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New York Is Home To The Only Legally Haunted House In The US
Sure there are plenty of creepy haunted houses in NYC, but the Ackley House is the real deal — even the Supreme Court says so.
The large waterfront Victorian home is nestled on the Nyack waterfront, less than an hour from NYC and right next to the Empire State’s beloved Halloween town, Sleepy Hollow. It’s gorgeous and welcoming, but legend — and the highest court in the country — says it’s responsible for some unsettling poltergeist activity.
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If you’re feeling a little spooky this October, we’ll give you insight into the country’s infamous “legal haunted house,” as it is affectionally known.
All about the Ackley House
Helen Ackley and her family moved into the New York home in the 1960s and remained there for 20 years. She documented this chapter of her life with an article in Reader’s Digest: “Our Haunted House on the Hudson,” which she wrote in 1977.
She alleges that a Revolutionary spirit haunts the home, and she cites typical signs of paranormal activity: “A light fixture cord swaying over the family dinner table on a windless day, then stopped in mid-swing as if by some unseen hand.” “French doors suddenly flung open.” “A casement window gaping.”
Her story makes for entertaining reading, but things became problematic in 1989 when she decided to sell the home to Jeffrey Stambovsky. He had sued Helen, alleging that she purposely withheld information about the home’s hauntings. The case made its way to the Supreme Court in 1991, which ultimately sided with Jeffrey. Per Case Brief, Stambovsky v. Ackley states “a condition that impairs the value of property, known to the seller and left undisclosed to the buyer can constitute a basis for rescission of the contract.”
There you have it, folks — if there are some creepy happenings in a home, the owner has to give the potential new inhabitants the heads up. Though the Victorian beauty has gone up for sale numerous times throughout the years, not all of the owners have alleged activity.
If you fancy a real paranormal experience akin to Helen’s, we suggest embarking on a ghost tour at Manhattan’s most haunted house.
The post New York Is Home To The Only Legally Haunted House In The US appeared first on Secret NYC.
NYC’s First Horror Bookstore Is The Perfect Spooky Resource
Searching for a good scare? The Twisted Spine is pleased to point you in the proper direction…if you dare.
NYC’s first horror bookstore might still be in its infancy, but Lauren Komer Jason Mellow’s passion project has a bright future, even if the inventory consists of dark literature.
Currently, the months-old NYC bookstore operates digitally, and its founders appear at pop-up literature events throughout the city, like the Brooklyn Book Festival. Already, Lauren says the appetite for the grisly and grotesque has been massive.
“Horror is really in a wonderful renaissance right now, and the amount of diverse voices is incredible — all backgrounds, all walks of life, across all LGBT communities. It’s a great opportunity for people to jump in and a great opportunity for people who already love the genre to dive a little bit deeper,” she says.
The Twisted Spine offers sizable selection for a small operation: the classics, viral YA #BookTok favorites, anthologies, paranormal picks — the list goes on. To house the growing collection and its legion of followers, the duo plans to find a storefront within the next year for shopping, signings, readings and beyond. (Even a restricted section for only the most devoted fans of the genre.)
“The longterm plan is to do a brick and mortar store either in Manhattan or Brooklyn and where we’ve established local connections,” Jason says. “Our thought process so far is that we don’t want to scare anyone away, but we don’t want to look like an average bookstore. We want people to come in and step into a different world.”
Bringing in readers will be the easy part, according to the founders. Real estate is where things get tricky.
“The community is already there,” Lauren says. “What we really need is the space where we can come together.”
Once they find a place to call home, The Twisted Spine will offer a dark academic vibe, lure in customers with refreshments like coffee or wine, and above all, help readers explore all things creepy and kooky.
“We want it to be opening and welcoming to anyone who’s interested in anything — anything from mildly unsettling to [books for] people who are real horror junkies,” Lauren notes.
While you wait for the next pop-up, and the brick-and-mortar store to open its doors, the duo recommends picking up a copy of Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a paranormal take on the Mexico City film industry, and Jackal by NYC-based author Erin E. Adams, a thriller focused on race, womanhood, and the strange mysteries of a dark forest.
What scary story is on your reading wishlist?
The post NYC’s First Horror Bookstore Is The Perfect Spooky Resource appeared first on Secret NYC.