“So what you’re saying then,” said Miss Bronwen, “is that Santa Claus is a ghost?” “Maybe not a ghost,” I replied, “But certainly what would be called an agent of the supernatural.” “Oh,” she answered, stifling a laugh, “that makes all the difference in the world.” “Well yeah,” I continued as we walked down the […]
Tales from St. James and Head of the Harbor II: Hard Candy and Ghosts at St. James General Store
“I don’t like little children ghosts,” Miss Bronwen said with a shudder.“You saw the Shining didn’t you?” I asked her, taking my eyes from the road.“I don’t want to talk about it,” she replied, looking uneasy in the passenger seat.“Wanna hear a true ghost story?” I asked her.“How true?” she replied.“Honest to goodness true,” I […]
Hempstead House and Castlegould: A Tale of Two Houses in Sands Point, New York
Jay Gould was a New York business man, reviled as a Jew by those who were of an anti-semite bent, but was a Scottish/English mongrel as I recall. He was one of the main stockholders of the Erie Railroad, and an associate of the infamous Boss Tweed. “Just who was Boss Tweed?” Miss Bronwen asked. […]
A Romantic Getaway At Kings Park Psychiatric Institution
“What could be more romantic than a leisurely stroll through an asylum?” I asked Miss Bronwen as we got out of the car, which was parked along the Nissequogue River, in Nissequogue River State Park, also known as the campus of the Kings Park Psychiatric Center. She arched her eyebrow and handed me my walking […]
The Ghosts of Fire Island Lighthouse
The breeze had picked up, the moon high in the sky and the little fire on the beach was blessedly warm. The older gentleman spoke softly, a gentle lilt to his voice as he retraced the history of Fire Island and the Fire Island Lighthouse. “There seems to be some disagreement about how Fire Island […]
Tales From Head of the Harbor and St. James I: New Thoughts on Mary Hatchet and Mary’s Grave
Top: Mary’s Playhouse at Head of the Harbor. Mary lived with her father in a large rambling house on Stony Brook harbor, in what is today known as Head of the Harbor, New York. One can assume that Mary’s father was anticipating a large family, or perhaps more likely, he inherited the house. But either […]
