THE PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE       DELAWARE   ADDY SEA INN (BETHANY BEACH) BACKGROUND: John M. Addy, one of Bethany’s original settlers, built the Addy Sea for his family as a summer retreat in 1901. Since he was a plumber, the Addy Sea was the first in the area to have indoor plumbing and gaslights. Much of the original fixtures such as the tin ceilings and fireplaces have been restored to their original luster. The 2nd generation began utilizing the house for room and board at the beginning of  the depression. In 1974 the 3rd generation approached their neighbor, Leroy T. Gravatte III, whose family had also been coming to Bethany Beach for 3 generations, about selling the property. Leroy decided to buy the Addy Sea and started renovations taking great care to remain true to traditions but adding modern amenities for comfort. In 2016, Jeff and Sherene Gravatte became the 3rd generation innkeepers to tend to this grand old lady by the sea PHENOMENA: The bathroom in room 1 is said to be haunted as the tub shakes violently with many guests witnessing this. Organ music is heard coming from room 6 even though no such instrument exists there. Room 11 is haunted by a former male employee named Paul Delaney. There is also a report of a ghost that runs the hallways during evening with the smell of perfume filling the air and the sound of mysterious music in the hallways at night. Footsteps are heard on the roof at night, supposedly made by the ghost of Kurt Addy who fell to his death from there  manyyears ago. AMSTEL HOUSE (NEWCASTLE) BACKGROUND: Built in the 1730s by the town’s wealthiest landowner, Dr. John Finney. The house’s history is linked to many of the town’s prominent colonial families. A governor lived here; Delaware Signers of the Declaration of Independence stopped in here to meet with friends and George Washington attended a wedding in the parlor. In the first third of the 20th century, preservation saved the house from an uncertain fate, opening it in 1929 as a historic house. PHENOMENA: “The Woman in Blue” is believed to be one of the family members haunting their former residence. Her presence seems to favor the third floor, where she opens and closes windows and doors and moves objects. BELLEVUE HALL (WILMINGTON) BACKGROUND: William H. du Pont, Jr. was heir to the family companies, which had diversified into a chemical corporation. He bought the home as a semi-fixer-upper with its significant acreage and transformed it into a replica of President James Madison’s home, Montpelier, improving the recreation opportunities, including a top-notch stable reflecting his love of horses and tennis courts. PHENOMENA:The second and third floors are closed to the public, but staff claim these are the most active parts of the property in terms of paranormal activity. The spirits toy with the electricity, move chairs and are heard in the form of disembodied screams and laughter. BELMONT HALL (SMYRNA) BACKGROUND: Built about 1773 by Thomas Collins, who would become the eighth governor of Delaware. Six hundred acres were granted to Henry Pearman by William Penn in 1684, and became known as "Pearman's Choice." A small brick house was built on this property. This house and two hundred acres were sold to Andrew Love in 1691. The property was bought by Thomas Collins, who would become High Sheriff of Kent County and later a brigadier general in the Continental Army PHENOMENA: In 1777, a British party attempting to capture Collins  shot a sentry that was posted on the widow’s walk. The sentry died in the room below and his death is commemorated by a plaque. During the American Revolution another guard was fatally shot on “the Captain’s Walk” while on duty and his spirit remains in the building. Legend has it that his blood is still evident where he collapsed and then later died, on the second floor. BLEVINS HOUSE (SMYRNA) BACKGROUND: Built at the turn of the 19th century and located in the Historical District of Smyrna, in Kent County. The home has been everything from a prime dwelling to the affluent Blevins family to several businesses throughout the years. PHENOMENA: It’s said to be haunted by a number of spirits and reports there include ghostly balls of light seen throughout the halls and rooms even from outside in the garden, footsteps, disembodied voices, feelings of a presence with no one else there and spectral figures that have been spotted in some of the rooms. A ghostly barking dog has also been heard, as well as the spirit who disappears when approached. There's also a faceless man peering into the house through the living room window and the ghost of a man who, according to legend, was crushed by a fallen tree and appears as a headless body walking the mansion grounds. CANNONBALL HOUSE MARITIME MUSEUM (LEWES) BACKGROUND: So named due to the battle scars it bears from a run-in with the British in 1813. During the Bombardment of Lewes, they attacked the town and kept the canal front under siege but eventually were defeated with the help of two forts that once sat in the park across the street. The was hit and that same cannonball remains lodged in its side today. PHENOMENA: During the restoration of the house in the 1960s, Lewes Historical Society's maintenance man Fred Hudson would arrange his tools each night only to find them scattered the next day and a door to the attic ajar. This recurred each morning, so Fred nailed the latch to the door shut believing if a squirrel or other animal was causing the issue, this would stop it. The next morning, the nail had popped out, and again the tools were scattered. In the same room in 1917, a woman's dress caught on fire and quickly spread through the room which tragically killed her and those events have been linked to her ghost. A former Delaware River captain came to visit the house and while it’s not clear what he experienced, but he came downstairs one morning to say, 'I just have to get out of the house, there's just something there.”  CAPE HENLOPEN STATE PARK (LEWES) BACKGROUND: Cape Henlopen, on Delaware Bay, has long been a public use area although it did not officially become a Delaware state park until 1964. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania and early leader of Delaware, decreed that Cape Henlopen and its natural resources be set aside for the use and enjoyment of the citizens of the Delaware Colony. Penn's decree established Cape Henlopen as one of the first public use parcels of land in the Thirteen Colonies. The cape was an important strategic location for the U.S. Navy and Army during the American Revolution, War of 1812, Civil War, World War I, and World War II. Cape Henlopen Light, the sixth lighthouse built on the Atlantic Coast, was constructed from 1767-1769. This lighthouse was in operation until 1924 when it was abandoned after it was extensively damaged in 1920 by a storm. The lighthouse now rests at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, after falling into the water on April 13, 1926. PHENOMENA: Visitors report strange obs in the trees and the sound of growling coming from the bushes. It’s been said there is a phantom soldier still on duty behind Tower 12 and those approaching his post, located in a bunker underneath a dune near the campground bicycle trail next to Tower 12, have heard audible growling or have been yelled at by a disembodied voice. The face of the soldier has shown up in photographs and video clips on a number of different occasions. He also makes his appearance in windows, rear view mirrors and around the nearby college campus grounds. CAT MAN’S GRAVE (FRANKFORD) BACKGROUND: An old cemetery dating back to the early 1800’s. Long Cemetery, also known as Colonel Armwell Long Cemetery. Long served in the Revolutionary War with George Washington, and when he died in 1834, he was buried alongside his wife, a son, and several other relatives in their small family plot. The land, owned by the Layton family, was soon turned into a large public cemetery in Armwell’s memory, with him being cited as the first official burial. PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> One of the strangest tales to come out of Delaware has to be “The Cat Man”. In life, The Cat Man was a grave keeper who spent a great deal of his time chasing troublemakers out of the cemetery. He was said to be a very “feline” in appearance and after his death, it’s believed those features became more prominent to the point that now his spirit manifests as part cat, part man who scares away kids who come to the cemetery to party and generally watching over things, even in death. Legend says that those who knock on his tomb and disturb his rest will have their vehicle malfunction which creates difficulty leaving the cemetery. COOCH’S BRIDGE (NEWARK) BACKGROUND: The site of the 1777 Battle of Cooch's Bridge, fought on September 3, 1777. While there are several modern bridges near the site of the battle, the original bridge was in poor shape in 1777, and did not survive the American Revolution. It was the only battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on Delaware soil and marked the first time that the Stars and Stripes was flown in battle. The battle was fought between British and Hessian troops under Generals Cornwallis, Howe, and Knyphausen and the Colonial troops under General Washington. By September 3, the Colonials had dropped back to Cooch's Bridge. A handpicked regiment of 100 marksmen under General William Maxwell laid an ambush in the surrounding cover. Over the ensuing battle, several British and Hessian charges were repelled, but the Americans soon depleted their ammunition and called a retreat. The property was taken by the British and several buildings were burned. General Cornwallis used the Cooch house as his headquarters for the next week as the British regrouped. American casualties numbered around 30. PHENOMENA: A British cannonball decapitated a young Colonial volunteer named Charlie Miller as he rode his horse across the bone yard during the skirmish. Legend has it the headless horseman searches for his it along the I-95 median strip, sometimes beside backed-up weekend traffic at nearby tollbooth lanes, and along wooded sections of Welsh Tract Road. Many have reported seeing the ghosts of small groups of soldiers charging each another in the small clearings and fields that make up the battle site. Urban legend alert >> Another piece of lore says that Cooch's Bridge is haunted by a Confederate soldier who was also a fiddler. Legend states that if you throw a piece of silver off the bridge into the creek at midnight, he'll play his fiddle for you. CRABBY DICK’S DELAWARE CITY) BACKGROUND: The Delaware City Hotel was established in 1830 but at the time it was known as the Sterling Hotel. Now, it’s home to Crabby Dick’s, a funky seafood restaurant that serves up delicious meals with a great view of the river. The Sterling Hotel was a popular tavern that hosted all kinds of people including soldiers stationed at nearby Fort Delaware that would spend their off hours drinking there. PHENOMENA: It’s suspected that many of these former rowdy soldiers still haunt the grounds of their favorite tavern. Loud, unexplained noises are heard coming from all areas of the old building with doors opening and shutting on their own and orbs appearing in photos taken by guests. The original owner's wife often appears when men are dining there alone and the restaurant is also said to be haunted by the spirit of a former chambermaid named Sandy. In a 2012 interview in the New Journal paper the current owner of the restaurant talked about meeting this spirit on his first night in the building and being told to "Get Out!". He told the spirit that he owned the building and had reached an understanding with Sandy. DAVID FINNEY INN (NEWCASTLE) BACKGROUND: Built in 1683, the David Finney Inn began as a law office for David Finney, a lawyer and soldier. In 1794, Judge James Booth Sr. purchased the building, expanded it and lived there until 1825. It was later converted into a boarding house before transforming into the Hotel Louise in 1895. Closed for 8 years, it is set to reopen in 2019 under new ownership. PHENOMENA: It’s thought to be haunted by a spirit that also roams the nearby Amstel House Museum. The two buildings were once linked by an underground tunnel and it’s thought the spirit is a member of the Finney family. The activity is focused on the third floor and guests occupying these rooms report a variety of strange activity including doors and windows opening by themselves and objects being moved around by unseen hands. DEAD PRESIDENTS PUB & RESTAURANT (WILMINGTON) BACKGROUND: Not very much is known about the history of the 200-year-old building that now houses the Dead Presidents Pub and Restaurant, but there is evidence to suggest it was once several separate buildings and households that were joined together as the years went by. During its early years it was common practice for rooms in houses to be converted into makeshift chapels by their residents, a fact that is evident by the ornate carving of Christ in what is now the basement storage room. PHENOMENA: Another bar once existed with a regular patron who went by the name of “Lemonade” Mullery. A practical joker in life, Mullery enjoyed tossing things at waitresses and playing pranks on the other patrons. Even now waitresses and waiters report hearing the sound of screaming coming from the stairs leading to the spot where Mullery supposedly died. There is also a soft giggle there that morphs into bursts of laughter. He still throws items at the staff and dishes, glasses, dominoes, ashtrays and any other thing capable of being launched are included in the assault. DEER PARK TAVERN (NEWARK) BACKGROUND: Built in 1851 on the land where the remains of the burned down St. Patrick's Inn had resided since 1747. The inn was said to house famous historical figures such as George Washington and in 1843 Edgar Allan Poe stayed a night here. The Deer Park logo is based on Poe's classic poem "The Raven". In the Fall of 1764, Mason and Dixon made their base of operations in Delaware at the tavern where the Deer Park Tavern now stands. The first railroad line built through Newark in 1869 is close to the building, and helped to escalate the hotel's popularity. At this time, The Deer Park was considered one of the finest hotels on the east coast. Much history surrounds the Deer Park including rumors that the basement was used as part of the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. PHENOMENA: The most common activity here concerns poltergeist phenomena. Staff claim on many occasions bar stools drag themselves across the floor and fall over and items behind the bar are rearranged by unseen hands. There was an outlaw who was gunned down in the street right outside the front of the building and is thought to still haunt the location as well as an old lady who was a common guest at the tavern who died from natural causes in one of the upper rooms. On the top floor landing, guests have reported hearing footsteps walking up to their doors, only to fall silent upon reaching it. TRIVIA: Local bands like George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers have played the back room. On October 5, 2010 MSNBC political TV show The Rachel Maddow Show broadcast live from the second floor of the Deer Park, which was chosen due to Delaware's upcoming U.S senatorial election. DELAWARE GOVERNOR’S MANSION (DOVER) BACKGROUND: Also known as Woodburn or Governor's House, is the official residence of the Governor of Delaware and the governor's family. The land Woodburn stands upon was granted to David Morgan and his heirs in 1684 by the Swedish crown. In the 1780s Charles Hillyard III purchased the land at a sheriff's sale for $110. In 1790 he constructed the home that would be called Woodburn. The house was inherited by Mary, Hillyard's daughter, and her husband, Martin W. Bates. Bates was a doctor, merchant, lawyer and a U.S. Senator. In 1820 Bates leased Woodburn to the Governor, Jacob Stout, the first time Woodburn was used as the executive's residence. The proposal of a residence for the governor was revived in 1965 when Governor Charles L. Terry, Jr. and his wife, Jessica Irby-Terry, secured Woodburn for the state. The house was refurbished by Mrs. Terry with period pieces dating from the house's construction. The decoration was completed a year later and an open house was held in February 1966. Woodburn has served as the official residence ever since. PHENOMENA: Lorenzo Dow, a Methodist preacher, was a guest in 1815 when he went to breakfast and suggested they wait for “their other” guest. When asked who this was he said he passed a man dressed in old fashioned clothes on his way down. His description of the man turned out to be the ghost of Mary’s father Charles who was a wine lover and has been seen helping himself to a glass. Governor Charles Terry Jr. stated that during his residence from 1965 to 1969, he would often find the wine decanter empty in the morning. In 1870, a woman was revived from a fainting spell after seeing a ghostly old man in a white wig. In the dining room, former Governors' wives have reported footsteps at all hours of the night. In 1825, the home belonged to Daniel Cowgill and his wife Mary. Daniel had freed his family's slaves, but slave raiders came to Woodburn to re-capture them as the house was a part of the Underground Railroad. Cowgill chased them away but one of them hid in a tree. Eventually he dozed off and fell, getting his head stuck between two branches and dying. It’s said you can still hear his agonizing moans from the tree. The ghost of a young girl wearing a red dress also visits the house and is seen walking around the reflecting pool holding a candle. She also crashed the inauguration party of Governor Michael Castle in 1985 as many guests complained about being tugged by an invisible presence. One guest at that party reported seeing the girl in the corner of one of the rooms. Other ghosts include a woman in a portrait who smiles at guests and a man dressed in Revolutionary War-era garb. FIRE COMPANY STATION 12 (CHRISTIANA) BACKGROUND: Station 12 was the first station built and is base of operations while protecting the north end of the district. PHENOMENA: There are two ghosts haunting the station. One of them believed to be evil and the other benevolent. The evil spirit frequently appears in the doorway of the engineer’s room in the form of a dark, shadowy figure. The friendly spirit is rarely seen, but it’s said it manifests to keep the harmful one at bay. Witnesses say that it is an ongoing battle between good and evil and that anyone present when it happens can feel that energy. FORT DELAWARE (DELAWARE CITY) BACKGROUND: Located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. During the Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts, and privateer officers. By April 1864 hundreds had died from malaria and dysentery and by the end of the war, of the 33,000 prisoners who set foot onto the island, 3,200 died there. A three-gun concrete battery of 12-inch guns, later named Battery Torbert, was designed by Maj. Charles W. Raymond and built inside the fort in the 1890s. By 1900, the fort was part of a three fort concept, the first forts of the Coast Defenses of the Delaware, working closely with Fort Mott in Pennsville, New Jersey and Fort DuPont in Delaware City, Delaware. PHENOMENA: A woman dressed in Civil War-era clothing, first thought to be a re-enactor, appeared in the Officer's Kitchen observing what ACTUAL re-enactment workers were doing. She nodded her approval and then disappeared into the corner walls. In 2005, a visitor photographed her apparition which showed up as a woman dressed in black. George Contant, the site manager, went to buy a frame for the photo and as he went stood in the checkout line, a corner of the frame suddenly broke off untouched and flew across the room. The cashier was so frightened she abandoned her register. That same frame, in its damaged state, now holds the photo of the apparition. The same woman is known to address people by name, while angrily ordering them to "get out!" Other reports include sightings of a Confederate soldier, unexplained sounds and the disembodied laughter of a little girl. Visitors and fort staff report seeing a bearded man in a gray uniform in a solitary confinement cell that is believed to be James Jay Archer, an officer that was imprisoned there after reneging on his word to not attempt an escape in return for more liberties. He was sentenced to solitary confinement in a powder magazine on the southern end of the fort where he fell ill and died shortly thereafter in Richmond, Virginia. TRIVIA: The location was featured on a special live Halloween episode of Ghost Hunters. GREAT CYPRESS SWAMP (DELMARVA) BACKGROUND: A forested freshwater swamp located on the Delmarva Peninsula in south Delaware and southeastern Maryland. As of 2000, it is the largest contiguous forest on the Delmarva Peninsula. The swamp once yielded much cypress timber. Through over harvesting and a disastrous peat fire in 1930, much of its vegetation was destroyed. One of the fires burned for eight months, leading it to deemed "Burnt Swamp" by local residents. In 1980, Sen. Joe Biden, at the request of environmentalists, proposed that the swamp be made into a National Park; this plan was met with resistance from local residents concerned of being overwhelmed with large numbers of visitors. When representative Tom Carper revisited the idea of creating a national park in Delaware in 2004, the Cypress Swamp was not considered because of these concerns. PHENOMENA: It was here that tales of a legendary swamp monster were born. During the early 1900s, stories began to circulate in and around the Great Cypress Swamp and by the 1930s, after an 8-month fire ravaged the landscape, swamp monster tales rapidly spread throughout the community. Named the “Selbyville Swamp Monster” or the “Burnt Swamp Monster”, it was blamed for the deaths of livestock, pets and chasing away frightened hunters. Descriptions are inconsistent as sometimes it’s said to be a bipedal and hairy, while other accounts suggest it is something of a supernatural entity. There are a few more ghost legends that come from the Burnt Swamp with reports of lights floating through the trees, occult activities and the cries of banshees in the night. HAGLEY MUSEUM AND LIBRARY (WILMINGTON) BACKGROUND: Opened in 1957, the Hagley Museum features exhibits and demonstrations that show the connections between early industrial technology and early American history, focusing on the histories of the du Pont family, DuPont company, explosives and gunpowder, and innovation (through a large collection of American Patent models). The Museum also explores personal stories of the 19th-century DuPont Company employees, how they lived, and how their lifestyles changed along with new machinery and new production methods. PHENOMENA: Visitors and staff report finding orbs in nearly every photograph taken and shadowy apparitions with glowing eyes looking through windows at night. Unexplained electrical malfunctions and disembodied voices in  recordings are also common claims. Full-bodied apparitions have been sighted here with the most frequent being a woman wearing a white dress and a bonnet. She appears in both a misty form and as a solid being. Her appearance seems to signal feelings of calm and peace and she makes herself known to children who are lost or alone, even guiding several back to their parents. JOHN DICKENSON HOUSE (DOVER) BACKGROUND: Built on a 13,000-acre plantation in 1739-40 by Judge Samuel Dickinson, the father of John Dickinson. Wings were added in 1752 and 1754. The original house suffered major damage during a British raid in August 1781 and was nearly destroyed in a fire in 1804. John Dickinson lived there for extended periods only in 1776-77 and 1781-82, although he kept up a keen interest in the property and often visited. John Dickinson was a lawyer and politician who spent most of the time in Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. He was at various times a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania and Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of Delaware, and President of Pennsylvania. PHENOMENA: The mansion is said to be haunted by John Dickinson and many visitors report strange sounds coming from his former study. He is seen wandering the property with EVPs of his voice reportedly captured. The sound of a quill pen writing on parchment paper is a common occurrence. Other reports of activity include odd sounds echoing through the halls, sudden cold spots, and strange orbs appearing in photos taken throughout the grounds. KENSEY JOHNS HOMESTEAD (NEW CASTLE) BACKGROUND: Johns was born at Sudley Plantation in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. In his early years, he participated as a minuteman in the American Revolution. In 1784, Johns married Ann Van Dyke, the daughter of Nicholas Van Dyke, the Governor of Delaware. George Washington was a guest at the wedding, and the home in which they were wed is preserved as a museum house in New Castle. PHENOMENA: The ghost of a woman dressed in white silk with a pearl hair comb and soft leather slippers once appeared to a crowd of people during a house party in the 1800s. She was initially seen standing by a baby’s crib after one of the guests had left the crying infant in it to join the others. Someone noticed the baby had stopped crying and went in to check on it and found a pale-looking woman rocking and comforting it. It’s then claimed that later on the woman later sat at the dining table with the other guests but before anyone could question who the stranger was, she vanished into thin air. Some former owners claimed they were locked inside the house with no way out when no one else was around. LOCUST GROVE FARM (MIDDLETOWN) BACKGROUND: Founded in 1790 by William Croghan and his wife Lucy who was the sister of George Rogers Clark, former surveying partner of William Croghan and William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Tracing their way back from the Pacific Ocean on November 8, 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived at Locust Grove to a homecoming where Lucy and her family welcomed them back from their journey. Locust Grove remains the only residence still in existence west of the Appalachian Mountains to have sheltered Lewis and Clark. PHENOMENA: There is a legend here of a young boy who died while living there in the early 1900s. He is said to move toys and furniture around, flick lights on and off and turn off electronic devices. Disembodied voices have been heard among other strange sounds, according to former tenants of the house. Some report seeing the young boy in the sun room, which allegedly is his favorite place to play in. LUM’S POND STATE PARK (BEAR) BACKGROUND: Lums Pond, the largest freshwater pond in Delaware, covering 200 acres in central New Castle County, was built in the early 19th century as an impoundment for the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The pond supplied water to fill the locks of the canal and water power for a local gristmill and became a natural recreational draw for the residents of Delaware. Ownership was transferred to the state of Delaware in the mid-20th century. Lums Pond State Park was opened to the public in 1963. PHENOMENA: It’s long been rumored to be haunted in large part due to a tragedy that occurred on its grounds. A young girl is said to have run away from her New Castle home some time in the 1970s and hid out in the woods near the park where she came across a man that was camping in the woods. He captured her, assaulted her, and murdered her. The girl's body was quickly recovered, tbut her killer was never apprehended. She allegedly was killed near a bridge on the trails and those crossing it occasionally report seeing the girl's ghost dressed in a white gown with a strange visage or hear her screaming, crying or splashing in the water. At times the temperature will drop dramatically on the bridge and visitors claim to see orbs of light bouncing through the trees or large shadow-like figures stalking campers and hikers.  NEWCASTLE COURTHOUSE MUSEUM (NEWCASTLE) BACKGROUND: The oldest known courthouse on the site dates back to 1687. The building was originally both a courthouse and a seat of government, as the building was used by the colonial assembly. During the years when Pennsylvania and Delaware shared an assembly, it generally met in Philadelphia, but occasionally met in New Castle instead, such as in 1684 and 1690. This earlier building was mostly destroyed by a fire in 1729 caused by a prisoner's attempt to escape. The Court House was rebuilt on the same site within a year, and the foundation of the original is still visible. In 1774, the assembly met here and chose three of Delaware's most famous politicians to represent the colony in the Continental Congress: Thomas McKean, Caesar Rodney, and George Read. It was in this building that the assembly, at McKean's urging, voted on June 13, 1776 to sever all ties with England as well as the state of Pennsylvania, with which Delaware still shared a governor. PHENOMENA: There have been a few reports of ghostly activity here throughout the years including extreme cold spots, doors slamming very loudly and faces popping up behind those seeing their own reflections in mirrors or windows. The most common apparition is a tall, dark figure with glowing eyes that appears after dark staring through windows and locking eyes with those who see it. OLD MAGGIE’S BRIDGE (SEAFORD) BACKGROUND: Located on a small stretch of back road bordering a river, it’s said that a young woman by the name of Maggie Blossom was killed here. Some say it was because of a horseback riding accident, others maintain it was an automobile crash and still others insist it was actually a cold-blooded murder. All renditions of the story do end the same way with her decapitation. PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> It’s been said Maggie was pregnant at the time of her death and if you visit at night and say the words, “Maggie, I’ve got your baby”, her spirit will appear in the form of a headless, translucent, rotting corpse floating through the air  who has been known to be extremely aggressive at times. Many have reported her severed head moaning or shrieking at any who cross its path. Dark figures moving on either side of the bridge at night, strange orbs and the feeling of panic and fear are other reported experiences. ROCKWOOD MANSION (WILMINGTON) BACKGROUND: Rockwood Mansion was built between 1851-1854 for Joseph Shipley, a merchant banker originally from Wilmington. The Mansion was Shipley's retirement home. Shipley spent most of his life in Liverpool, England where he became wealthy. Rockwood Mansion was inspired by Wyncote, Shipley's English country house designed by George Williams. Shipley had Williams design Rockwood Mansion, though he had never seen the site. He moved his entire household from England bringing his favorite dog and horse (Toby and Branker), as well as gardener Robert Shaw and housekeeper Audrey Douglas. After his death, Rockwood eventually became the property of his great nephew Edward Bringhurst Jr. in 1891 who, with his wife Anna and their three younger children Mary, Edith and Edward, moved into Rockwood the next year. PHENOMENA: It’s said that Mary Bringhurst haunts the mansion and is quite fussy about her room and doesn’t like visitors to enter it. Eddie III is also thought to remain in his former home as his room is active as well. A child’s laughter and giggling has been reported around the stairs. What remains of Eddie’s playhouse still stands on the property and he makes himself known there, too. There is a man in a red smoking jacket with a ghostly dog and a woman whose presence is signaled by a blast of cold air. Other phenomena include: cold spots in the home, unexplained sounds and the smell of lilac that appears from nowhere. There is also something called the “Vortex of Souls” which is a mist sometimes seen swirling above the home with faces said to manifest within it. TRIVIA: Rockwood was featured on an episode of My Ghost Story in 2011. The mansion was also featured on a season 11 episode of Ghost Hunters. SLAUGHTER BEACH (SLAUGHTER NECK) BACKGROUND: Slaughter Beach was founded in 1681 and incorporated in 1931. There are at least three stories of where the town's name came from: The first is that it was named after William Slaughter, a local postmaster in the mid-19th century. The second story claims “the name came from the horseshoe crabs that wash up on shore and die each year. They come near shore to shallow water to lay their eggs and the low tide strands them leaving them to die, thus the "slaughter." The third story, and the most contested source of the town's name, stems from a local legend which tells of a man named Brabant who, in the mid-18th century, "slaughtered" several indigenous inhabitants by cannon in order to prevent an impending massacre. In 2018, PETA wrote to the mayor and followed up with a press release requesting the town change its name to "Sanctuary Beach" and offered to help pay for new signage if the name was adopted. PHENOMENA: The cries of the murdered Indians have been heard on the beach for many decades. The ghost of a man who committed suicide by shooting himself while sitting in a ditch after losing his family and his home to a hurricane is also said to haunt the area. It’s now said his appearance forewarns residents that a dangerous storm is about to hit the area. There is a ghost that walks the Boardwalk trail between Slaughter Neck and Broadkill Beach that is believed to be a man named Jonathan Morris who lived in a farmhouse near the trails. His spirit haunts his gravesite and disembodied voices are sometimes heard by passersby. Slaughter Beach was also the site of a famous UFO sighting in 2002 when two bright lights were seen in the night sky traveling at a high rate of speed. The lights then shot upward before falling toward the water. THE GREEN (DOVER) BACKGROUND: In Colonial times, it functioned as a sometimes unpleasant and odorous open-air marketplace. Eventually stately Victorian homes rose around its borders that reflected the supposed refined bearing of their owners. PHENOMENA: Said to be haunted by the ghost of Judge Samuel Chew, chief justice of colonial Delaware. He was an intelligent and fair justice, but often was the butt of jokes based on his last name. In the ultimate revenge, some of his tormentors would find themselves plagued by the judge’s ghost following his death in 1743. In fact, his presence resulted in townspeople afraid to venture out after dark. Locals have reported the phantom sounds of a horse and carriage, disembodied voices shouting out what sounds like political speeches and the feeling they are not alone on the Green. Lanterns floating in mid-air and full-bodied apparitions have often been seen. People closing up surrounding buildings after hours report seeing ghostly crowds numbering in the hundreds flickering in and out of the atmosphere. UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE (NEWARK) BACKGROUND: The school from which the university grew was founded in 1743, making it one of the oldest in the nation. However, UD was not chartered as an institution of higher learning until 1833. Its original class of ten students included George Read, Thomas McKean, and James Smith, all three of whom would go on to sign the Declaration of Independence. PHENOMENA: Legend has it that a workman fell to his to his death from a while repairing the interior dome in Mitchell Hall which hosts performances and productions and more than one spirit who are collectively known as “Elmo.” Stage props and tools go missing only to resurface minutes later. Lights and power driven equipment turn on and off and unexplained laughter has been during evening leaving cast members frightened and cutting rehearsals short. Actors who forget their lines have claimed having them whispered in their ear while on stage with many whispering “thank you” back to the helpful phantom. A woman and two small children, dressed in pajamas, sometimes appear in the balcony and vanish into thin air, but sometimes will try to speak with those nearby. A large, dark figure in a trench coat that floats off the ground has also been spotted around campus. RETURN TO PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE