Sunday Pastries With the Dead 10

A very haunted 1850-era church and cemetery in Pennsylvania.

Hopping over the Delaware River to the Pennsylvania side, I explored a lovely little historical town that’s said to be quite haunted—and its 1850-era church and cemetery are the epicenter of the activity.

According to the pastor of a nearby church, every building at the periphery of the cemetery is haunted. That includes the parsonage where he lives; he and his wife hear footsteps, doors opening and closing, see lights turn on and off, and often encounter the apparition of a man wearing historical clothing.

In the old church office, electrical items like computers and copy machines were often interfered with, and the pastor sometimes felt an inexplicable chill in the air. He believes the presence is that of Cyrus Stover, who built the space in 1858. Stover fought for the Union Army in the Civil War and died of combat injuries in 1864; he’s buried in the cemetery (his lovely cradle grave is pictured above).

Apparently, the old reverend’s wife Mary Louisa Aughinbaugh (headstone pictured above left) still walks the church property all these years after her death in 1867. And in the library across the street (pictured right) a little girl is often seen in the stacks.

A woman with a parasol has been spotted by the outer cemetery wall, and the engine bay of the fire station that borders the graveyard (pictured above right) is haunted by the specter of a man.

The founder of the town is buried in the cemetery (his box tomb is pictured above left and center; his last name is a pretty big hint regarding the location). He also built the area’s inn in 1838 (pictured right)—it’s still a popular restaurant and pub (my friends and I once regularly attended trivia nights there!)

There are many Civil War soldiers here, as well. John B. Kerbaugh (above left) died at the battle of Antietam—the bloodiest in the whole war—when he was only 24 years old; the three-linked chain on his headstone symbolizes the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. While we’re talking symbols, I happened upon one I hadn’t seen before, on two headstones (pictured center and right)—a crown with a cross in the middle. It stands for victory, leadership, and the kingdom of heaven.

As always, there are far too many children interred. The lamb-topped monument of “Our Little Willie” (above left) gave me pause, as did the headstone of the musically-named Minnie Milton Melville (left center). The Brotzman family’s seven lost young are buried side-by-side (right center) and the Angell family’s four little angels (right) all have headstones bearing rosebuds (symbolizing a life cut short before it “bloomed”).

To be honest, if I hadn’t read about the locale’s supernatural history prior to my visit, I don’t think I would’ve picked up on it. The area feels active, to be sure, but no more so than any other Victorian-era town in these parts. I’m intrigued, though, because so many folks here have had experiences and truly believe these stories—it keeps the energy high for spirit manifestation. It’s an excellent reason to return for some extracurricular mediumship work!