casting of stones on the death-spots or graves of some revered or beloved Indians was long continued, and was undoubtedly for the purpose of raising monuments to them. Even the temporary resting-place of Sachem Poggatacut, near Sag Harbor, was kept clear of weeds and leaves by Indians who passed it in the two centuries that lapsed between the death of the chief and the laying of the road across it in 1846. This spot is not far from Whooping Boy's Hollow, so named because of a boy who was killed by Indians, and who haunts along with Poggatacut this spot to this very day”.

I discovered the above passage while researching the Indian tribes of Long Island. I had never heard of the story or of Whooping Boy Hollow. Route 114 in East Hampton runs past a place that is not only steeped in history…. but also said by generations of locals to be haunted. Whooping Boy Hollow. Once I began to research it, I found that other accounts such as the one above tell varying versions of the tale.

The most common one goes like this. Located on Route 114 halfway between East Hampton and Sag Harbor is an area known as Whooping Boy Hollow There is even a road with this name printed on a wooden sign post and shown on the picture to the right.

And why was it called “Whooping Boy Hollow”? Because there is another story that involves the area that has been passed down through the generations. Legend has it that one night in the early 1700’s the horrible sound of a young boy screaming and “whooping” was heard by people in the neighboring area. The sound was so terrible that a group of men formed up and went into the woods to see what had happened. There they found the body of a young boy, savagely beaten and scalped. It was apparent he had been trying to run but was caught and killed. The boy was later identified as one who had been captured by marauding Indians from Connecticut a year before, a victim of an attack on the Indians of Montauk. The Connecticut Indians had returned using the boy as a guide to attack the Montauk tribe again. Not wanting to betray his people, the boy attempted to run but he was chased and killed by his captors, but only after his terrible cries were heard.

The reports of hauntings and occurrences in the area of Whooping Boy Hollow are well known and take a number of forms. Besides visions of the old Indian Chief it is said that to this day, the cries of the “Whooping Boy” can be heard at night. On numerous occasions the police have been called to investigate only to find nothing. The area around the Hollow is also famous for the many cars that for no apparent reason mysteriously stall going through it. There are also many reports of cars being stranded in minor rain storms when the area floods for unspecified reasons.

Historical facts? It seems certain that a famous Indian Chief indeed is buried in the area of Whooping Boy Hollow. In addition to the stories citied, I discovered that at one point up until the 1930’s the site on Route 114 was even identified with a historical marker. Chief Poggatacut? I have not been able to find much historical documentation on the Chief with the exception of his mention in the articles below. I will keep trying. Waring Indian parties from Connecticut? Numerous historical accounts attest to this fact, and it is almost certain that the Montauk Indians were involved. The young boy who was horribly attacked and whose screams are the cause of the peculiar name of the location and the road that now runs through it? I am afraid we will never know.

Sources for “The Ghosts of Whooping Boy Hollow”:

East Hampton Star – 1/8/1998 “What’s In A Name? Whooping Boy Hollow”

Strange Long Island Street Names – Newsday – 12/4/2016

Andrea Downing Blog – “My World, My Work”

Overdue Homage to And Indian Chief – Newsday – 7/16/1973

Myths and Legends of our Own Land – Charles M. Skinner, 1896

The "Old Field" Massacre

The Suffolk County Coroner, Darling B. Whitney, reported that Alexander (Smith) lay with his head away from the fire place, his body was chiefly consumed (burned) up to his 3rd or 4th rib.

Mr. Smith was in the habit of sitting in front of the fire after tea with his feet on the fireplace crane that hung over the fire and it was surmised that, after a blow to the head, he fell off his chair, and the fireplace crane swung his feet into the fire, which then burned the lower part of his body.

Rebecca Smith's body was found next to her husband to his right. Whitney reported that "Mrs. Smith was lying in the right corner of the fireplace, her head at the corner of the hearth, her dress was bloody down to her waist. She seems from appearances to have struggled. There was blood in the middle of the floor and spread to the place where she lay. Blood droplets were found elsewhere throughout the house, various footprints were also discovered, as were a hammer and an axe at the crime scene, which may have been used to commit the murders".

The Suffolk County Coroner, Darling B. Whitney, reported that Alexander (Smith) lay with his head away from the fire place, his body was chiefly consumed (burned) up to his 3rd or 4th rib.

Mr. Smith was in the habit of sitting in front of the fire after tea with his feet on the fireplace crane that hung over the fire and it was surmised that, after a blow to the head, he fell off his chair, and the fireplace crane swung his feet into the fire, which then burned the lower part of his body.

Rebecca Smith's body was found next to her husband to his right. Whitney reported that "Mrs. Smith was lying in the right corner of the fireplace, her head at the corner of the hearth, her dress was bloody down to her waist. She seems from appearances to have struggled. There was blood in the middle of the floor and spread to the place where she lay. Blood droplets were found elsewhere throughout the house, various footprints were also discovered, as were a hammer and an axe at the crime scene, which may have been used to commit the murders".

Authors Note: Even back than they had Coroners. This from the official report of Darling B. Whitney.

Alexander lay with his head from the fire place, his body was chiefly consumed up to his 3rd or 4th rib. There were three wounds on the left side of his head, immediately over the lower portion of the cartilage of the left ear – making three holes through the cartilage; large cut at the interior and posterior cartilage of the same ear. The skull was fractured on the top of the head. The wound must have occasioned the death – wounds must have been inflicted with some heavy instrument like a hammer, with a flat end. No appearance of his having struggled. He thinks deceased must have been lying upon his back when the wound upon the top of his head was inflicted.

Mrs. Smith was lying in the right corner of the fireplace; her head at the corner of the hearth. She has two wounds upon the forehead, one producing a fracture of the skull, the other a depression. There were four wounds upon the upper and posterior part of the head, one creating a depression of the bone – supposes the same instrument must have inflicted the wound that caused the death of Alexander – her dress was bloody down to her waist: supposed some of the wounds on Mrs. Smith’s head to have been inflicted when she was lying down. Her death must have been occasioned by the wounds referred to. She seems from appearances to have struggled. There was blood in the middle of the floor, and spread to the place where she lay. From their positions, thinks Mr. Smith must have been killed first.

Authors note: A recent immigrant from Germany who was working as a farmhand was convicted of the crime and hanged. The suspected reason for the murders was theft. This grisly crime made nationwide news and because of this crime, the house itself, which still stands today in Greenlawn, New York, became notorious as being haunted ; others pointed to the geraniums in the front window, which seemed to bloom all year long, defying the regular cycles of nature. The reclusive heirs to the Smiths lived in the farmhouse until 2003 and only added to the mystery of the house as they remained inside as recluses. Many said they did so in fear of others discovering the spirits that lived with them. When they passed away the house fell into disrepair taking on the chilling appearance of a haunted house. It is now considered one of most haunted houses on Long Island, occupied by the souls of the coupled murdered so long ago!

Amazingly this house still exists, and exists in almost the exact same condition it did at the time of the murders. It is now a Town Of Huntington museum called the John Gardiner Historic Farm open to the public. It is located at 900 Park Avenue, Huntington.

Sources for "The Old Field Massacre"

The Long Islander - Friday, November 18th, 1842

"Murder at Old Fields" - The Forensic Lab Activity Program

"Murder at Old Fields" - Greenport - Centerport Historical Association

"The Mysterious Case of John Wick of Bridgehampton"

I found this story initially in a March 12, 1922 article in the Brooklyn Eagle. The article was entitled “John Wicks, A Gentleman or Criminal, a Long Island Mystery for 200 years” (1). This fascinating article told the story of a wealthy gentleman named John Wick who lived in Bridgehampton Long Island during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Mr. Wick was quite well known and among other things operated an Inn and stage stop called the Bull Heads Tavern. He also acted during his life as the Sheriff of Suffolk County and at one time the Magistrate of Southampton.

So what you may ask was the mystery the article was referring to? In short, the debate that has raged for over 200 years is whether Mr. Wick was a good and proper gentleman and business man or if he was instead and evil practitioner of satanic rituals and a murderer!

John Wick was born around 1861 and moved to Bridgehampton from Huntington Long Island in around 1692. Upon his arrival in town he bought the Inn and Stage Couch stop and named it the Bulls Head Inn. He had already held a position of Suffolk County Sheriff and was seen as a welcome and respected addition to the community. There are numerous accounts from his contemporaries speaking of John Wicks exemplary service to his community and his sterling character. How else would a man achieve the high positions of Sheriff and Magistrate in his community if he were not a good and noble man?

But strangely, for as many of these glowing accounts there are and equal number of stories, rumors and legends which paint a far darker picture of John Wick. The main stories revolve around the aforementioned Bulls Head Tavern. This historic tavern was located on what is now the corner of Montauk Highway and the Great Meadows Turnpike in Bridgehampton. It was built in the early 1600’s and housed both British and colonial troops during the Revolutionary War. It existed until the 1940’s when it was torn down to make room for progress. Today the site is marked by a sign noting its significance to the community. Of the many darker stories told of John Wick, it was here at this tavern that the most repeated would occur.

John Wick it was said would lure peddlers and lonely travelers to stay the night at his Inn, and once there he would kill them for their money and dispose of their bodies in the woods behind the building. As these people were generally loners with no family or connections that would miss them, they simply disappeared from the world. These stories soon morphed into whispers that John Wick was and agent of the devil and possessed psychic and supernatural powers that were used for evil purposes.

A story that circulated to support this involved a negro slave which he owned (he was known to have owned a number of Indian and Negro slaves). Ordered to dig a well next to a windmill located on the Wick property, the man struggled to get it deep enough, fast enough for John Wick. It was said that in a rage, John Wick began to shovel sand and dirt down into the hole where the slave was standing, burying the man alive as he unsuccessfully struggled to free himself.

When Wick died, it was said that his relatives tried to bury him in the church cemetery but could not. As fast as they could dig the grave, the sand would collapse from its sides and fill it back up. After a number of attempts the effort was abandoned with those in attendance claiming he could not be buried in hollowed ground. Instead, John Wick was buried in a lonely grave on his property, away from church lands. At the instance of his death a number of towns people swore his body was seen in the sky being carried away by the devil himself.

These contrasting stories lingered for so long and were so prevalent that in 1916 an investigation was done by the Suffolk Historical Society to try and determine whether John Wick was indeed a gentleman or the devil. In his book, “Memorial of Old Bridgehampton” James Adams discuss the investigation and related the stories that were told through the years. Alas, at the end his investigation was inconclusive and the mystery of John Wick was left to be decided by those who would follow.

How amazing is it that a controversy like this would be carried on for over 200 years! And the conclusion? John Wick the Saint or Sinner we will never know. There is no doubt that he was a successful businessman, pillar of his community and a man well known by all. There is also no doubt that the dark stories and tales were told by contemporaries and survived for years. Who knows.

Sources for “The Mysterious Case of John Wick of Bridgehampton”

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle – 3/12/1922 – Page 23 “John Wicks, A Gentleman or Criminal, a Long Island Mystery for 200 years.

Hamptons.com – 2/5/2009 -“The Road Most Traveled” by Nicole B. Brewer

Longislandsurnames – John Wick family

Sketches from Long Island History – 1935- William Donaldson Halsey

“Memorial of Old Bridgehampton” – 1916- James Truslow Adams – Pages 89 to 104

Dosoris Lane – The Most Haunted Rode on Long Island

Those readers from this area would question this caption. They would say that it is universally accepted that Sweet Hollow Road in Melville is indeed the most haunted road in Long Island. And they would have a good argument to support this.

But to me I would argue that Dosoris Lane in Glen Cove is right up there when discussing haunted roads on Long Island. This north shore pathway has enough stories and legends to place it at the very top of any conversation regarding supernatural happenings.

Dosoris Lane is an ancient road found in Glen Cove Long Island. Glen Cove is a wealthy area with a large portion of it populated by mansions and beautifully tree lined roads. Dosoris Lane certainly fits this description.

But unlike any of the other roads in town, Dosoris Lane has for centuries been known to have a haunted past. A past so elegantly outlined in this description taken from “The Van Gelder Papers and Other Stories”, written by John T. Irving in 1895.

“ Dosoris Lane was quiet and dreamlike during the day, no spot was more astir than this at nightfall. Elves, spirits and goblins of all denominations made it their haunt”.

And what drove this reputation? Stories and legends like the following which date from the 18^th century.

Billy Cowles. Billy was a young boy who lived in the vicinity of Dosoris Lane in the 1700’s and suffered from asthma. He was teased by the local boys unmercifully because of his condition and the physical gyrations he was overcome by during his frequent attacks. Billy was often seen walking down Dosoris Lane by himself, and from time to time he could be seen on the side of the road gasping for air. One day, Billy succumbed to his condition and passed away. He was said to have been buried in a secluded graveyard nearby. From that day forward people of the town claimed to see Billy from time to time wobbling down the road, gasping for air and battling for his life. When approached he simply disappeared.

Derrick Wilkinson’s Ghost – Derrick Wilkinson was a hard riding, rough and tumble horse jockey who lived in the area in the 18^th century. He was often seen on his horse barrelling down Dosoris Lane recklessly at full gallop. One night Derrick was not able to navigate the road and tumbled from his horse breaking his neck. Death came quickly. Almost immediately upon his passing, sightings of Mr. Wilkinson galloping down Dosoris Lane began to be reported. He was not a benevolent spirit, and word quickly spread if seen, he should be avoided at all costs. Patrolling the Lane from one end to the other at night, Wilkinson’s ghost was said to waylay unsuspecting travellers. The lucky ones survived to tell the tale. The unlucky ones were never to be seen again.

The Drinking Tree – There was a hard drinking Miller back in the 1700’s who used Dosoris Lane to reach his home after a long day at work. Needless to say, his often inebriated state made this a perilous journey. On the side of Dosoris Lane was a large tree that the Miller would often stop at. Once there he would pull out his beverage of the day and continue to drink himself into a stupor. The legend tells us that the Miller drank himself to death sitting under this tree. Upon his passing, towns folk claimed his spirit could often be seen on a huge horse galloping down the path, the great “demijohn” weaving from side to side as his rider tried to balance himself. Horse and rider would then be seen disappearing at the base of the great tree where he had often indulged and where he had finally met his fate. The Drinking Tree. In an instant both horse and rider were simply gone, awaiting their chance to ride again on some dark night.

Boggy Swamp – The Dosoris Lane area is also the site of Boggy Swamp. You can find the full story of it here in Long Island Stories. It chronicles the legend of the Werewolves of Boggy Swamp. Stories of these unearthly beasts inhabiting a deserted swamp in the area of Dosoris Lane. Beasts who waited to prey on those travelers who were unaware of their presence.

How about today? Well yes, the haunted tradition continues. The Glen Cove Mansion, located on Dosoris Lane, has for years been reported by both guests and staff as being haunted. Many say by the spirits of the Pratt family who had previously inhabited the palatial home. You can read any number of accounts telling of the super natural occurrences that plague this mansion.

Ghostly mansions. Werewolves. An assortment of spirited travellers stalking the road. Dosoris Lane has quite a haunted pedigree. And to my thinking certainly ranks as one of the most haunted roads on Long Island.

Epilogue: I have been looking for any records of a Derrick Wilkinson or Billy Cowles, as I am always looking for any historical facts that may be behind the folklore and legends I write about. Alas, as of now I have not been able to find any mention of either person, but I will continue in this effort. Finding records of individuals who go this far back is a daunting task and often takes years to accomplish. That is, if they indeed existed. As far as the Miller, there were a number of mills in the area so it is easy to say that perhaps one of them was worked by and individual as outlines in this story. In regards to the story of the werewolf’s of Boggey Swamp, we have found such evidence and I encourage you to read the story included on this site. Interesting note. John Treat Irving, who wrote the Van Gelder Papers, was the nephew of Washington Irving.

Sources for “Dosoris Lane – The Most Haunted Road on Long Island”

The Van Gelder Papers and Other Sketches – John Treat Irving, 1895

The Brooklyn Eagle - Page 13, 8/21/1898 – “The Coles Ancient Home”

Long Island Stories – “Boggy Swamp – and the story of the Long Island Werewolf”

Long Island Heritage – April 1985 – “A Were-Wolf In Glen Coves Boggy Swamp”