Raynham Hall Museum, not to be confused with the Brown Lady who haunts the UK's hall of the same name, is located on what is referred to as "the Gold Coast" of Long Island New York in a town called Oyster Bay. This twenty-room house served as a significant residency during the Revolutionary War.
Upon visiting this museum, one can expect an engulfing wave of history merely by being present in any of the living quarters of the house. But, something else resides in the original home of Samuel and Sarah Townsend. Lingering spirits and bizarre incidents have been seen and experienced by visitors and staff members over the years.
The History of Raynham Hall
The Townsends purchased Raynham Hall in the tiny village of Oyster Bay in 1740. Their son, Robert became one of George Washington's chief spies during the American Revolution. The British also used Raynham Hall as their base due to the fact the Townsends buried both the American and British bodies because they were Quaker.
A British major by the name of John Andre was a frequent vistor of Raynham Hall. A conversation between Andre and Lt. Col. John Graves Simcoe was overheard by one of the Townsend's daughters. The two men were discussing the plan to pay Benedict Arnold into surrendering his troops. This was passed on to George Washington through Samuel Townsend's son, Robert. When this became known, Benedict Arnold escaped but Andre was caught and ultimately hanged. An apparition of John Andre on horseback was one of the first seen in Raynham Hall in the 1930's.
John Simcoe, while residing at Raynham Hall became involved with Sally Townsend, one of the three sisters. Sally fell deeply in love with John. She received a long written Valentine from Simcoe. It was the first documented Valentine in America. John Simcoe left Raynham Hall after the war ended leaving behind a broken hearted woman.
Sally died a spinster in the upstairs bedroom at the age of 82. It has been reported by the staff that it gets icy cold in the bedroom, even in the summer.
Raynham Hall acquired a new owner, Julia Weeks Coles in 1914. She lived there until 1933 and wrote an article five years later about her experience with a ghost. Julia wrote that one of her guests awoke one night when she heard a horse outside her room. She went to look through the window and saw a man upon an unearthly white horse.
The Ghosts of Raynham Hall
Even today, staff members of the museum report incidents of smelling candle smoke and tobacco, and the sounds of footsteps coming from the bedrooms. During a Halloween tour, the staff experienced lights being turned off and cameras malfunctioning. Visitors claimed to see orbs on their film that were used by different cameras and on different days.
On one particular occasion, a former director of the museum was giving a tour a few years ago. He was informing the group about the servants that resided in Raynham Hall and who currently haunt the museum. The director was standing with his back to the Townsend school room that led to the servan'ts quarter. As he was talking, the door behind him opened slightly, bumped his hand and then closed. The group was quite pleased that the door opened and closed itself; they thought it was part of the tour and that someone was behind the door. The director and employees of the museum knew otherwise and were terrifed when it had occurred.
The Investigation of Raynham Hall
In November 2002, The Long Island Paranormal Research Group investigated Raynham Hall and claims the museum is haunted. The group stated that they had smelled the scent of apple pie baking and the digital photos that were taken showed orbs. They found no objects that might have reflected light to create the orbs. What were more astonishing were the audio recordings they caught. The ghost hunters, as they were walking through the kitchen asked if anybody was there. A voice was recorded saying, "Yes, there is." More voices were captured as the group entered the upstairs hallway. A raspy voice was recorded saying, "Yes, I'm mad at you two children." They also have a woman's voice saying, "Shhhh...," and a man who might have said "pain," or "pay."
Whether you are someone who has an interest in American History or a person who is fascinated by the paranormal or question the existence of ghosts, Raynham Hall of Oyster Bay Long Island is the place to visit.
Source:
Scott Lefebvre, Spooky Creepy Long Island by Ghost Stories of New York State, Susan Smitten, liparanormalinvestigates.com
Maria Potar - Maria Potar is a freelance writer. She holds a Master's degree in Parapsychic Science from the American Institute of Holistic Theology. ...
