May 10, 2023 • 48 mins
Sitting at the end of a long, tree-lined driveway, the White Hill Mansion in Fieldsboro, New Jersey has always held secrets. With ties to the American Revolution, Prohibition, Politics and a notorious bordello - it's no wonder one of the most commonly reported paranormal phenomena is the sound of a body being dragged across an upstairs floor.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Haunted Road, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm
and Mild from Aaron Manky listener. Discretion is advised sitting
at the end of a long, tree lined driveway. The
White Hill Mansion in Fieldsborough, New Jersey has always held secrets.
During the American Revolution, the home concealed colonial troops from
(00:25):
British and German forces. Later, political leaders use tucked away
upstairs spaces for clandestine rendezvous. The attic once held a bordello,
and when one of the owners was arrested for bootlegging
during Prohibition, officials found more than one thousand gallons of
liquor hidden on the property. Today, the secrets of the
(00:46):
White Hill Mansion are different. They come from darkened corners
where voices call out when no one is there. They
shuffle up the stairs at night, in visible footsteps on
empty staircases. They even come from above the studding sounds
from higher floors that some have described as reminiscent of
a body being dragged across a floor. I'm Amy Bruney,
(01:09):
and this is Haunted Road. In seventeen twenty two, Robert
Field purchased three hundred acres of land in Whitehill, a Borough,
near Trenton, New Jersey. Almost twenty years later, he built
a Georgian style home on the property, the beginnings of
(01:31):
the White Hill Mansion that sits there today. Field's son,
Robert Field the second, inherited the property in seventeen fifty seven.
A prominent lawyer, Robert the second expanded the home and
established more businesses on the property, not only a farm
and orchard, but also a fishery and distillery. Robert and
his wife Mary Peel Field had seven children, although only
(01:54):
three Lydia, Mary and Robert lived to see adulthood. As
the businesses prospered, Robert's profile grew in the community. In
seventeen seventy four, he was appointed to the Committee of
Correspondence of New Jersey, which was attempting to get American
representation in the British Parliament. Field even wrote some of
(02:14):
their material himself. On the night of January twenty ninth,
seventeen seventy five, Robert Field the second drowned in the
nearby Delaware River under very mysterious circumstances. It's believed that
the boat was being rowed by a British sympathizer, either
a spy for King George or a loyalist. The boat'smen
allegedly hit Robert in the head with an oar, knocking
(02:37):
him unconscious, and threw him in the river. Some have
speculated that Field had discovered that the man was a
spy and was planning to turn him in. According to
a contemporary newspaper report in Dunlap and Claypool's American Daily Advertiser,
Robert was going in a canoe on board his shallop
when he unfortunately fell over and was drowned. He had
(02:58):
only his companion with him, whose threw over the paddle
to him, but mister Field sunk immediately. By this untimely accident,
his relations, friends and neighbors have lost a worthy and
agreeable companion. The Fields were slave owners, so it's likely
that the man in the boat was enslaved by him.
According to a family genealogy reported through the National Register
(03:19):
of Historic Places, his death has always been involved in mystery.
He was going down to Philadelphia from his home at
Whitehill on a sloop. He left the sloop for a
few hours during a calm and went on shore to
call on a pioneer. When the wind arose at twelve
o'clock at night, the captain sent a rowboat for him,
attended by one man. When the boat reached the sloop,
(03:40):
he was missing and was never heard from again, although
every effort was made to recover his body. Mary peel
Field was five months pregnant with their seventh child at
the time of Robert's death. The following year, in seventeen
seventy six, Mary had a notable dinner guest, the American
(04:04):
Navy's Captain Tom Houston. This led to her neighbors reporting
her as a colonial sympathizer. Shortly after, the British Army
searched the home for colonial soldiers. Some historians believe that
she was hiding them, likely in the house's attic or basement,
but none were ever discovered. To aid in his efforts
to maintain control of the American colonies, King George enlisted
(04:26):
military support from principalities around what would later become the
unified country of Germany. About half the soldiers for hire
came from the hess Castle regions, so in America the
troops became known as the Hessian Army. On December twelfth,
seventeen seventy six, the Hessian Armies Captain Rendon made Whitehill
Mansion his temporary headquarters, but despite her likely alignment with
(04:50):
the other side, Mary maintained a level of civility with
the Hessians during this time. She was visited several times
by Hessian Colonel Carl von Donlop, who wrote an ensuring
the protection of the field property during the war. Von
Dunlop's safeguards meant that, according to the National Registry of
Historic Places, although many houses in the area surrounding Whitehill
(05:11):
were ravaged, the farms stripped of their crops and their
outbuildings disassembled and carried off as firewood, Whitehill was spared.
According to Loretta Kelly, a long time preservationist at the mansion,
a lot of the houses along the river were burned down,
but whoever showed up at Mary's door was her best friend.
She knew how to play both ends against the middle.
(05:32):
After American troops defeated the Hessian forces during the holiday season,
most notably the victory at Tritton when Washington crossed the Delaware,
Captain Rendon left the mansion. In seventeen seventy eight, British
troops occupied the mansion while they searched for commodore John
Berry of the US Navy, who had been staying there
at the time. In seventeen seventy nine, Mary peel Field
(05:55):
married Commodore Thomas Reid of the Pennsylvania Navy, who made
Whitehill his head county seat. The same year, she helped
Commodore John Berry evade capture by British forces. In the
following decade, Mary's mother and husband died in the mansion,
and she signed ownership over to her son, Robert Field
the third and his wife, Abigail. Abigail two had a
(06:18):
strong connection to American independence. Her father, Richard Stockton, was
a signer of the Declaration of Independence from what was
then the New Jersey Colony, and he also helped to
establish Princeton University. Robert third and Abigail had six children.
It was this Field Hare who created Whitehill Mansion as
it is today, connecting the buildings on the property to
(06:40):
create a single two story structure. The home is brick
with white trim, with three chimneys rising from the roof.
If you visit today you can see the precise places
this happened inside the home. Abigail's mother, Annis died in
the home in eighteen oh one. Robert lost the home
in eighteen o four when up for sale due to
(07:01):
his squandering of the family's money on entertainment and expensive possessions,
according to the mansion's history. Two years later, Abigail's brother
Richard bought Whitehill to help the Field save face. He
allowed Robert and Abigail to stay in the house, where
they would live until his death in eighteen fifty. The
borough of Whitehill was officially renamed Fieldsborough after the Field family.
(07:24):
After Robert and Abigail died, the home went through many
owners and many different uses. David Bruce Senior bought Whitehill
Mansion in eighteen twenty one. His son, David Bruce Junior,
invented a new type casting machine in the attic of
the house and new typefaces, including a version of Today's
Times Roman. In the late eighteen hundreds, potter and saramacist
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Joseph Mayer lived in the home and built a kill
in the basement. He invented several new pottery techniques while
living at Whitehill Mansion. In eighteen ninety five, industrialist Joseph
Crossley purchased the mansion. His son, Archibald, born in eighteen
ninety seven, would be the last baby to be born
in the home. Archibald Crossley would go on to be
(08:08):
one of the developers of the political Opinion poll. This
is when the history of White Hill Mansion starts to
get really mysterious. When the Crossleys moved out in nineteen eleven,
they sold the house to a woman named Susannah Graham
for the sum of one dollar, but there are no
historical records of who Graham was. The house was subsequently
(08:29):
abandoned and squatters moved in. During this time, the mansion
became a bordello, with sliding doors built to conceal secret
stairways and the attics sectioned off into several rooms. In
nineteen twenty three, Heinrich and Katrina glenk purchased the property,
(08:50):
turning the space into an upscale German restaurant, which became
a favorite among political and distinguished guests. As the mansion's
history describes it, over the years, the establishment went by
several names, including the Mansion, Glank's Mansion House, and the
White Hill Mansion Restaurant. In the tradition of Mary peel
(09:10):
Field's neutrality, the Glanks hosted both Republican and Democratic politicians.
Although it was a favorite hangout of the gop. According
to their grandson, John, my grandmother was a Republican and
a Democrat, depending on who was in the restaurant. Even
after the wars were over, the mansion continued to be
the site of important moments in American history. The building
(09:34):
of the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate two ninety five
was supposedly negotiated by politicians while at the Mansion House.
During Prohibition, the restaurant continued to serve alcohol, with the
Glanks adding a bar to the basement of the home
by digging out an additional two feet of depth in
the cellar floor. Heinrich was allegedly a bootlegger. He was
(09:55):
arrested for this in nineteen twenty four, but it's unclear
whether he served jail time. According to the National Register
of Historic Places, the charges read seized one thousand gallons
of liquor. Large quantities of beer, wine, and whiskey were
found at various places along the Delaware. Heinrich likely used
a tunnel in the basement of the home, which leads
(10:17):
down to the river, to smuggle his contraband in and out.
It's unproven but suspected that the restaurant had mob tied
during this period. It's also said that local politicians would
use upstairs rooms to meet their mistresses. By this point,
Meryfield's former bedroom had been converted into a private dining
room where guests could ring a buzzer when they wanted service.
(10:41):
Heinrich died in nineteen fifty two, but the restaurants stayed
in the family until nineteen seventy two, when Katrina sold it. Eventually,
White Hill Mansion found its way into the hands of
the Steppin Chemical Company, which has a plant adjacent to
the property. It bought the mansion and its surrounding seven
acres with the aim of turning it into corporate offices,
(11:02):
but abandoned the project due to cost. For almost a decade,
the home sat abandoned and neglected until the Borough of
Fieldsboro bought the mansion in nineteen ninety nine. Preservation efforts
began in two thousand and four, and the home is
listed as a state registered Historic Place in twenty twelve.
It's now run by the Friends of Whitehill Mansion, which
(11:25):
offer historic tours and is renovating the rundown property. Although
Whitehill Mansion has seen better days in some ways, it's
still as grand as it was in its heyday. It
sits on a bluff high above the Delaware River, surrounded
by trees. Walking through the mansion, it's easy to see
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all the phases of its history. There's the speakeasy basement
and the bordello attic, but there is more than that,
especially in its blend of architectural styles. The original mid
seventeen hundreds building was erected in the Georgian style, and
that brickwork is still very evident today, But late eighteen
hundreds editions were made in the Greek Revival and Queen
(12:09):
Anne Shingle styles, adding dormers to the roof, ironwork, and
other Gothic details. The most modern portion of the building
is a single story dining room with a flat roof
added around nineteen sixty. Once you make your way down
the long driveway and through the trees, you'll first encounter
a covered porch built in the early twentieth century, which
(12:29):
protects the nineteenth century main entry to the house. Walk inside,
and you'll be greeted by a central hall with an
ornate circa eighteen ninety six staircase. The first floor features
the circa seventeen sixty parlor, two other sitting rooms, the
nineteen sixties dining room with a wall of windows overlooking
the delaware, and the kitchen rooms. The second floor features
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multiple bedrooms, the nursery, several bathrooms, and another kitchen. The
original primary bedroom was cut up during the restaurant era
to additionally accommodate a lady's room and a coat room.
In addition to the main access to the attic, a
hidden staircase from one of the bathrooms provides access to
the bordello rooms Upstairs. The attic is divided into a
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number of rooms, including a living room and a bedroom
used by members of the glenk family, and two small
rooms probably used by the bordello. The basement of the
mansion was constructed in several stages in the seventeen hundreds
and eighteen hundreds. It still features the Prohibition era bar,
with green carpeting and wood paneling over the original stone walls.
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Archaeological excavations in twenty eleven and twenty thirteen revealed the
remains of the original seventeen twenty two home and evidence
of a collapsed tunnel leading from the house to the river.
The tunnels would have been used to get supplies from
the river and to access the ferry there, as the
home is on a forty foot bluff above the water.
They were also likely where Mary Peel Fields directed Colonial
(13:56):
soldiers to hide during the Revolutionary War. That the tunnels
may have also been used as part of the underground railroad.
The digs also revealed Native American artifacts from Illnape Winter
settlement in pre colonial days and eighteenth century items used
by the Field family. There are remnants of the past
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that are easy to find, and then there are the
ghosts of the mansion's past lives that people report experiencing
in different, decidedly more spooky ways. Reports of hauntings at
White Hill Mansion date to when the building operated as
a restaurant. In Passport to the Paranormal, Rich Newman writes
that patrons began to hear ghostly footsteps, see objects moving
(14:41):
around in the dining room, and even see shadowy figures
scooting around the restaurant. Lights in the mansion are said
to turn on and off without cause, and tour guides
in the mansion have described the feeling of being watched
when no one is around. They also report unexplained noises
of what some say are invisible footsteps on the stairs
(15:02):
at night, and of heavy objects, perhaps even a body
being dragged across the floor in the attic. Some believe
that the spirit of a woman who was involved in
sex work, possibly against her will, is present in the
attic as well. Disembodied voices and sounds have been reported
throughout the house, including the claim of one investigator who
says he heard the voice of a woman asking him
(15:23):
to introduce himself. The apparition of an unknown man has
also been reported on one of the house's staircases. The
sounds of children playing have been heard in what was
once the nursery. On one paranormal television show, investigators claim
to have seen a quickly moving childlike apparition flying around
corners and between floors. This is said by some to
(15:45):
be the ghosts of Samuel Field, Mary's son who died
in childhood. Those who lived and worked in the home
make frequent appearances in paranormal investigations, some saying they've heard
the voice of Heinrich Glank coming from the attic. Others
claim to have made contact with a talkative ghost believed
to be a former servant on the property. Thomas Reid,
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Mary Peelfield's second husband, has been heard on EVPs. Mary
herself seated at a desk and writing a letter has
been reported in the parlor on the first floor of
the mansion, and women and children sometimes report the sensation
of having their hands touched or grabbed in that room.
Garden State ghost hunters report that the ghost of a
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woman named Dolly, who was married at the mansion and
still wears her wedding dress, is present on the property.
This may be the Glenk's daughter, Magdalena Dolly Billingham, who
lived and worked at the establishment for many years and
was photographed in the mansion in her wedding dress in
nineteen thirty six. Dolly lived in some of the attic
rooms believed to have been a bordello. A tub in
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the second floor bathroom, which some call the Bloody Bathroom
or the Bloody Bathtub, is said to be haunted. People
who climb into the bathtub blind it hard to climb out,
saying that it feels as if a weight is holding
them down. It's alleged that a man either committed suicide
or had his throat slit in it, but there's no
evidence of a murder or suicide on the property. According
(17:13):
to a Princeton Info article written by Suzanne van Dongen,
people who are really sensitive and or psychic have come
in this room and said that bathtub is full of blood.
It's possible the bloody Bathroom moniker stems from the red
trim on the walls of the room and the story
was created from there. The basement bar is said to
be home to poltergeist activity. Items will suddenly move on
(17:36):
their own, either sliding across the bar or being thrown.
Don Reicherd of the Friends of the White Hill Mansion
claims to have had a plastic vase thrown at her,
nearly hitting her in the head. In the basement, one
tour guide had the experience of her necklace suddenly snapping,
sending beads flying while she was behind the bar. The
spirit there is said to dislike it when anyone comes
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behind the bar. Another antidy he's said to be present
in the basement is, as Dana Nwkirk described it for
Week and Weird, a featureless shadow man, as one paranormal
group describes it. Supposedly, if you stay near the basement
long enough, a dark figure may creep into your personal
space before slinking back down to the depths of the basement.
(18:18):
Sounds like a very pleasant space, right, Well, don't take
my word for it, because up next we do have
Don Reikerd of Friends of the White Hill Mansion joining us,
and she's ready to share what she knows of the
paranormal activity in the mansion. And there's a lot to
go over that is coming up after the break. All right.
(18:47):
I am currently joined by Don Reikerd, who is the
president of the Friends of the White Hill Mansion. And correct, Don,
that is correct, So thank you so much for joining me.
I have been to the mansion in one time. I
was there for a couple of nights, though, so I
have seen it in person. It looks like it should
(19:08):
be very very haunted, you know, as soon as you
kind of pull up. It is a very ominous looking building.
But the history is just fascinating. So I can see
why you guys are working so tirelessly to make sure
that it is saved in some form.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Yeah, thank you. It's a lot of work, but it's
a liberal of love.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
I can imagine. It's the history. To me, it's probably
one of the more historic historically diverse mansions I have
investigated because so much has gone on there and also
obviously a lot of paranormal activity as well. So for you,
how long have you been involved with the mansion.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I first came across the mansion in two thousand and ten.
I became a volunteer not long afterwards. But the first
time I was there, I actually experienced paranormi life activity.
So between that and the history and just the challenge
of historical renovations, that was that I was hooked between
(20:08):
those three things.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
So I like that. You know, many times someone would
experience something paranormal and say, you know, peace out, you know,
but in your case, that was one of the things
that got you more interested. What was that first experience?
Speaker 2 (20:23):
My very first one was on the main stairway. I
was walking up there and I heard a female voice.
It sounded like French to me, And when I asked
the historian at the time, she told me that mary
Field spoke English and French, and when the Hessians occupied
her house, they spoke German and French. So the only
(20:43):
form of communication during that time period was of course French.
So I found that very interesting.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
That is really interesting. Have you brought in people who
speak French to see if that gets a reaction from
the spirits.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
We actually have not. I started studying French about six
months ago, so I am hoping to try my new
skills at the house at some point.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah, it's time to time to get into that Rosetta
Stone program or whatever. You uh, you know, I've found
a few times over the years that, uh, you know,
people ask us all the time why you go into
a place speaking English when you know that the spirits
potentially spoke another language. You know, some people theorize that
there is this idea of universal consciousness where spirits can
(21:29):
somehow communicate in different languages when they pass on. But
other times it seems like we need to bring in
an interpreter. So I know we've done that a few
times over the years. We've brought in Spanish interpreters, We've
brought in We've brought it a Polish speaking person a
few times on cases, and it does work. So I'd
be curious to know what happens. So, yeah, you had
(21:51):
that first experience, and what what else do people encounter there? Like,
what would you say are the more kind of regular
occurrences that happen.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Oh my goodness. I think with any place it tends
to fluctuate. But the most common art experiences in the basement.
You know, we don't have any actual historic proof that
there was mob activity in the house, but anytime you
have an illegal undertaking, say like running illegal liquor, there's
(22:24):
a good chance that you might have mob activity around it.
And it definitely seems like if you've ever communicated with
the spirit's done in the basement, it does seem like
there's a connection there. And that's one of the more
common interactions is down there. And of course there's a
little child on the second floor that many people have
heard running up and down the hallway. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
No, that basement, now that's the area. It's like it's
a bar right downstairs. Yeah, so I do remember that.
And if there was ever a prohibition area looking or
era looking bar, that is it. Yes, you go down
there and you can almost see, you know, mobsters like
gathering around tables down there and playing cards. It just
(23:09):
it looks so like the stereotypical kind of hideout, and
it does feel that way too. It feels kind of
oppressive down there, a little bit like it doesn't feel completely.
You don't feel completely at ease in that area. And
you know, I went down there by myself a few times,
just helping to set up equipment, and every time I
found myself kind of rushing to get out of there.
(23:31):
Is that common?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Absolutely? Do you feel like you're being launched? Oh?
Speaker 1 (23:35):
Totally, absolutely, And especially when I was alone, And you know,
I'm when I'm investigating, I'm one of those people where
I try to really pay attention to the feelings I'm having.
I don't necessarily think that I'm psychic, but I do
think I'm pretty empathetic or you know, I think I
can feel other people's emotions, just like someone standing in
front of me. And every time I went down there
(23:56):
by myself, I was very quick to vacate the area.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Yes, ma'am, it's very common. He's threatened me a few times,
so I've gotten into the habit of not going down
there by myself. But if the most dominant spirit down there,
if he's in the mood to do something, it doesn't
matter if there's ten people down there or one, He's
going to do what he does.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
So did what do you say he threatened you? What
does he do.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
The first experience I had was when I had run
downstairs to get a screwdriver behind the bar, and when
I had run down there, I leaned over to open
up the drawer and a vase that was on the
counter hit the wall next to me. So I didn't
actually see it fly in the air, but I did
see it just mess my head and we tried to
(24:46):
debunk it as many ways as we can. And I
don't know if you remember that bar, but there's lips
on both sides of the bar, yes, so it's kind
of hard even if jump up and down to get
it to fall over. So how it flew across the room,
I'm not sure. But I was given a tour in
front of fifteen people were in a necklace and I
(25:08):
could feel pressure on the back of my neck while
I was talking, and I just ignore it. If I'm
having paranormal activity, well, given a tour, I ignore it
because I don't want people to think I'm making it
up as for a better experience. And then all of
a sudden, the necklace broke and the beads went flying everywhere,
and I'm trying to stay calm and just keep talking.
(25:30):
And of course the tour was like, excuse me, lady,
what just happened there? So it doesn't matter who I'm with.
If it happens, it just happens. And very recently, I
was down there for a meeting. So I was with
other people and I was sitting in one of the
chairs at the table and I got hit on the
top of the head so hard I thought the ceiling
fell on my head.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Oh no, See, that's disturbing type of act, Like there's
clearly something or someone down there who does not appreciate
your presence. I don't know if this is, you know,
someone who who doesn't like women in particular, or does
this person pick on anyone of any gender.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Well, I have a guest, I have a friend with channels.
So I was so curious about this, we'll say gentleman.
And I was actually lucky enough to interview him twice,
believe it or not. And yeah, it's basically me. He
doesn't like me, and the reason was he said that
I have come closest to his secret, which is really intriguing.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Okay, and so we're not quite sure who this gentleman is.
Do you have any ideas as you ever said a
name or anything he has it was.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Kind of like I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. It's
up to him if he wants to tell people. But
it was like like a Jimmy the Nose kind of name.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Okay, and now have you been? I mean, obviously this
is what's always interesting in these kind of locations, like
there's not records of a lot of folks.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Right, and especially out of that era.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Correct. Yeah, I'm assuming you haven't found any records of
this name matching someone.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
No, not, we haven't had any success. He did tell
us that he was from Wichita, and he doesn't like
being there, and he's very angry about being there. So
I don't know why he stays. He just kind of grumbles.
And I said, one time I asked him a question,
he told me to shut up or he'd smash a
(27:29):
bottle over my head.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Oh wow, he sounds like a very pleasant fellow.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yes. And what's very interesting is I was given a
tour at one time, and I had a gentleman who
was about eighty years old, seventy eighty, and he said, well,
he was a kid, his grandfather used to take him
fishing on the Delaware River. And his grandfather pointing it
up to the house and said, see that house, they
used to shine high people there in the nineteen thirties.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Now, I don't know if that's true, but that's really
disturbing if it is.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah, I mean that kind of activity. Like I mean,
we always theorize that spirits like that are staying behind
for some sort of reason. You know, it's usually some
sort of unfinished business. I talk about this a lot,
but you know, people always like, why don't you cross
them over? And a lot of times these folks don't
want to move on, or they can't move on until
(28:20):
they figure out their own kind of issues. He doesn't
sound like someone anyone would really want to help per se,
you know, and so he's probably not going to be
able to figure this out anytime soon, in my opinion.
But it's so interesting that those are the experiences you
have done there, because I felt that so strongly in
(28:41):
that area. And I'm assuming these happened day or night.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Correct, Oh, correct, Yeah, doesn't matter what time you're there.
When it happens, it happens.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Yeah. And now have you ever had any people that
come in for like a tour or anything who go
in that area and decide they are done, like they've
had to leave or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Not usually done a tour because if you've been down there,
it's kind of a cool area. So if it is
light hearted, especially if he's not there, it's actually a
light hearted kind of space. But I have had people
on the second floor not even finish the tour and leave.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Oh okay, And now why do you think that is?
Is that? Did they see something? Is it a feeling?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Well, a couple times it was a voice. So at
one point we were in the area. Do you remember
where Adam heard the music? Yes on the episode in
that area, and I was talking and I just said,
you know, we suspect that there was a servant in
this area. And apparently the servant answered and said, yes,
he was there, And when the tour heard it, they said, yeah,
(29:51):
we're done.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
That was enough. Disembodied voices are very strange because they
come out of literally they come out thin air. They
you can hear and detect them from where a mouth
would be if someone were to be standing right in
front of you talking, and it just makes the hair
on the back of your neck stand up because your body,
(30:15):
your being knows there's something very unnatural about that. So
I could see an entire tour group just being like,
we're done here, thank you. I was lovely.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Yeah. I think you never forget your first disembodied voice.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
No, no, I'd still to this day, Disembodied voices and
being touched are to types of paranormal activity that I
really just they're not my favorite. You know, sometimes people
get very excited when these things happen, but for some reason,
disembodied voices just really creep me out, Like I am
(30:49):
thankful when they happen, and I do you know, I
take stock in them during the investigation, but if they're
like right in front of me, it's a lot. I
get a little shake And still to this day.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Yeah, you don't want to hang out there a lot
because it's it's extremely common. I don't know why, but
it's very common just to hear voices. Right. My husband
was My husband was there last week and he was
doing some work down in the basement. He said he
heard so much talking he actually stopped and walked up
the stairs to look around to see who was there.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Yeah, and I've heard that's kind of an experience people
have there where they'll hear just people kind of going
about their business on other floors or in other rooms,
and they might think that it's an actual living person,
but they go to investigate and the space is empty.
So is that common.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
I've heard it a few times where I don't know
if it was dinner conversation, because of course it was
a restaurant for over fifty years, but it just sounds
like murmuring. You can't really make out what's being said.
It's like a conversation a couple of rooms over. I've
even talked to the police department who have been there
on occasions, who have investigated, you know, sounds coming from
(32:00):
another room and haven't been able to find them.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Now, do I am I remembering correctly that the police
have been called there because of activity a few times
or something like that. Yes, as a matter.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Of fact, I think it was last year. I was
talking to the police, the chief of police, and they
were doing a surveillance and he said that he saw
a light on in one of the windows. He said,
we were going to go in and investigate, but we figured
you just up the lamp on and I don't have
a lamp near any of the windows, So I said
which window? He pointed up to the third floor, and
(32:39):
I said, there's no electricity on the third floor, and
he said to me, because I'm never going to that house.
But we've been called there, you know. Sometimes we have
break ins and a lot of times the police will
just hang out. I'm like, do you want me to
go first? You have the guns, you want me to
go first. And that's kind of common because I think
they have been called there before in the past, and
(33:02):
I don't think anybody's too comfortable going in there by themselves.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
No. I mean, I always find stories from law enforcement
to be fascinating because they they always have some they
have some pretty wild experiences that they're not always really
comfortable sharing with the public, but they'll tell me, you know,
they'll come to events and things, and I feel like
I do remember that. I think even when we were
there filming, the police stopped by a few times.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
They do. They're very wonderful and keep an our eye
in the house for us.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
That's great. I mean, I think you need that too.
I mean that community aspect to protect that place, because
like I said, when you roll up on it, it
does look abandoned, and so if you didn't know better,
you'd think you could just kind of you know, Jimmy
open that back door or something.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Yeah, it's been done before. I think there's been break
ins in every side of that house. Unfortunately, sometimes they
destroy stuff. And now that we have cameras, alarm system
and lights, it's helped a lot. That's all times. Yeah,
we'll see kids hanging out and we'll just set the
alarm off just to keep on moving on their way.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Right, I mean that's a big thing too, once you
find out if place is haunted, or it kind of
gets out there that it's haunted. And not that I
did this, I actually I absolutely did. But as a teenager,
you know, there's a lot of daring involved, and kids
get ideas in their heads and they want to get
into these places. They don't really think it through. Thankfully,
(34:31):
there weren't as many cameras and things as when I
was a kid.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Yeah, and I'm sure, I'm sure most of the break
ins were just kids just trying to have an experience.
And right, you know, I've even seen kids hanging out
and said listen, I'll give you a tour if you
want to see what it's like.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
That's a really good tactic, honestly, you know, just kind
of let them in to see it and kind of,
you know, get their curiosity fulfilled so they don't try
to break into it later. Now, okay, so we've talked
about tours and talked about your husband's recent experience. What
(35:09):
would you say is maybe kind of the more I mean,
you've obviously had some pretty extreme things happen, but what
are some of the more kind of extreme stories that
have come out of the mansion that you've heard over
the years as far as paranormal activity.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Well, the newest thing is sightings of the Crawley thing
up in the attic.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Oh, one of those.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Yes, I I've never had the pleasure think that, yess.
But there have been a couple of people that have
seen like a shadow crawling across the floor in the
one road. Luckily never while they're in the room. Usually
when they're in across the hall looking into the room,
they'll see something moving in there. So, yes, I've never
had the pleasure.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
You know. I will say, and I've said this before
on the show, that some of these places, for some reason,
when they start to be investigated more, these crawlers start appearing.
That's what they call them as crawlers. They're not usually
a phenomenon that you see in locations that are not
(36:09):
investigated on the regular And yeah, and we kind of
theorize that they are this almost embodiment of the energy
that investigators and people coming in to ghost hunt create
because they come into a location over and over again,
(36:31):
you know, and they walk in there. Sometimes they're nervous,
sometimes they're excited. They talk about the kind of deaths
that have happened there over and over again, and there's
just something about that energy. And just as these years
have gone by, more and more of these are appearing.
And like, I could be completely off base here as
(36:53):
to where they're coming from, but they're not something that
people report when they first start investigating a place. They
kind of come like form over time. And so it's
definitely something I want to kind of study a little
bit more because we've been able to get rid of
them in a couple places by kind of counteracting that
energy and bringing like a more positive energy into a place,
(37:18):
because they can sometimes become stronger and bigger and more powerful.
They don't really touch people, but they're creepy, I can imagine.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
And your story makes sense because I haven't had the
claims until recently within last two years.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Yeah, and I know you guys do pretty regular investigations there, right, correct. Yeah,
And I think it's really important to note that investigations
in some of these locations are really a great form
of revenue to help save these places. Yes, so I'm thinking, like,
(37:58):
I think it's great that you guys are able to
do that and open to that, because I think a
lot of historical locations, not a lot, but if you
are kind of closed off to the idea of investigating
in ghosts, and you know, obviously it gives the ghosts
a chance to interact, but it also can you know,
bring in much needed revenue and exposure and history to
(38:20):
the general public. So kudos to you guys for that.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Ah, thank you. I know that would I go to
these history projects or I'm also taking class in historic preservation.
When I first started doing that, you know, they would
clutch their pearls, you know, get the vapors over having
ghost haunts, But when you explain them, that's the only
way that we can make money for matching grants, and
(38:45):
that's our main revenue, and the public likes it, and
it's also a good way to introduce the history. They
they're interested in ghosts. Well, you can't really investigate ghosts
if you don't know what happened to bring the ghosts there.
So it's a great way to to use it as
a teaching tool. But I think in the historic area
it wasn't accepted for a really long time. You weren't
(39:08):
considered like a proper place if you did the ghost homes.
And I think that's starting to change as they understand
that it's also part of a cultural heritage to have
people to come in there and experience these kind of things.
So I think it's a lot more acceptable now than
it was ten years ago.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Absolutely. It's funny. Years ago, the Mark Twain House invited
Adam and I to do kind of a round table
discussion with a number of historical societies and locations to
kind of talk about the benefits of including the paranormal
in their in their schedules or what have you, or
(39:46):
their programs, and it was nice. It was nice to
be able to kind of explain that you're reaching a
different generation. Really, you know, it's unfortunately not a lot
of teenagers are walking into His Oracle societies these days
summing through these things. But you introduce the idea of
the paranormal and ghost hunting, and suddenly they are taking
(40:08):
an interest. And you know, that's how I got into
the whole paranormal research thing. My dad tricked me and
took me to hunted places and then taught me the history.
You know, So that is so cool. Yeah, I think that.
I think that's really great. But this history at this
place in particular, it ranges from very dark and mysterious
(40:29):
to very positive and light, and so I imagine that
the spirits that you interact with kind of cover that
gamut as well.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Right, That's one of the things that find so fascinating.
A lot of houses if you go to they'll have
one erow word important person live there. But I mean
that land goes back. Some of the hauntings go back
to the sixteen hundreds, and then of course we're known
as a Revolutionary War house, but innovators, and there's so
much stuff going on through the Victorian times and then
(41:00):
of course everybody wants to talk about the speakeasy and
the Prohibition era, but I find the Victorian times really
fascinating because that time period at the house, there was
a different family there every decade, right, so people have
seen a Victorian lady in the whole way, whom I
think is different from the other Victorian lady that we've
spoken to in other parts of the house. One is older,
(41:22):
one is younger, so that's always interesting to try to
figure out. And then of course there's been a gentleman
who's been seen in the window waiting to people, which
is curious. I haven't had the pleasure of having him
wave to me, but from the description he seems to
be of that area too, with a long white beard
and kind of mutton chop sideburns on the side.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
So I think I feel like I remember us setting
up a camera trying to capture that goes from outside.
So now do you know offhand if before like when
this was operating as the restaurant and everything years ago,
to do they have any hauntings? Do people remember it
having a haunted reputation even back then.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
Well that was the challenge when I first started, because
I had so many experiences there and I kept thinking
I can't be the only one. The last owner of
the house, who left in nineteen ninety two would send
me messages saying stop telling people the house is haunted.
It's not. But I have since had people that worked
for her on my tours, waiters, dishwashers, bartenders who used
(42:29):
to work there that did have experiences that told me
about it. And when I talked to mister Glink, who
opened the restaurant in the nineteen twenties, his grandson lives
next door in the carriage house, and one of the
conversations I had with him was, Oh, yeah, they tell
me that my grandfather haunts the attic. So there had
to been stories before the two thousands.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
Right see. I find that and I love hearing about
kind of how hauntings have progressed or how they've been
perceived over the years. Now I do remember when I
was there. I have to ask about this. Do you
think there's a tunnel? I heard there was a tunnel
potentially from the house to the down to the water.
(43:12):
Do you think that exists?
Speaker 2 (43:14):
We believe that there was two, so we do know
of one that's definitely was there. The archaeologists during one
of our digs in twenty thirteen, discovered the path of
one of the tunnels, and we do believe that there's
one on the other side of the house that would
have gone down to the wharf. Which is on the
(43:34):
other side of the train tracks, so it's kind of
dangerous to get to now, but we do think we
figured it probably collapsed somewhere between nineteen sixties nineteen seventies,
and that timeframe in the area was brioked over for
safety reasons.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
Ah, got it. Yeah, you can see it. Like I'm
just I find old tunnels to be so interesting and mysterious.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Yes, well, this is very interesting. We have been awarded
another grant to do an archaeology dig, so we work
in conjunction with Mammath University and this time around they're
going to use ground penetrating radar. One reason is we
don't know where the family's buried. And also Annis Bludenet
(44:17):
Stockton died in the house in eighteen oh one and
for some reason she is not buried with her husband,
Richard Stockton and Princeton, So that's strange. So I've got
people writing me all over the country at times. You know,
do you know where she's buried? Nope, So it would
be really interesting to find that out. And there were
(44:37):
also trying to track the second tunnel.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
That's exciting. I mean I think that the more information
you can find, I think that's going to be, you know,
very helpful for you, but also very helpful for your ghosts,
you know. And as you're investigating, I'm so curious to know,
like what will happen with the activity when you start
doing that work there? Yeah, oh boy, you'll have to
keep me posted. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
Absolutely. And my little friend in the basement, he seems
to be guarding something near the tunnel entrance. Maybe it's him, Yeah, right,
I don't know, but it would be fascinating if they
found something in that era. And if they did, what
would his reaction be? Yeah, that'll be very interesting.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
That is wild. Okay, So tell us, like, if people
want to support the mansion, if they want to visit
the mansion, what do they need to do?
Speaker 2 (45:26):
You can go to White House Mansion dot org. Donation
help us very much. If you see the house, you
can see that there's a lot of work to be done.
But we feel that this house is very important to
American history, not just the history of New Jersey and
the Revolutionary War, but there's very few stories about women
from the Revolutionary War, and we feel that her story
(45:49):
is really important and in order to tell her story,
we really need to save her house. Yeah, so if
anybody's willing to donate, that's wonderful. We do have tours
monthly to teach the hit history, and of course there
are some ghost hunting opportunities out there too.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
That is awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking
the time to chat with me today. I do you
find the mansion to be so fascinating. I hope to
be able to visit it very soon. I'm going to
be in the area in the fall doing some talks,
so I might have to stop by.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Yes, please, that'd be wonderful.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
Awesome, Well, thank you so much, don I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
The White Hill Mansion has had so many identities and
an incredibly rich history. It's no wonder it's haunted. I
love watching the friends of the White Hill Mansion breathe
new life into the location, and they could very much
use your help if you've taken an interest, because with
everything that's happened there in the last three hundred years,
imagine what the next three hundred years holds for that
(46:54):
majestic old mansion. I'm Amy Brunney and this was haunted road. Hey, friends,
believe it or not, My life with the afterlife true
Tales of the Paranormal Fall speaking tour is already very
much filling up, and dates are posted on my website
at Amybrune dot com. If you're interested in seeing me
(47:15):
in person and in some venues or at any conventions
or strange escapes that may be near you, please visit
that event's calendar to see if I'll be anywhere in
your neck of the woods. I would love to get
spooky with you again. That is Amybrooney dot com. Haunted
Road is hosted and written by me Amy Brune, with
(47:36):
additional research by Taylor Haggerdorn and Cassandra de Alba. This
show is edited and produced by Rema El Kali, with
supervising producer Josh Thain and executive producers Aaron Menke, Alex Williams,
and Matt Frederick. Haunted Road is a production of iHeartRadio
and Grim and Mild from Aaronmanky. Learn more about this
(47:56):
show over at Grimanmild dot com, and for more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Haunted Road, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm
and Mild from Aaron Manky listener. Discretion is advised sitting
at the end of a long, tree lined driveway. The
White Hill Mansion in Fieldsborough, New Jersey has always held secrets.
During the American Revolution, the home concealed colonial troops from
(00:25):
British and German forces. Later, political leaders use tucked away
upstairs spaces for clandestine rendezvous. The attic once held a bordello,
and when one of the owners was arrested for bootlegging
during Prohibition, officials found more than one thousand gallons of
liquor hidden on the property. Today, the secrets of the
(00:46):
White Hill Mansion are different. They come from darkened corners
where voices call out when no one is there. They
shuffle up the stairs at night, in visible footsteps on
empty staircases. They even come from above the studding sounds
from higher floors that some have described as reminiscent of
a body being dragged across a floor. I'm Amy Bruney,
(01:09):
and this is Haunted Road. In seventeen twenty two, Robert
Field purchased three hundred acres of land in Whitehill, a Borough,
near Trenton, New Jersey. Almost twenty years later, he built
a Georgian style home on the property, the beginnings of
(01:31):
the White Hill Mansion that sits there today. Field's son,
Robert Field the second, inherited the property in seventeen fifty seven.
A prominent lawyer, Robert the second expanded the home and
established more businesses on the property, not only a farm
and orchard, but also a fishery and distillery. Robert and
his wife Mary Peel Field had seven children, although only
(01:54):
three Lydia, Mary and Robert lived to see adulthood. As
the businesses prospered, Robert's profile grew in the community. In
seventeen seventy four, he was appointed to the Committee of
Correspondence of New Jersey, which was attempting to get American
representation in the British Parliament. Field even wrote some of
(02:14):
their material himself. On the night of January twenty ninth,
seventeen seventy five, Robert Field the second drowned in the
nearby Delaware River under very mysterious circumstances. It's believed that
the boat was being rowed by a British sympathizer, either
a spy for King George or a loyalist. The boat'smen
allegedly hit Robert in the head with an oar, knocking
(02:37):
him unconscious, and threw him in the river. Some have
speculated that Field had discovered that the man was a
spy and was planning to turn him in. According to
a contemporary newspaper report in Dunlap and Claypool's American Daily Advertiser,
Robert was going in a canoe on board his shallop
when he unfortunately fell over and was drowned. He had
(02:58):
only his companion with him, whose threw over the paddle
to him, but mister Field sunk immediately. By this untimely accident,
his relations, friends and neighbors have lost a worthy and
agreeable companion. The Fields were slave owners, so it's likely
that the man in the boat was enslaved by him.
According to a family genealogy reported through the National Register
(03:19):
of Historic Places, his death has always been involved in mystery.
He was going down to Philadelphia from his home at
Whitehill on a sloop. He left the sloop for a
few hours during a calm and went on shore to
call on a pioneer. When the wind arose at twelve
o'clock at night, the captain sent a rowboat for him,
attended by one man. When the boat reached the sloop,
(03:40):
he was missing and was never heard from again, although
every effort was made to recover his body. Mary peel
Field was five months pregnant with their seventh child at
the time of Robert's death. The following year, in seventeen
seventy six, Mary had a notable dinner guest, the American
(04:04):
Navy's Captain Tom Houston. This led to her neighbors reporting
her as a colonial sympathizer. Shortly after, the British Army
searched the home for colonial soldiers. Some historians believe that
she was hiding them, likely in the house's attic or basement,
but none were ever discovered. To aid in his efforts
to maintain control of the American colonies, King George enlisted
(04:26):
military support from principalities around what would later become the
unified country of Germany. About half the soldiers for hire
came from the hess Castle regions, so in America the
troops became known as the Hessian Army. On December twelfth,
seventeen seventy six, the Hessian Armies Captain Rendon made Whitehill
Mansion his temporary headquarters, but despite her likely alignment with
(04:50):
the other side, Mary maintained a level of civility with
the Hessians during this time. She was visited several times
by Hessian Colonel Carl von Donlop, who wrote an ensuring
the protection of the field property during the war. Von
Dunlop's safeguards meant that, according to the National Registry of
Historic Places, although many houses in the area surrounding Whitehill
(05:11):
were ravaged, the farms stripped of their crops and their
outbuildings disassembled and carried off as firewood, Whitehill was spared.
According to Loretta Kelly, a long time preservationist at the mansion,
a lot of the houses along the river were burned down,
but whoever showed up at Mary's door was her best friend.
She knew how to play both ends against the middle.
(05:32):
After American troops defeated the Hessian forces during the holiday season,
most notably the victory at Tritton when Washington crossed the Delaware,
Captain Rendon left the mansion. In seventeen seventy eight, British
troops occupied the mansion while they searched for commodore John
Berry of the US Navy, who had been staying there
at the time. In seventeen seventy nine, Mary peel Field
(05:55):
married Commodore Thomas Reid of the Pennsylvania Navy, who made
Whitehill his head county seat. The same year, she helped
Commodore John Berry evade capture by British forces. In the
following decade, Mary's mother and husband died in the mansion,
and she signed ownership over to her son, Robert Field
the third and his wife, Abigail. Abigail two had a
(06:18):
strong connection to American independence. Her father, Richard Stockton, was
a signer of the Declaration of Independence from what was
then the New Jersey Colony, and he also helped to
establish Princeton University. Robert third and Abigail had six children.
It was this Field Hare who created Whitehill Mansion as
it is today, connecting the buildings on the property to
(06:40):
create a single two story structure. The home is brick
with white trim, with three chimneys rising from the roof.
If you visit today you can see the precise places
this happened inside the home. Abigail's mother, Annis died in
the home in eighteen oh one. Robert lost the home
in eighteen o four when up for sale due to
(07:01):
his squandering of the family's money on entertainment and expensive possessions,
according to the mansion's history. Two years later, Abigail's brother
Richard bought Whitehill to help the Field save face. He
allowed Robert and Abigail to stay in the house, where
they would live until his death in eighteen fifty. The
borough of Whitehill was officially renamed Fieldsborough after the Field family.
(07:24):
After Robert and Abigail died, the home went through many
owners and many different uses. David Bruce Senior bought Whitehill
Mansion in eighteen twenty one. His son, David Bruce Junior,
invented a new type casting machine in the attic of
the house and new typefaces, including a version of Today's
Times Roman. In the late eighteen hundreds, potter and saramacist
(07:47):
Joseph Mayer lived in the home and built a kill
in the basement. He invented several new pottery techniques while
living at Whitehill Mansion. In eighteen ninety five, industrialist Joseph
Crossley purchased the mansion. His son, Archibald, born in eighteen
ninety seven, would be the last baby to be born
in the home. Archibald Crossley would go on to be
(08:08):
one of the developers of the political Opinion poll. This
is when the history of White Hill Mansion starts to
get really mysterious. When the Crossleys moved out in nineteen eleven,
they sold the house to a woman named Susannah Graham
for the sum of one dollar, but there are no
historical records of who Graham was. The house was subsequently
(08:29):
abandoned and squatters moved in. During this time, the mansion
became a bordello, with sliding doors built to conceal secret
stairways and the attics sectioned off into several rooms. In
nineteen twenty three, Heinrich and Katrina glenk purchased the property,
(08:50):
turning the space into an upscale German restaurant, which became
a favorite among political and distinguished guests. As the mansion's
history describes it, over the years, the establishment went by
several names, including the Mansion, Glank's Mansion House, and the
White Hill Mansion Restaurant. In the tradition of Mary peel
(09:10):
Field's neutrality, the Glanks hosted both Republican and Democratic politicians.
Although it was a favorite hangout of the gop. According
to their grandson, John, my grandmother was a Republican and
a Democrat, depending on who was in the restaurant. Even
after the wars were over, the mansion continued to be
the site of important moments in American history. The building
(09:34):
of the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate two ninety five
was supposedly negotiated by politicians while at the Mansion House.
During Prohibition, the restaurant continued to serve alcohol, with the
Glanks adding a bar to the basement of the home
by digging out an additional two feet of depth in
the cellar floor. Heinrich was allegedly a bootlegger. He was
(09:55):
arrested for this in nineteen twenty four, but it's unclear
whether he served jail time. According to the National Register
of Historic Places, the charges read seized one thousand gallons
of liquor. Large quantities of beer, wine, and whiskey were
found at various places along the Delaware. Heinrich likely used
a tunnel in the basement of the home, which leads
(10:17):
down to the river, to smuggle his contraband in and out.
It's unproven but suspected that the restaurant had mob tied
during this period. It's also said that local politicians would
use upstairs rooms to meet their mistresses. By this point,
Meryfield's former bedroom had been converted into a private dining
room where guests could ring a buzzer when they wanted service.
(10:41):
Heinrich died in nineteen fifty two, but the restaurants stayed
in the family until nineteen seventy two, when Katrina sold it. Eventually,
White Hill Mansion found its way into the hands of
the Steppin Chemical Company, which has a plant adjacent to
the property. It bought the mansion and its surrounding seven
acres with the aim of turning it into corporate offices,
(11:02):
but abandoned the project due to cost. For almost a decade,
the home sat abandoned and neglected until the Borough of
Fieldsboro bought the mansion in nineteen ninety nine. Preservation efforts
began in two thousand and four, and the home is
listed as a state registered Historic Place in twenty twelve.
It's now run by the Friends of Whitehill Mansion, which
(11:25):
offer historic tours and is renovating the rundown property. Although
Whitehill Mansion has seen better days in some ways, it's
still as grand as it was in its heyday. It
sits on a bluff high above the Delaware River, surrounded
by trees. Walking through the mansion, it's easy to see
(11:47):
all the phases of its history. There's the speakeasy basement
and the bordello attic, but there is more than that,
especially in its blend of architectural styles. The original mid
seventeen hundreds building was erected in the Georgian style, and
that brickwork is still very evident today, But late eighteen
hundreds editions were made in the Greek Revival and Queen
(12:09):
Anne Shingle styles, adding dormers to the roof, ironwork, and
other Gothic details. The most modern portion of the building
is a single story dining room with a flat roof
added around nineteen sixty. Once you make your way down
the long driveway and through the trees, you'll first encounter
a covered porch built in the early twentieth century, which
(12:29):
protects the nineteenth century main entry to the house. Walk inside,
and you'll be greeted by a central hall with an
ornate circa eighteen ninety six staircase. The first floor features
the circa seventeen sixty parlor, two other sitting rooms, the
nineteen sixties dining room with a wall of windows overlooking
the delaware, and the kitchen rooms. The second floor features
(12:52):
multiple bedrooms, the nursery, several bathrooms, and another kitchen. The
original primary bedroom was cut up during the restaurant era
to additionally accommodate a lady's room and a coat room.
In addition to the main access to the attic, a
hidden staircase from one of the bathrooms provides access to
the bordello rooms Upstairs. The attic is divided into a
(13:13):
number of rooms, including a living room and a bedroom
used by members of the glenk family, and two small
rooms probably used by the bordello. The basement of the
mansion was constructed in several stages in the seventeen hundreds
and eighteen hundreds. It still features the Prohibition era bar,
with green carpeting and wood paneling over the original stone walls.
(13:34):
Archaeological excavations in twenty eleven and twenty thirteen revealed the
remains of the original seventeen twenty two home and evidence
of a collapsed tunnel leading from the house to the river.
The tunnels would have been used to get supplies from
the river and to access the ferry there, as the
home is on a forty foot bluff above the water.
They were also likely where Mary Peel Fields directed Colonial
(13:56):
soldiers to hide during the Revolutionary War. That the tunnels
may have also been used as part of the underground railroad.
The digs also revealed Native American artifacts from Illnape Winter
settlement in pre colonial days and eighteenth century items used
by the Field family. There are remnants of the past
(14:19):
that are easy to find, and then there are the
ghosts of the mansion's past lives that people report experiencing
in different, decidedly more spooky ways. Reports of hauntings at
White Hill Mansion date to when the building operated as
a restaurant. In Passport to the Paranormal, Rich Newman writes
that patrons began to hear ghostly footsteps, see objects moving
(14:41):
around in the dining room, and even see shadowy figures
scooting around the restaurant. Lights in the mansion are said
to turn on and off without cause, and tour guides
in the mansion have described the feeling of being watched
when no one is around. They also report unexplained noises
of what some say are invisible footsteps on the stairs
(15:02):
at night, and of heavy objects, perhaps even a body
being dragged across the floor in the attic. Some believe
that the spirit of a woman who was involved in
sex work, possibly against her will, is present in the
attic as well. Disembodied voices and sounds have been reported
throughout the house, including the claim of one investigator who
says he heard the voice of a woman asking him
(15:23):
to introduce himself. The apparition of an unknown man has
also been reported on one of the house's staircases. The
sounds of children playing have been heard in what was
once the nursery. On one paranormal television show, investigators claim
to have seen a quickly moving childlike apparition flying around
corners and between floors. This is said by some to
(15:45):
be the ghosts of Samuel Field, Mary's son who died
in childhood. Those who lived and worked in the home
make frequent appearances in paranormal investigations, some saying they've heard
the voice of Heinrich Glank coming from the attic. Others
claim to have made contact with a talkative ghost believed
to be a former servant on the property. Thomas Reid,
(16:07):
Mary Peelfield's second husband, has been heard on EVPs. Mary
herself seated at a desk and writing a letter has
been reported in the parlor on the first floor of
the mansion, and women and children sometimes report the sensation
of having their hands touched or grabbed in that room.
Garden State ghost hunters report that the ghost of a
(16:28):
woman named Dolly, who was married at the mansion and
still wears her wedding dress, is present on the property.
This may be the Glenk's daughter, Magdalena Dolly Billingham, who
lived and worked at the establishment for many years and
was photographed in the mansion in her wedding dress in
nineteen thirty six. Dolly lived in some of the attic
rooms believed to have been a bordello. A tub in
(16:51):
the second floor bathroom, which some call the Bloody Bathroom
or the Bloody Bathtub, is said to be haunted. People
who climb into the bathtub blind it hard to climb out,
saying that it feels as if a weight is holding
them down. It's alleged that a man either committed suicide
or had his throat slit in it, but there's no
evidence of a murder or suicide on the property. According
(17:13):
to a Princeton Info article written by Suzanne van Dongen,
people who are really sensitive and or psychic have come
in this room and said that bathtub is full of blood.
It's possible the bloody Bathroom moniker stems from the red
trim on the walls of the room and the story
was created from there. The basement bar is said to
be home to poltergeist activity. Items will suddenly move on
(17:36):
their own, either sliding across the bar or being thrown.
Don Reicherd of the Friends of the White Hill Mansion
claims to have had a plastic vase thrown at her,
nearly hitting her in the head. In the basement, one
tour guide had the experience of her necklace suddenly snapping,
sending beads flying while she was behind the bar. The
spirit there is said to dislike it when anyone comes
(17:58):
behind the bar. Another antidy he's said to be present
in the basement is, as Dana Nwkirk described it for
Week and Weird, a featureless shadow man, as one paranormal
group describes it. Supposedly, if you stay near the basement
long enough, a dark figure may creep into your personal
space before slinking back down to the depths of the basement.
(18:18):
Sounds like a very pleasant space, right, Well, don't take
my word for it, because up next we do have
Don Reikerd of Friends of the White Hill Mansion joining us,
and she's ready to share what she knows of the
paranormal activity in the mansion. And there's a lot to
go over that is coming up after the break. All right.
(18:47):
I am currently joined by Don Reikerd, who is the
president of the Friends of the White Hill Mansion. And correct, Don,
that is correct, So thank you so much for joining me.
I have been to the mansion in one time. I
was there for a couple of nights, though, so I
have seen it in person. It looks like it should
(19:08):
be very very haunted, you know, as soon as you
kind of pull up. It is a very ominous looking building.
But the history is just fascinating. So I can see
why you guys are working so tirelessly to make sure
that it is saved in some form.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Yeah, thank you. It's a lot of work, but it's
a liberal of love.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
I can imagine. It's the history. To me, it's probably
one of the more historic historically diverse mansions I have
investigated because so much has gone on there and also
obviously a lot of paranormal activity as well. So for you,
how long have you been involved with the mansion.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I first came across the mansion in two thousand and ten.
I became a volunteer not long afterwards. But the first
time I was there, I actually experienced paranormi life activity.
So between that and the history and just the challenge
of historical renovations, that was that I was hooked between
(20:08):
those three things.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
So I like that. You know, many times someone would
experience something paranormal and say, you know, peace out, you know,
but in your case, that was one of the things
that got you more interested. What was that first experience?
Speaker 2 (20:23):
My very first one was on the main stairway. I
was walking up there and I heard a female voice.
It sounded like French to me, And when I asked
the historian at the time, she told me that mary
Field spoke English and French, and when the Hessians occupied
her house, they spoke German and French. So the only
(20:43):
form of communication during that time period was of course French.
So I found that very interesting.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
That is really interesting. Have you brought in people who
speak French to see if that gets a reaction from
the spirits.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
We actually have not. I started studying French about six
months ago, so I am hoping to try my new
skills at the house at some point.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah, it's time to time to get into that Rosetta
Stone program or whatever. You uh, you know, I've found
a few times over the years that, uh, you know,
people ask us all the time why you go into
a place speaking English when you know that the spirits
potentially spoke another language. You know, some people theorize that
there is this idea of universal consciousness where spirits can
(21:29):
somehow communicate in different languages when they pass on. But
other times it seems like we need to bring in
an interpreter. So I know we've done that a few
times over the years. We've brought in Spanish interpreters, We've
brought in We've brought it a Polish speaking person a
few times on cases, and it does work. So I'd
be curious to know what happens. So, yeah, you had
(21:51):
that first experience, and what what else do people encounter there? Like,
what would you say are the more kind of regular
occurrences that happen.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Oh my goodness. I think with any place it tends
to fluctuate. But the most common art experiences in the basement.
You know, we don't have any actual historic proof that
there was mob activity in the house, but anytime you
have an illegal undertaking, say like running illegal liquor, there's
(22:24):
a good chance that you might have mob activity around it.
And it definitely seems like if you've ever communicated with
the spirit's done in the basement, it does seem like
there's a connection there. And that's one of the more
common interactions is down there. And of course there's a
little child on the second floor that many people have
heard running up and down the hallway. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
No, that basement, now that's the area. It's like it's
a bar right downstairs. Yeah, so I do remember that.
And if there was ever a prohibition area looking or
era looking bar, that is it. Yes, you go down
there and you can almost see, you know, mobsters like
gathering around tables down there and playing cards. It just
(23:09):
it looks so like the stereotypical kind of hideout, and
it does feel that way too. It feels kind of
oppressive down there, a little bit like it doesn't feel completely.
You don't feel completely at ease in that area. And
you know, I went down there by myself a few times,
just helping to set up equipment, and every time I
found myself kind of rushing to get out of there.
(23:31):
Is that common?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Absolutely? Do you feel like you're being launched? Oh?
Speaker 1 (23:35):
Totally, absolutely, And especially when I was alone, And you know,
I'm when I'm investigating, I'm one of those people where
I try to really pay attention to the feelings I'm having.
I don't necessarily think that I'm psychic, but I do
think I'm pretty empathetic or you know, I think I
can feel other people's emotions, just like someone standing in
front of me. And every time I went down there
(23:56):
by myself, I was very quick to vacate the area.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Yes, ma'am, it's very common. He's threatened me a few times,
so I've gotten into the habit of not going down
there by myself. But if the most dominant spirit down there,
if he's in the mood to do something, it doesn't
matter if there's ten people down there or one, He's
going to do what he does.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
So did what do you say he threatened you? What
does he do.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
The first experience I had was when I had run
downstairs to get a screwdriver behind the bar, and when
I had run down there, I leaned over to open
up the drawer and a vase that was on the
counter hit the wall next to me. So I didn't
actually see it fly in the air, but I did
see it just mess my head and we tried to
(24:46):
debunk it as many ways as we can. And I
don't know if you remember that bar, but there's lips
on both sides of the bar, yes, so it's kind
of hard even if jump up and down to get
it to fall over. So how it flew across the room,
I'm not sure. But I was given a tour in
front of fifteen people were in a necklace and I
(25:08):
could feel pressure on the back of my neck while
I was talking, and I just ignore it. If I'm
having paranormal activity, well, given a tour, I ignore it
because I don't want people to think I'm making it
up as for a better experience. And then all of
a sudden, the necklace broke and the beads went flying everywhere,
and I'm trying to stay calm and just keep talking.
(25:30):
And of course the tour was like, excuse me, lady,
what just happened there? So it doesn't matter who I'm with.
If it happens, it just happens. And very recently, I
was down there for a meeting. So I was with
other people and I was sitting in one of the
chairs at the table and I got hit on the
top of the head so hard I thought the ceiling
fell on my head.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
Oh no, See, that's disturbing type of act, Like there's
clearly something or someone down there who does not appreciate
your presence. I don't know if this is, you know,
someone who who doesn't like women in particular, or does
this person pick on anyone of any gender.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Well, I have a guest, I have a friend with channels.
So I was so curious about this, we'll say gentleman.
And I was actually lucky enough to interview him twice,
believe it or not. And yeah, it's basically me. He
doesn't like me, and the reason was he said that
I have come closest to his secret, which is really intriguing.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Okay, and so we're not quite sure who this gentleman is.
Do you have any ideas as you ever said a
name or anything he has it was.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Kind of like I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. It's
up to him if he wants to tell people. But
it was like like a Jimmy the Nose kind of name.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Okay, and now have you been? I mean, obviously this
is what's always interesting in these kind of locations, like
there's not records of a lot of folks.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Right, and especially out of that era.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Correct. Yeah, I'm assuming you haven't found any records of
this name matching someone.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
No, not, we haven't had any success. He did tell
us that he was from Wichita, and he doesn't like
being there, and he's very angry about being there. So
I don't know why he stays. He just kind of grumbles.
And I said, one time I asked him a question,
he told me to shut up or he'd smash a
(27:29):
bottle over my head.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Oh wow, he sounds like a very pleasant fellow.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yes. And what's very interesting is I was given a
tour at one time, and I had a gentleman who
was about eighty years old, seventy eighty, and he said, well,
he was a kid, his grandfather used to take him
fishing on the Delaware River. And his grandfather pointing it
up to the house and said, see that house, they
used to shine high people there in the nineteen thirties.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Now, I don't know if that's true, but that's really
disturbing if it is.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Yeah, I mean that kind of activity. Like I mean,
we always theorize that spirits like that are staying behind
for some sort of reason. You know, it's usually some
sort of unfinished business. I talk about this a lot,
but you know, people always like, why don't you cross
them over? And a lot of times these folks don't
want to move on, or they can't move on until
(28:20):
they figure out their own kind of issues. He doesn't
sound like someone anyone would really want to help per se,
you know, and so he's probably not going to be
able to figure this out anytime soon, in my opinion.
But it's so interesting that those are the experiences you
have done there, because I felt that so strongly in
(28:41):
that area. And I'm assuming these happened day or night.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Correct, Oh, correct, Yeah, doesn't matter what time you're there.
When it happens, it happens.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Yeah. And now have you ever had any people that
come in for like a tour or anything who go
in that area and decide they are done, like they've
had to leave or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Not usually done a tour because if you've been down there,
it's kind of a cool area. So if it is
light hearted, especially if he's not there, it's actually a
light hearted kind of space. But I have had people
on the second floor not even finish the tour and leave.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
Oh okay, And now why do you think that is?
Is that? Did they see something? Is it a feeling?
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Well, a couple times it was a voice. So at
one point we were in the area. Do you remember
where Adam heard the music? Yes on the episode in
that area, and I was talking and I just said,
you know, we suspect that there was a servant in
this area. And apparently the servant answered and said, yes,
he was there, And when the tour heard it, they said, yeah,
(29:51):
we're done.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
That was enough. Disembodied voices are very strange because they
come out of literally they come out thin air. They
you can hear and detect them from where a mouth
would be if someone were to be standing right in
front of you talking, and it just makes the hair
on the back of your neck stand up because your body,
(30:15):
your being knows there's something very unnatural about that. So
I could see an entire tour group just being like,
we're done here, thank you. I was lovely.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
Yeah. I think you never forget your first disembodied voice.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
No, no, I'd still to this day, Disembodied voices and
being touched are to types of paranormal activity that I
really just they're not my favorite. You know, sometimes people
get very excited when these things happen, but for some reason,
disembodied voices just really creep me out, Like I am
(30:49):
thankful when they happen, and I do you know, I
take stock in them during the investigation, but if they're
like right in front of me, it's a lot. I
get a little shake And still to this day.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Yeah, you don't want to hang out there a lot
because it's it's extremely common. I don't know why, but
it's very common just to hear voices. Right. My husband
was My husband was there last week and he was
doing some work down in the basement. He said he
heard so much talking he actually stopped and walked up
the stairs to look around to see who was there.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
Yeah, and I've heard that's kind of an experience people
have there where they'll hear just people kind of going
about their business on other floors or in other rooms,
and they might think that it's an actual living person,
but they go to investigate and the space is empty.
So is that common.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
I've heard it a few times where I don't know
if it was dinner conversation, because of course it was
a restaurant for over fifty years, but it just sounds
like murmuring. You can't really make out what's being said.
It's like a conversation a couple of rooms over. I've
even talked to the police department who have been there
on occasions, who have investigated, you know, sounds coming from
(32:00):
another room and haven't been able to find them.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Now, do I am I remembering correctly that the police
have been called there because of activity a few times
or something like that. Yes, as a matter.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Of fact, I think it was last year. I was
talking to the police, the chief of police, and they
were doing a surveillance and he said that he saw
a light on in one of the windows. He said,
we were going to go in and investigate, but we figured
you just up the lamp on and I don't have
a lamp near any of the windows, So I said
which window? He pointed up to the third floor, and
(32:39):
I said, there's no electricity on the third floor, and
he said to me, because I'm never going to that house.
But we've been called there, you know. Sometimes we have
break ins and a lot of times the police will
just hang out. I'm like, do you want me to
go first? You have the guns, you want me to
go first. And that's kind of common because I think
they have been called there before in the past, and
(33:02):
I don't think anybody's too comfortable going in there by themselves.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
No. I mean, I always find stories from law enforcement
to be fascinating because they they always have some they
have some pretty wild experiences that they're not always really
comfortable sharing with the public, but they'll tell me, you know,
they'll come to events and things, and I feel like
I do remember that. I think even when we were
there filming, the police stopped by a few times.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
They do. They're very wonderful and keep an our eye
in the house for us.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
That's great. I mean, I think you need that too.
I mean that community aspect to protect that place, because
like I said, when you roll up on it, it
does look abandoned, and so if you didn't know better,
you'd think you could just kind of you know, Jimmy
open that back door or something.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Yeah, it's been done before. I think there's been break
ins in every side of that house. Unfortunately, sometimes they
destroy stuff. And now that we have cameras, alarm system
and lights, it's helped a lot. That's all times. Yeah,
we'll see kids hanging out and we'll just set the
alarm off just to keep on moving on their way.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Right, I mean that's a big thing too, once you
find out if place is haunted, or it kind of
gets out there that it's haunted. And not that I
did this, I actually I absolutely did. But as a teenager,
you know, there's a lot of daring involved, and kids
get ideas in their heads and they want to get
into these places. They don't really think it through. Thankfully,
(34:31):
there weren't as many cameras and things as when I
was a kid.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Yeah, and I'm sure, I'm sure most of the break
ins were just kids just trying to have an experience.
And right, you know, I've even seen kids hanging out
and said listen, I'll give you a tour if you
want to see what it's like.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
That's a really good tactic, honestly, you know, just kind
of let them in to see it and kind of,
you know, get their curiosity fulfilled so they don't try
to break into it later. Now, okay, so we've talked
about tours and talked about your husband's recent experience. What
(35:09):
would you say is maybe kind of the more I mean,
you've obviously had some pretty extreme things happen, but what
are some of the more kind of extreme stories that
have come out of the mansion that you've heard over
the years as far as paranormal activity.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Well, the newest thing is sightings of the Crawley thing
up in the attic.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Oh, one of those.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Yes, I I've never had the pleasure think that, yess.
But there have been a couple of people that have
seen like a shadow crawling across the floor in the
one road. Luckily never while they're in the room. Usually
when they're in across the hall looking into the room,
they'll see something moving in there. So, yes, I've never
had the pleasure.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
You know. I will say, and I've said this before
on the show, that some of these places, for some reason,
when they start to be investigated more, these crawlers start appearing.
That's what they call them as crawlers. They're not usually
a phenomenon that you see in locations that are not
(36:09):
investigated on the regular And yeah, and we kind of
theorize that they are this almost embodiment of the energy
that investigators and people coming in to ghost hunt create
because they come into a location over and over again,
(36:31):
you know, and they walk in there. Sometimes they're nervous,
sometimes they're excited. They talk about the kind of deaths
that have happened there over and over again, and there's
just something about that energy. And just as these years
have gone by, more and more of these are appearing.
And like, I could be completely off base here as
(36:53):
to where they're coming from, but they're not something that
people report when they first start investigating a place. They
kind of come like form over time. And so it's
definitely something I want to kind of study a little
bit more because we've been able to get rid of
them in a couple places by kind of counteracting that
energy and bringing like a more positive energy into a place,
(37:18):
because they can sometimes become stronger and bigger and more powerful.
They don't really touch people, but they're creepy, I can imagine.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
And your story makes sense because I haven't had the
claims until recently within last two years.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Yeah, and I know you guys do pretty regular investigations there, right, correct. Yeah,
And I think it's really important to note that investigations
in some of these locations are really a great form
of revenue to help save these places. Yes, so I'm thinking, like,
(37:58):
I think it's great that you guys are able to
do that and open to that, because I think a
lot of historical locations, not a lot, but if you
are kind of closed off to the idea of investigating
in ghosts, and you know, obviously it gives the ghosts
a chance to interact, but it also can you know,
bring in much needed revenue and exposure and history to
(38:20):
the general public. So kudos to you guys for that.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Ah, thank you. I know that would I go to
these history projects or I'm also taking class in historic preservation.
When I first started doing that, you know, they would
clutch their pearls, you know, get the vapors over having
ghost haunts, But when you explain them, that's the only
way that we can make money for matching grants, and
(38:45):
that's our main revenue, and the public likes it, and
it's also a good way to introduce the history. They
they're interested in ghosts. Well, you can't really investigate ghosts
if you don't know what happened to bring the ghosts there.
So it's a great way to to use it as
a teaching tool. But I think in the historic area
it wasn't accepted for a really long time. You weren't
(39:08):
considered like a proper place if you did the ghost homes.
And I think that's starting to change as they understand
that it's also part of a cultural heritage to have
people to come in there and experience these kind of things.
So I think it's a lot more acceptable now than
it was ten years ago.
Speaker 1 (39:23):
Absolutely. It's funny. Years ago, the Mark Twain House invited
Adam and I to do kind of a round table
discussion with a number of historical societies and locations to
kind of talk about the benefits of including the paranormal
in their in their schedules or what have you, or
(39:46):
their programs, and it was nice. It was nice to
be able to kind of explain that you're reaching a
different generation. Really, you know, it's unfortunately not a lot
of teenagers are walking into His Oracle societies these days
summing through these things. But you introduce the idea of
the paranormal and ghost hunting, and suddenly they are taking
(40:08):
an interest. And you know, that's how I got into
the whole paranormal research thing. My dad tricked me and
took me to hunted places and then taught me the history.
You know, So that is so cool. Yeah, I think that.
I think that's really great. But this history at this
place in particular, it ranges from very dark and mysterious
(40:29):
to very positive and light, and so I imagine that
the spirits that you interact with kind of cover that
gamut as well.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Right, That's one of the things that find so fascinating.
A lot of houses if you go to they'll have
one erow word important person live there. But I mean
that land goes back. Some of the hauntings go back
to the sixteen hundreds, and then of course we're known
as a Revolutionary War house, but innovators, and there's so
much stuff going on through the Victorian times and then
(41:00):
of course everybody wants to talk about the speakeasy and
the Prohibition era, but I find the Victorian times really
fascinating because that time period at the house, there was
a different family there every decade, right, so people have
seen a Victorian lady in the whole way, whom I
think is different from the other Victorian lady that we've
spoken to in other parts of the house. One is older,
(41:22):
one is younger, so that's always interesting to try to
figure out. And then of course there's been a gentleman
who's been seen in the window waiting to people, which
is curious. I haven't had the pleasure of having him
wave to me, but from the description he seems to
be of that area too, with a long white beard
and kind of mutton chop sideburns on the side.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
So I think I feel like I remember us setting
up a camera trying to capture that goes from outside.
So now do you know offhand if before like when
this was operating as the restaurant and everything years ago,
to do they have any hauntings? Do people remember it
having a haunted reputation even back then.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
Well that was the challenge when I first started, because
I had so many experiences there and I kept thinking
I can't be the only one. The last owner of
the house, who left in nineteen ninety two would send
me messages saying stop telling people the house is haunted.
It's not. But I have since had people that worked
for her on my tours, waiters, dishwashers, bartenders who used
(42:29):
to work there that did have experiences that told me
about it. And when I talked to mister Glink, who
opened the restaurant in the nineteen twenties, his grandson lives
next door in the carriage house, and one of the
conversations I had with him was, Oh, yeah, they tell
me that my grandfather haunts the attic. So there had
to been stories before the two thousands.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
Right see. I find that and I love hearing about
kind of how hauntings have progressed or how they've been
perceived over the years. Now I do remember when I
was there. I have to ask about this. Do you
think there's a tunnel? I heard there was a tunnel
potentially from the house to the down to the water.
(43:12):
Do you think that exists?
Speaker 2 (43:14):
We believe that there was two, so we do know
of one that's definitely was there. The archaeologists during one
of our digs in twenty thirteen, discovered the path of
one of the tunnels, and we do believe that there's
one on the other side of the house that would
have gone down to the wharf. Which is on the
(43:34):
other side of the train tracks, so it's kind of
dangerous to get to now, but we do think we
figured it probably collapsed somewhere between nineteen sixties nineteen seventies,
and that timeframe in the area was brioked over for
safety reasons.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
Ah, got it. Yeah, you can see it. Like I'm
just I find old tunnels to be so interesting and mysterious.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
Yes, well, this is very interesting. We have been awarded
another grant to do an archaeology dig, so we work
in conjunction with Mammath University and this time around they're
going to use ground penetrating radar. One reason is we
don't know where the family's buried. And also Annis Bludenet
(44:17):
Stockton died in the house in eighteen oh one and
for some reason she is not buried with her husband,
Richard Stockton and Princeton, So that's strange. So I've got
people writing me all over the country at times. You know,
do you know where she's buried? Nope, So it would
be really interesting to find that out. And there were
(44:37):
also trying to track the second tunnel.
Speaker 1 (44:40):
That's exciting. I mean I think that the more information
you can find, I think that's going to be, you know,
very helpful for you, but also very helpful for your ghosts,
you know. And as you're investigating, I'm so curious to know,
like what will happen with the activity when you start
doing that work there? Yeah, oh boy, you'll have to
keep me posted. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
Absolutely. And my little friend in the basement, he seems
to be guarding something near the tunnel entrance. Maybe it's him, Yeah, right,
I don't know, but it would be fascinating if they
found something in that era. And if they did, what
would his reaction be? Yeah, that'll be very interesting.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
That is wild. Okay, So tell us, like, if people
want to support the mansion, if they want to visit
the mansion, what do they need to do?
Speaker 2 (45:26):
You can go to White House Mansion dot org. Donation
help us very much. If you see the house, you
can see that there's a lot of work to be done.
But we feel that this house is very important to
American history, not just the history of New Jersey and
the Revolutionary War, but there's very few stories about women
from the Revolutionary War, and we feel that her story
(45:49):
is really important and in order to tell her story,
we really need to save her house. Yeah, so if
anybody's willing to donate, that's wonderful. We do have tours
monthly to teach the hit history, and of course there
are some ghost hunting opportunities out there too.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
That is awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking
the time to chat with me today. I do you
find the mansion to be so fascinating. I hope to
be able to visit it very soon. I'm going to
be in the area in the fall doing some talks,
so I might have to stop by.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Yes, please, that'd be wonderful.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
Awesome, Well, thank you so much, don I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
The White Hill Mansion has had so many identities and
an incredibly rich history. It's no wonder it's haunted. I
love watching the friends of the White Hill Mansion breathe
new life into the location, and they could very much
use your help if you've taken an interest, because with
everything that's happened there in the last three hundred years,
imagine what the next three hundred years holds for that
(46:54):
majestic old mansion. I'm Amy Brunney and this was haunted road. Hey, friends,
believe it or not, My life with the afterlife true
Tales of the Paranormal Fall speaking tour is already very
much filling up, and dates are posted on my website
at Amybrune dot com. If you're interested in seeing me
(47:15):
in person and in some venues or at any conventions
or strange escapes that may be near you, please visit
that event's calendar to see if I'll be anywhere in
your neck of the woods. I would love to get
spooky with you again. That is Amybrooney dot com. Haunted
Road is hosted and written by me Amy Brune, with
(47:36):
additional research by Taylor Haggerdorn and Cassandra de Alba. This
show is edited and produced by Rema El Kali, with
supervising producer Josh Thain and executive producers Aaron Menke, Alex Williams,
and Matt Frederick. Haunted Road is a production of iHeartRadio
and Grim and Mild from Aaronmanky. Learn more about this
(47:56):
show over at Grimanmild dot com, and for more podcasts
from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.
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