Famous Ghosts in New York History
In a town of nearly 8.5 million people, there are bound to be a few ghosts. Here are some of the most notorious ones.
The Headless Horseman
Sure, this guy's from upstate. But this famous phantom, who hails from Sleepy Hollow, New York, has been terrorizing readers ever since he galloped across the pages of Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Was he just a prank by the sneaky suitor Brom Bones to eliminate his competition, the nervous schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, or does he haunt the woods still, with his head tucked under his arm? You'll have to re-read the story to find out.
The Sullivan Brothers
When war broke out with Japan in 1941, the five Sullivan brothers volunteered to serve in the Navy and requested to be aboard the same ship. This proved to be an unlucky decision, as the ship went down to a Japanese torpedo in the Pacific, killing all five of them. President Roosevelt wrote a personal letter to their grieving mother, and the Navy commissioned a ship in their honor, the USS Sullivans. That ship is now docked at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park in Buffalo, New York. Witnesses have reported having their ankles grabbed as they walked around the ship, and lights have flickered on and off when no electrical current has been going into the ship. It has been speculated that the Sullivans cannot rest until the much-criticized admiral of the battle of Guadalcanal, Daniel J. Callahan, has had his honor restored.
Gertrude Treadwell
This spinster passed away in an East Village row house in 1933. Legend has it that her overprotective father (Seabury Treadwell, a wonderful name) forbade her to marry the man she loved as a younger woman, and she was never able to love again. Her house is now the Merchants' House Museum, where staff have felt Gertrude's eerie presence. In 1999, a pair of ghost investigators tried to make contact with Gertrude, but as they were being followed by a New York Times reporter, the ghost kept quiet.
Theodosia Burr
This daughter of former vice president Aaron Burr disappeared while sailing from North Carolina to New York City's harbor. The ship is thought to have been lost to pirates. She now may be haunting the Village restaurant One if by Land, Two if by Sea, playing mischievously with womens' earrings as they dine.