Two More Pelham Ghost Stories

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Students of Pelham history may know that I have written a number of articles about supposed "ghosts" seen in and around Pelham. See the following:

Pelham's Ghosts, Goblins and Legends, The Pelham Weekly, Oct. 25, 2002, p. 1, col. 1.

More Ghosts, Goblins of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 43, Oct. 29, 2004, p. 12, col. 1.

HistoricPelham.com Web Site: Pelham's Ghosts, Goblins and Legends

With yet another Halloween fast approaching, it is time once again to turn to thoughts of local ghost stories. For years I have collected local legends and ghost stories. Recently I turned up a couple more that I had never seen before. Today's Blog posting will relate these two stories, both of which involve the lovely home at 45 Iden Avenue known as Pelhamdale. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

During the 1970s, Pelhamdale was owned by Le Roi L. Elliott, an "international public relations" expert. In 1978, he told a local writer a story about unusual things seen by visitors to his home on two occasions. He cited a local legend that the ghost of Anne Hutchinson, who was murdered in 1643 by Native Americans a mile or so from the home, still wanders the neighborhood. According to the account:

"On two occasions, Le Roi reports there have been instances in which, with a certain degree of imagination, Anne's ghost might have made appearances in recent years.

One morning, when Mrs. Elliott's mother was visiting, she commented that Le Roi had been very active moving things around early in the morning in the third-floor studio above her bedroom. As it happens, it was a Saturday, and at the time the sounds were emanating from the studio, everyone in the family was soundly sleeping. There was no one in the studio.

The second occasion was on a bright summer morning. The Elliott's oldest son was the first to get up. As he walked from the kitchen towards the pantry, he passed the door leading into the dining room, and he was somewhat dismayed to see a diminutive woman standing just inside the doorway. He reports that the woman appeared to be quite elderly, and wore a plain cotton dress with a shawl around her shoulders. She smiled at him, and nodded. Not thinking at first, he continued on into the pantry. But he stopped short, turned to take another look at her, and found she was gone."

Source: Legend of Pell House, Texaco Westchester, Apr. 21, 1978 (page from publication, copy of which is in the author's files).

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