LOCATION:
Original house was built
in 1740, by the Ogden family, near the Saddle River, in Northeastern
New Jersey. It is only about a 60 minute trip from New York City.
DESCRIPTION:
This manor is quite impressive to see and well-worth the trip, as it is out in the middle of nowhere. Ringwood Manor is a 51 room,
Victorian- style mansion, and is described by Han Holzer as the most
interesting haunted house that he had ever visited. The Manor and its
estate was given to the state of New Jersey in 1936, and is open daily
to the public as a museum, for a small fee. Tours of Ringwood Manor
are available Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. Come to the
State Park Office Entrance for exact time. The tour begins at the southeastern
(Ryerson) entrance.
Ringwood Manor sits on a prime piece of real estate, up on a hill, with a glorious view of the Saddle River and surrounding green fields. Its grounds are lovely with a fountain, and gardens. The cemetery is located down its sloping side area, through an entrance gate, (so visitors won't get lost), and then follow the path down to the riverside.
HISTORY:
Ringwood Manor wasn't always
a 51 room mansion. A variety of owners did various construction projects
on the Manor. Although Ogden started the original smaller house in 1740,
the main portion of the original house was completed in 1762, thanks
to the lucrative profits gained from the local iron business. Then,
George Washington's geographer, Robert Erskine, bought the house. Robert
Erskine sold the house to Martin Ryerson, who was able to afford to
tear down the original house and then rebuilt it completely in 1807,
due again to the soaring profits from the local iron industry. However,
when the iron industry profits declined in the 1830's, this Manor house
was again sold, to a Peter Cooper, who later passed the ownership of
this property to his Son-in-law, Abram S. Hewitt, (who was a New York
Mayor).
Annual Victorian Christmas Celebration Dining
Room Photo from RingwoodManor.com
Once again Ringwood
Manor had a tremendous remodeling job, under the direction of the
very capable Mrs. Hewitt. She changed the then drab Ringwood Manor
into its present grand, yet off-beat appearance, which is due to
the fact that Mrs. Hewitt moved some previous existing buildings
next to the main Mansion.
MANIFESTATIONS:
1) Alexander W., the Superintendent
of the Manor, heard 2 different sets of footsteps, which point to
two distinct entities.
2) Doors to Ringwood Manor that had been locked
and shut tight at closing time, were found by Alexander to be wide
open in the morning, when none in this world could have done it.
First Floor Hall Photo from RingwoodManor.com
3) All along the upstairs
and downstairs corridors, psychic-sensitive people have felt chills
and/or cold, clammy sensations/feelings.
Old House Staircase Photo from RingwoodManor.com
4) In various areas of
the house, presences have been sensed / felt throughout the years
and reported since the Manor became a museum.
5) Local legend, though
not substantiated, tells the tale of Robert Erskine's ghost walking
around with a lantern.
PSYCHIC REASEARCH:
Hans Holzer and medium,
Ethel Johnson Meyers, discovered that the main center of the hauntings
was in the area of the Manor that originally was Mrs. Erskine's bedroom
in the old, original house that was torn down in the 1807 remodeling.
Through the trance of Mrs. Meyers, Holzer made contact with 3 ghosts.
A) One of the restless spirits
was a 19th century servant, Jackson White, who was part Negro and part
Indian, and lived at Ringwood Manor during that time period.
B) Another one was an
unhappy servant of Mrs. Erskine, Jeremiah, who bitterly accused his
Mistress of mistreating him.
C) The third personality was
Mrs. Erskine herself, who wasn't pleased at all with the fact that Holzer
was in her Manor, and crankily told him, through the mouth of Mrs. Meyers
in a trance, several times in an ungracious manner to leave and get
off her property.
STILL HAUNTED?
Yes.
The historical photo and the Interior photos are from RingwoodManor.com |
