I grew up in Norwalk where my father worked for
the city. He had taken a position that moved us
into the caretakers house for Cranbury park
mansion and its grounds. This is when I was in
middle school. The caretakers house is about a
1/4 mile from the mansion and separated by
woods. Life was never the same after that.
Our house was haunted as well as the mansion.
In our house, stuff would disappear and someone
would call your name. Things would fly off the
fridge, and one of the most frightening things
that happened to me, was the only time I was
home alone, I immediately got on the phone with
my best friend Anna, just to talk to someone,
and on the kitchen counter, was a new phone
in a box, my parents must have bought it that day.
Im talking and all of a sudden, the new phone
starts ringing. Now, tell me how can a phone in
a box with no cords or anything hooked up start
to ring by itself? This was in the eighties so
it wasnt a cell phone or a new type phone, we're
talking old fashioned dial type phone. Well
needless to say, I spent the rest of the time
waiting in the rain for my parents to come home.
The mansion is the scariest place. My Dad's
office was in one of the rooms. So he spent alot
of time there. One of the duties we had was to
open the gates in the morning and put up the
flag, which was in the kitchen cabinet. If I went
with my Dad, depending on his mood, he would get
the flag. Sometimes he would send one of us in
for it. One day, it was my turn, I had to get
the flag, I usually avoided this task at all
cost by finding something interesting across
the parking lot. Or the dreaded picking up trash.
(always helpfull) This one morning I was caught
off guard. My Dad unlocked the garage entrance
and told me he would meet me at the front door.
I ran and got the flag, ran down the hallway,
and didnt look at the staircase, I ran through the
set of glass doors to the main front door which
was open. When I reached it, it slammed shut and
then the double glass doors slammed shut locking
me in between them. I heard my dad on the other
side trying to get the door open and he couldnt.
I just remember screaming. I couldnt get out!
I wasnt a little kid, I was strong and chunky.
I couldnt get out. My dad finally came from the
garage entrance and when he got to me, the glass
doors clicked and opened on their own. Like some
one was saying "fine, take her already" My dad
did believe in ghosts and he would always say
they cant hurt you. but enough of his employees
quit when they saw her walking down the staircase
that proved it wasnt just us or our imagination.
I am truly surprised no one else has ever
spoken about this place being haunted. lights
turn on, doors close, ect. Has anyone else been
there or heard about it? I know this is a long
post- sorry. By the way, I do have pictures from
a friends birthday party there, there is a mist
in almost all the pictures. We always called the
ghost Mrs. G.
Take care
Doreen

I know this may not seem related to the topic at all but I'm a little curious. I have three questions,
1. Was the voice a females?
2. Did the voice call your name from somewhere behind you?
3. Did you answer it?

Thanks for sharing this with us, Doreen! Don't worry about the length. I'd like to add this story to our True Ghost Stories page[/URL] if that is alright with you. =)

Yes, it certainly would seem that this mansion and house are haunted! You definitely had some experiences there. Just thinking of the phone ringing in it's box is creepy, let alone having those doors slam. I'd love to see the pictures from there if you're able to share them with us. You can email them to me to post for you, if you need.

Kell

Obake,
yes the voice was a females. It did sound like
it was coming from another room. I thought it
was my mom calling me. I usually answered with
an annoyed "What?!?!?" Then again, I wasnt in
for conversing with these things. The only time
I ever did talk to it, is when it made me mad.
Usually it would turn the channel on the stereo.
I would yell "stop it!" and it would. And being
younger, I just hated being scared all the time.
It really sucked. No kid should have that happen
to them. It wasnt just me, it liked my mom.
I dont mean liked, I mean picked on. She would
say that something would pin her down in bed and
she couldnt scream or anything. Even though she
would try. I saw a hooded black being one night
holding a baby. It was early morning. about three
when I was awaken and saw it at the foot of my
bed. No face, just black. I dont like to think
about that. It was just so evil. I dont think
the ghosts in my house were very nice. I think
they were more on the evil side. One winter day,
my dad and I were filling the bird feeders when
I had an urge to look by my bedroom window.
It was one the side of the house facing the
woods. We had a fence put up so that our dogs
wouldnt get out. I told my dad to look with me
and what we found was a pair of footprints in the
snow heading up to my window. They ended there,no
turning around no nothing. Our storm windows
were nailed in, and had plastic, so no in, no out. unexplained. The mansion ghost never had an
evil feel, just a prankster, wanted to let you
know it was there and that was her house.
I found a picture of the mansion online
to view it go to http://www.roundhill.org/cranhouse.jpg[/URL]
needless to say, it was huge, gorgeous, but
knowing what was inside tainted the beauty.
I can look at it now, thousands of miles away
and safely see how gorgeous it was. I'll
try to figure out how to get the other pictures
online. I just wish someone else has been inside.
Every year, the city would hold a "haunted house
there. If everyone only knew that alot of that
stuff wasnt staged. That is a whole other story.
funny though. It was the only time I enjoyed
being there.
Thanks Doreen

KellKell.
that's fine for the story page. I'll try to scan
the photos soon. then email them to you.
Thanks alot.
Doreen

Great, thanks, Doreen. =)

It's a beautiful mansion! Do you know the history of the place? Maybe we can find it online somewhere.

Kell

I did find a little bit of history on it.
I have to go back and re-read it. I know Mr
Galagher bought it for his wife. Innes I think
her name was. She died in a car crash. From
what Ive heard by word of mouth, no children
and he hid their money somewhere on the land or
in the house. But that just may be folklore.
I think there is more behind the story. and I
think there may be more than one spirit.
I think there would have to be. too many weird
things at once. I think the norwalk web page
has the history, Our town also had Mathew's
mansion. It was the set of Dark Shadows.
(thats what I heard anyway.) It's supposed to
be haunted. My Dad had said something about that
place, I dont ever remember going in there.
He also said at the cemetary he would watch the
ghosts leave the masoleums. (he was a police man
earlier in his life. It was his patrol area.)
I guess he was sensitive. He saw alot of activity.
He passed away a couple of years ago.
I miss him.
well gotta run,
Doreen

Sorry I haven't had a chance to respond again but school is a pain. Anyway, the reason I asked those questions is because in Hawaii, we have what's called a Calling Ghost. The Ghost is usually a female and always calls your name from behind. Those who answer the call usually suffer illness or death. Sometimes the spirit actually takes the form of a person and tries to lure you to your death. In my opinion, answering to your name being callen wasn't a very smart thing. Sorry if I offended you in any way

True, Hawaii has it's ghost legends, as do most other places, but they are just that - legends. They cannot be proven to be true. So, in my estimation, these stories should be taken with a grain of salt. While I understand that acknowledging a malicious spirit *can* trigger trouble, I don't think it is always the case.

In any event, it doesn't make Doreen less than smart or ill-fated because she answered to her name being called.

Kell

Hi there,
Well Obake, I guess I didnt know what I was
doing. When you're in your room and you're a
teenager, especially with your radio on loud,
And you think it's your mom calling you.
You answer. You dont know what all this stuff
means. This was more than fifteen yrs ago.
I no longer live in that state. I had no clue
and I sure as heck didnt want to read about it.
Life was scary enough living through it. So
live and learn.

Hi Doreen! I'm sorry that I'm coming into this post so late. I don't know how I missed it! WOW! It certainly sounds as if you have experienced quite a bit! I know just a few of the things that you talked about would have sent me running.

I do have to say that the Mansion is beautiful! If you do find more about the history please do post it. I would love to know more about it.

I have to agree with Kell as far as answering to your name being called. Especially if you thought it was your Mom calling you. I've had that happen a couple of times when I was younger. At first I really thought it was someone in my house calling me. After figuring out that no one had really called my name, I just chalked it up to my imagination. I know better now though.

[ September 07, 2003, 08:57 PM: Message edited by: Trinity ]

I really only wanted to comment on the answering question. I have had this happen to me and truthfully your saying "what" before you realize it.
It's kinda like being in a grocery store and you hear "MOMMY". I still turn around and say, "what?" LOL
It is partially reflex I think, you get called you say huh? I got that from my kids by the way!
((((((hugs)))))
PIggie

Hi guys!
Let me tell ya, the first chance I got,
I was outta there. The month after I graduated
I moved to Calif. There was too much activity
in that house. It's weird though. The people that
live there now, dont have a problem. Or is it,
that they dont believe and the ghosts dont bother.
Or maybe things happen and they rationalize it?
It also could be that my family is very
sensitive. My mom has a ghost in her house in vt.
This one, folds her bathrobe and puts it on the
end of her bed with her slippers on top. My sister
was visiting and sleeping in the bed with my
mom when this happened. I havent gone there
yet, partly because I dont want to be scared
again. I know I have ghosts at work, but at
least I can go home and not deal with it while
Im trying to sleep. I try to avoid them if I
can. But they have a way of finding me.