From Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, by M. R. James M.R. James had a knack for compressing a chilling tale into a short space. Which is very refreshing, considering some writers, yes, I’m speaking to you Stephen King, has a tendency to stretch out their short stories almost to novel length. Montague Rhodes James was born […]
Gothic Horror Stories: J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
When we think of the Marie Celeste, we might be surprised to know that much of our facts are based upon a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which is heavily fictional. Published anonymously in 1884 by a pre-Sherlock Holmes Doyle, it was thought to be the work of among others, Robert Louis Stevenson […]
Cry Innocent: Salem witch attraction brings the witch hunts and trials to life
Bridget Bishop. I know nothing of it. I am innocent to a Witch. I know not what a Witch is. Examiner: How do you know then that you are not a witch Bridget Bishop: I do not know what you say. Examiner: How can you know, you are no Witch, & yet not know what […]
Concord’s Colonial Inn: Revolutionary ghosts of a literary nature
The overnight shift at the front desk of Concord’s Colonial Inn is a lot like most small inns. After the last guest is checked in, restaurants and bars closed, there’s paperwork, reports and printing out bills for those checking out in the morning to keep you busy during those hazy hours of sleeplessness. One evening, […]
Long Island’s Jamesport Manor Inn: An insider’s story
You can get used to about anything, living at the Jamesport Manor Inn on Long Island. A former dishwasher who was also a tenant before it burned and was restored, proved it one afternoon as he was at his sink, doing his job. A waitress, who was also familiar with the specter of what people […]
The Salem Inn: Hauntingly lovely and affordably posh in Salem, MA
The young lady had just walked away from her post at the guest counter of the Salem Inn, a tiny little thing tucked into a nook just below the staircase – and stepped into the parlor to light the fire and warm up a bit. It was cold, early winter in Salem, Massachusetts, and having […]
The legend comes to life with Jonathan Kruk in the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
The Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow has been perched on the hill overlooking the Pocantico River and the Albany Post Road for well over 300 years. As a young man, Washington Irving would often sit and look out the window in the above photo, daydreaming and watching the life of the graveyard just outside […]
Old Yarmouth Inn: Fish and Chips and spooks at Cape Cod’s oldest inn
One can only wonder if the fellow sleeping in a bedroom at the Old Yarmouth Inn, in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts had heard the following story … Early one morning, a guest in the Quisset Harbor room awaoke to find a man in Victorian era clothing standing at the foot of his bed, apparently confused at the […]
