Category: Folklore
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“Stoneman Willie”: A Search for the Truth
Read more: “Stoneman Willie”: A Search for the TruthHave you heard of the name Stoneman Willie? Have you lurked at the front entrance of Auman’s Funeral Home, working up the courage to ring the bell and ask for a peek? Are you a part of the exclusive club who have actually seen him? If you are or ever were local to Berks County,…
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“Lizzie Lincoln” House – The Real Story
Read more: “Lizzie Lincoln” House – The Real StoryIf you ask anyone about the “Lizzie Lincoln House”, including the internet, you will get varying results; mostly the regurgitation of conjecture based on legends. I more than anyone love a good ghost story, but what is more important to me than all else is that there be truth behind it. I put in the…
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Witch’s Hat & Neversink Mountain Hotel
Read more: Witch’s Hat & Neversink Mountain HotelLike Mt. Penn, Neversink had its own railroad loop that started at South 9th street and wrapped all the way around the mountain to Klapperthal Junction. The other resorts on Neversink mountain were Centennial Springs Hotel, Glen Hotel, and the Highland house; which famously had the vertical rail known as “Ganser’s Incline” going from 13th…
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The Haag Hag – Mt. Penn’s Mysterious Maiden
Read more: The Haag Hag – Mt. Penn’s Mysterious MaidenIt was once a beautiful mountain resort nestled atop Mount Penn, right off of Hill Road. In the late 1800’s when the popularity of the Gravity Railroad was in full swing, Sphuler’s Hotel was a very popular winery and also served as lodging for those who needed a place to stay. It was just one…
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Stokesay Castle
Read more: Stokesay CastleStokesay Castle has been a staple of formal dining and event space in Berks for a long time. But how does an old English castle end up nestled in the woods of Mount Penn, of all places? You have probably heard in passing that the place is haunted, and being a Castle on a road…
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The Luden Family & the Ghost of Bon Air
Read more: The Luden Family & the Ghost of Bon AirLast summer I wrote an extensive article on Central Catholic High School as a part of a greater “Defunct Schools of Berks” series. It has been a decade since the merger of Central Catholic and Holy Name into Berks Catholic. So it is time to dive into some tangible research to answer a few of…
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The Grand View Sanatorium; a Century of Tragedy
Read more: The Grand View Sanatorium; a Century of TragedyThere is a dense, dark atmosphere on the windy roads that once led to old sanatoriums that graced the wooded South Mountain below Wernersville. If you have ever driven around up there after nightfall you probably know what I mean. The mountain is rich with history, but the oldest and some of the most frightening…
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Haunted Fairgrounds Square Mall
Read more: Haunted Fairgrounds Square MallThe Fairgrounds Square Mall has itself become a ghost. It was just demolished over what will inevitably go down as the infamous Summer of 2020. The mall was on its last leg for years, and it only seemed fitting that it would meet its end in such a year as this one has been. However,…
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Spirit of Stone Manor; The Eberly Estate
Read more: Spirit of Stone Manor; The Eberly EstateIf you have ever driven south on Route 10 and crested Green Tree Hill, you may have noticed a quiet old mansion sitting back in the shadows behind the rehab hospital. Maybe you have wondered what the story behind it is. The Tudor castle style mansion was built by Fink Construction Company in 1925 for…
