HAVE YOU HAD A PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE AT THIS LOCATION?
Please Share Your Experiences
By <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Lorryh&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="User:Lorryh (page does not exist)">Lorryh</a> - <span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
History
This home is one of the few surviving examples of Phillip Hooker’s work – a 19th century American architect – and was built for George Clarke between 1817 and 1834. It was named after the ancestral home of the Hooker family Hyde in Cheshire, England.
The house is considered historically significant because it was built using both English and American architectural methods.
Clarke purchased the land in 1817 as they were adjacent to his wife’s lands. The house took so long to build due to financial issues and Clarke’s battles for his inheritances in New York Courts. In 1824 he received his final inheritance from his father allowing him to complete the house.
When ownership of the house was passed to New York State there were funds available to restore the mansion. It had fallen into a state of disrepair and was very nearly demolished.
In 1964 a group called The Friends of Hyde Hall was formed to save the house and restore it’s grandeur back for the specific purpose of having the public enjoy it. In 1988 they were granted a 30 year lease on the property which was extended in 2018 to another 30 years.
The house is open seasonally and sponsors several events; it can also be booked for private events through the website above.
Paranormal Activity
Paranormal investigations can be booked during October – for groups of 10 or more – and Orange County Paranormal runs 1 or 2 investigations a year as well. They also have a ghost tour in the mansion in October where you can hear the stories of the hauntings.
The most famous ghost at Hyde Hall is that of Jenny Worthington who passed away young and was immortalized in an 8 foot tall 400 pound portrait commissioned by her husband; John Worthington. Even after John got remarried, he still left the portrait hung in the house.
Eventually, the new wife took the portrait down – can you blame her – and immediately paranormal activity started in the house.
Years later the portrait was donated to Hyde Hall. One night after it had been taken down for renovations the shutters swung open in the dining room – where the painting usually hangs – tripping the motion alarm.
Jenny hangs out in the dining room to this day. When the house is open or closed the staff doing it always says “good morning” or “good night” to Jenny. Disrespect her at your peril.
The apparition of George Clarke is seen through the house in his gold, green and red bathrobe. Even ghosts need to be comfortable; and it was said to be his favorite.
Edward Steers is still seen on the dock after he ‘accidentally’ shot himself there after having his marriage proposal rejected a second time by a lady working at Hyde Hall.
A woman in a long braid down her back dressed in a Victorian dress is often seen in the house especially on the stairs. She is most often seen by children and usually is somewhat transparent. No one could identify her until a staff member found an old photo that matched her exactly.
A worker alone in the house heard a mayday call come through on the radio. This may be related to George and Susan Clarke who lived here and were killed together in a plane crash.
Other Reported Activity: disembodied voices; phantom sounds of a party like ice clinking in glasses and laughter; objects moving on their own; touches by unseen presences; light anomalies; empathic feelings of unease and feelings of being watched.