When I was a kid, my family and I lived in a house that was haunted and quite fittingly, the house was on Gothic St. All kinds of weird things happened in that house, footsteps and nobody was there, the TV set turning on all by itself, with the volume at full blast (in the days before remote control).
Here’s my sister’s account of one of her experiences in our haunted house on Gothic St!
Gothic Street – Rochester, NY – True Haunting
From 1962 to 1968, I lived with my father and two brothers in an old house in Rochester, N.Y. It was a solid two and a half story three bedroom home built sometime in the 1920’s. Even though worn, there were hardwood floors throughout the home. The formal dining room had a huge bay window with a window seat and built in cabinets on both sides of the window, constructed of gum wood and leaded glass. The chandelier was made of brushed silver with blue highlights and 100 oval, beveled crystals that shimmered so beautifully in the sunlight The house had a parlor by the front door and a full pantry off of the very out-dated kitchen. The living room had an entire wall of gum wood and leaded glass cabinets with gum wood trim on ceiling and floor.
We loved the house because it was the first one we could call our own, but the love affair with the house on Gothic Street began soon began to cool off when we all came to realize that the house was truly haunted.
It was the summer before my sixteenth birthday and I loved being alone to paint, write or just listen to my records. I was up in my room writing. Being at that age, I craved my privacy and always closed my door whether anyone was home or not. Also, I never felt secure in the house. I always had the feeling that I wasn’t quite alone even in an empty house.
I was totally absorbed in my writing, when a knocking started on my bedroom door. Fear coiled around me like a noose. It was loud and at first I thought one of my brothers had come home and was trying to scare me. I got up out of my chair totally shaken and went to the door. I held the cool glass doorknob in my hand. The knocking stopped. Just as I was about to open the door, the knocking started again. Not lightly as before, but pounding, as if someone was beating the door with their fists. I was so afraid that I couldn’t breath as terror filled me.
I leaned into the door, as there was no lock, hoping that who ever was out in the hall wouldn’t try to come into my room. The pounding was persistent. I wanted it to stop. I needed it to stop. The awful, ear-shattering noise just kept on. Yet, as I leaned full weight into the door, I felt no vibration through the oak. For a moment, I thought I was losing my mind. I started to cry, feeling so alone and vulnerable and I slid to the floor, as I leaned
against the smooth wood, hoping that whatever was on the other side wouldn’t try to enter. Then, abruptly, the pounding stopped. I didn’t move. I couldn’t move. My body seemed paralyzed, permeated with fear. Soon after, I heard footsteps on the wooden stairs. My heart almost burst with anxiety. Imagine my relief when I heard my Dad’s voice and my brothers close behind asking if I had finished my project. I was never so happy to see my brothers and father as I was at that moment.
They had not heard a thing when they came into the house, but soon, in time, would all know the fear that I experienced that night in the house on Gothic Street.
Great stories, guys. I’m still skeptical. But great stories for today.
PatOctober 31, 2016 12:59 pm
I tend to question the existence of Ghosts because I’ve never seen, heard or experienced one (and I have lived in some *very* old houses, including my current one). But more than that, I view them much as I do UFO’s. The scary part of a UFO is the “unidentified” part, the unknown. Until you know what it is, you’re on edge and your imagination works overtime.
But not knowing something doesn’t mean that a rational explanation doesn’t exist.
I love the stories!
I don’t believe in ghosts or anything supernatural, but I’m big enough to admit when things happen that I can’t explain. It spices life up a bit. 🙂
StryderOctober 31, 2016 4:29 pm
my question, in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman was a Hessian who lost his head and came back to find it or get revenge, so, granted he could come back as a ghost, where did he get the horse?
I knew some people whose television used to turn itself on. They swore to me that this was true; they’d all be out of the room, then they’d hear the TV. They’d run into the room and there it would be, blaring away, with the cat lying on top to take advantage of the warmth. They told me it happened over and over.
Then one evening they were in the room reading, the TV off. The cat jumped on the set, leaned over and batted at the controls until the television turned on, then lay down on top to take advantage of the warmth.
If they’d told me about a ghost, I’d have been politely skeptical. But I have no trouble believing in the lengths to which a cat will go to satisfy its own comfort.
Back when I was a kid, neighborhoods would be busy with trick or treaters going door to door on Halloween. It was the same when my kids were of that age, we’d get at minimum 100 kids trick or treating at our door. That seems to be a thing of the past as this evening and for the past several years, we got about 10 kids and half of them didn’t even know to shout out “Trick or Treat” when I answered the door and I had to prompt them. The plus side is that we have 2/3’s of a bowl of candy left over, the good stuff, Reese’s, Kit Kat, Twix and Snickers, that we’ll enjoy with our morning coffee.
Is this trend just happening in North Chili, NY or is it happening elsewhere?
I think it’s happening all over. Where I am, trick-or-treating is usually done around the local business district, before dark, and only by very young kids out with their parents. I think it started as a safety thing — fear of strangers, urban legends about candy with poison or razor blades or used needles in it.
I buy candy every year but I’ve never given out a single piece of it since I’ve lived here. Into the freezer it goes for me to eat later. So yeah, I always get the good stuff.
Around here there’s still significant foot traffic in our neighborhood, but it’s often kids driven in from other neighborhoods.
One limiting factor is that more and more church, college, and other non-profit organizations are planning alternative events. Kids aren’t out Trick or Treating because they’re at the events, and houses are dark because the most active adults are working the events.
So Halloween is just becoming much more organized. [sigh]
Oh putts… no fun. 🙂 Good that they got the problem solved before they died, of course.
But I had a real ghost in a rented house. And there was no gas furnace. Maybe I’ll write about that today at my blog. 🙂
When I was a kid, my family and I lived in a house that was haunted and quite fittingly, the house was on Gothic St. All kinds of weird things happened in that house, footsteps and nobody was there, the TV set turning on all by itself, with the volume at full blast (in the days before remote control).
Here are some of my Halloweenish tales- but without the neat and tidy conclusion: http://blog.kentforliberty.com/2012/06/odd-tales-of-my-life.html
Here’s my sister’s account of one of her experiences in our haunted house on Gothic St!
Gothic Street – Rochester, NY – True Haunting
From 1962 to 1968, I lived with my father and two brothers in an old house in Rochester, N.Y. It was a solid two and a half story three bedroom home built sometime in the 1920’s. Even though worn, there were hardwood floors throughout the home. The formal dining room had a huge bay window with a window seat and built in cabinets on both sides of the window, constructed of gum wood and leaded glass. The chandelier was made of brushed silver with blue highlights and 100 oval, beveled crystals that shimmered so beautifully in the sunlight The house had a parlor by the front door and a full pantry off of the very out-dated kitchen. The living room had an entire wall of gum wood and leaded glass cabinets with gum wood trim on ceiling and floor.
We loved the house because it was the first one we could call our own, but the love affair with the house on Gothic Street began soon began to cool off when we all came to realize that the house was truly haunted.
It was the summer before my sixteenth birthday and I loved being alone to paint, write or just listen to my records. I was up in my room writing. Being at that age, I craved my privacy and always closed my door whether anyone was home or not. Also, I never felt secure in the house. I always had the feeling that I wasn’t quite alone even in an empty house.
I was totally absorbed in my writing, when a knocking started on my bedroom door. Fear coiled around me like a noose. It was loud and at first I thought one of my brothers had come home and was trying to scare me. I got up out of my chair totally shaken and went to the door. I held the cool glass doorknob in my hand. The knocking stopped. Just as I was about to open the door, the knocking started again. Not lightly as before, but pounding, as if someone was beating the door with their fists. I was so afraid that I couldn’t breath as terror filled me.
I leaned into the door, as there was no lock, hoping that who ever was out in the hall wouldn’t try to come into my room. The pounding was persistent. I wanted it to stop. I needed it to stop. The awful, ear-shattering noise just kept on. Yet, as I leaned full weight into the door, I felt no vibration through the oak. For a moment, I thought I was losing my mind. I started to cry, feeling so alone and vulnerable and I slid to the floor, as I leaned
against the smooth wood, hoping that whatever was on the other side wouldn’t try to enter. Then, abruptly, the pounding stopped. I didn’t move. I couldn’t move. My body seemed paralyzed, permeated with fear. Soon after, I heard footsteps on the wooden stairs. My heart almost burst with anxiety. Imagine my relief when I heard my Dad’s voice and my brothers close behind asking if I had finished my project. I was never so happy to see my brothers and father as I was at that moment.
They had not heard a thing when they came into the house, but soon, in time, would all know the fear that I experienced that night in the house on Gothic Street.
OK, here’s my ghost story. Complete with pictures and history! 🙂
http://www.thepriceofliberty.org/?p=9949
Great stories, guys. I’m still skeptical. But great stories for today.
I tend to question the existence of Ghosts because I’ve never seen, heard or experienced one (and I have lived in some *very* old houses, including my current one). But more than that, I view them much as I do UFO’s. The scary part of a UFO is the “unidentified” part, the unknown. Until you know what it is, you’re on edge and your imagination works overtime.
But not knowing something doesn’t mean that a rational explanation doesn’t exist.
I love the stories!
I don’t believe in ghosts or anything supernatural, but I’m big enough to admit when things happen that I can’t explain. It spices life up a bit. 🙂
my question, in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman was a Hessian who lost his head and came back to find it or get revenge, so, granted he could come back as a ghost, where did he get the horse?
I knew some people whose television used to turn itself on. They swore to me that this was true; they’d all be out of the room, then they’d hear the TV. They’d run into the room and there it would be, blaring away, with the cat lying on top to take advantage of the warmth. They told me it happened over and over.
Then one evening they were in the room reading, the TV off. The cat jumped on the set, leaned over and batted at the controls until the television turned on, then lay down on top to take advantage of the warmth.
If they’d told me about a ghost, I’d have been politely skeptical. But I have no trouble believing in the lengths to which a cat will go to satisfy its own comfort.
Back when I was a kid, neighborhoods would be busy with trick or treaters going door to door on Halloween. It was the same when my kids were of that age, we’d get at minimum 100 kids trick or treating at our door. That seems to be a thing of the past as this evening and for the past several years, we got about 10 kids and half of them didn’t even know to shout out “Trick or Treat” when I answered the door and I had to prompt them. The plus side is that we have 2/3’s of a bowl of candy left over, the good stuff, Reese’s, Kit Kat, Twix and Snickers, that we’ll enjoy with our morning coffee.
Is this trend just happening in North Chili, NY or is it happening elsewhere?
I think it’s happening all over. Where I am, trick-or-treating is usually done around the local business district, before dark, and only by very young kids out with their parents. I think it started as a safety thing — fear of strangers, urban legends about candy with poison or razor blades or used needles in it.
I buy candy every year but I’ve never given out a single piece of it since I’ve lived here. Into the freezer it goes for me to eat later. So yeah, I always get the good stuff.
Around here there’s still significant foot traffic in our neighborhood, but it’s often kids driven in from other neighborhoods.
One limiting factor is that more and more church, college, and other non-profit organizations are planning alternative events. Kids aren’t out Trick or Treating because they’re at the events, and houses are dark because the most active adults are working the events.
So Halloween is just becoming much more organized. [sigh]