The House Near Dutch Kills Road

by M.P. Pellicer | Stranger Than Fiction Stories
Back in 1874, there was a house on Jackson Avenue near the Dutch Kills Road in Long Island. "For a long time it stood tenantless, but last week... " A good beginning for a ghost story right? 

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Mr. Daly moved into the premises. Daly's family were notified what to expect; they didn't care for ghosts thought nor the devil himself for that matter. A few days passed, and everything was quiet, but on last Monday night, after the family had retired, low moans were distinctly heard, and Mr. Daly went into the hall to investigate. The sound was then transferred to the kitchen; proceeding thence he heard it in the parlor, going to the parlor, he heard it in the garret and cellar, alternately. The house was thoroughly searched; no person but its rightful possessors were found.

Shortly after this a noise as if some heavy body were falling down stairs was heard. Mrs. Daly, upon being interrogated, affirmed that the crockery in the cupboard was thrown down and broken, and declared the door was unopened. One child was so thoroughly frightened that it was thrown into violent convulsions, and has since died.

On Tuesday night the program was repeated with some variation. At midnight cries of "Murder! Murder!" rang through the house, creating confusion in the family. The neighbors were called in,  and the premises were pretty generally overhauled, but nothing was found that threw any light on the mystery.

Yesterday the family moved out, thought they said it was 'not because they were afraid, but it was impossible to sleep in such racket.'

Brooklyn Daily Eagle c.1874

Brothel c.19th century

In 1878, another renter found some source for the haunting. The story told that in 1861, a block of four houses were put up for sale. They were all bought by "disreputable characters" and converted into assignation houses.

The police chief on learning that the houses had been turned into brothels, ordered that each door should be made a "lantern post", which is where policemen are stationed with orders to shine a bullseye lamp on all male visitors. 

Before long two of the houses emptied out. One of the policemen was believed to have taken bribes to allow certain men in, without identifying them. But then another rumor circulated that it wasn't only the police presence which shut down the houses, but hauntings that were taking place, described as "unholy sights and sounds" which were experienced nightly. Eventually all four houses emptied out.

A few years later an auctioneer secured one of the houses for a tenant. One morning two ladies arrived, and brought a load of furniture. The ladies spent the day arranging the furniture, and at dusk they left. It was assumed the ladies had no idea of house's past. When they returned the next morning every piece of furniture was moved from the front to the back of the house including the stove, which was full of coal. They left and house remained empty once again.

Some remembered a story that when it was a brothel an unhappy girl, quarreled with her lover. He murdered her by cutting her throat.  Soon after that the mistress of the house threw another girl down the stairs in a fit of fury. Others said the shrieks heard in the dead of night, were the screams of a girl who died after her muslin dress caught fire, and she burned to death.

So what really haunted this house, the ghosts of shady ladies or its bad reputation?

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