October The Thirty-First

October The Thirty-First

October The Thirty-First

By Diane Dunwell-Hoffman © 1991

Halloween is in the air, ghosts and goblins everywhere.
Witches, pumpkins, big black cats.
Through the dark fly owls and bats.
The moon is full up in the sky,
while werewolves look for you and I.
So if you are out on October the thirty-first,
beware of vampires who are dying of thirst.

Sara's Woods, Alpha , NJ Debunking A Very Tall Tale

Click on all photos to enlarge them.

I came upon a message board devoted to some strange happenings in New Jersey, and since I was born and raised there I became interested in reading the posts. http://theweirdusmessageboard.yuku.com/topic/1515/ANY-PHOTOS-OF-ALPHA-WOODS-SARA-S-WOODS-  I searched for Alpha, my old home town, and was so amused by the silly contrived posts of several of the message board participants that I had to write this blog about it.  It is the story of what I believe is a total fabrication of a ghost name Sara residing in the small wooded area that sits between Seventh Avenue in Alpha and the abandoned Vulcanite Cement Mill Quarry.

This is the first post regarding such a ghost: 

The poster mentions a coven that presently meets in a barn there.

There are several posts made using different screen names of people claiming to have lived in the neighborhood, or have had relatives living there at one time. If you read them all you will notice several comments poking fun at the type of people who live in Alpha. 

Every time anyone refuted the story of Sarah the little girl ghost, a new screen name appeared to prove its validity.  Of those that refuted the story there was a young man Heller213 who grew up in the same neighborhood and was blasted by the person with the screen name Luv from NJ.

The following post and a few others looked oh so familiar to me, the same old scenario of a poster trying to demean anyone with an opposite opinion.

 

One common thread seemed to follow through in several posts by six or so posters, they all seemed to have a similar experience, and were desperately trying to validate the original post made by the laraisblessed poster.  These posters were THeLastManHere, laraisblessed, JrGhostHunter, Luv from NJ, Mantodea3(predatory insect),  and spiritzWise.

Someone even suddenly found a blog written about Sara's Woods  :http://saraswoodsinalpha.blogspot.com/   
I found this blog rather amusing, and once again riddled with fabrication.  This poster even tells tall tales regarding the weather of the Alpha area.  From the blog: "Studies have found even the weather to be different here - we have more mini tornadoes than any other location on the East Coast!"  What a bunch of malarkey!  I lived in Alpha for 39 years, 6th or 7th Avenues for 25 of those years, and never saw a mini tornado.

I found this post by spiritzWise rather intriguing because of the location they mention where they had previously lived, and the poster's paranoid incoherent ramblings about the power lines:

 

At another point another poster who seemed to post often on this website featherboa39 discovers what she believes to be a link to other stories with striking similarities:

Not only do I find it funny in a disturbing kind of way that the multiple posters seem to wish to validate the story of laraisblessed, but they also help her in an effort to keep the curiously interested posters from traveling to "Sarah's Woods" to check it out with several posts warning them of the "criminals", and "drunken ATV riders."

These posters sure give the quaint little town of my childhood a really bad image.  It is all there posted between August and December 2006, oddly enough no one in the Dunwell family were living at 1159 Seventh Avenue at that time. 

Click on pic to ENLARGE

The Dunwell family moved to 428 Williams Street in Alpha, New Jersey in 1958 when I was seven years old.  In 1963 we then moved to 301 East Central Avenue where my parents opened a Luncheonette/Corner Store.  While we had the store we had the distinct privilege of getting to know a rather large cross section of the residents of Alpha,  Springtown, and Warren Glen.  We had many regular customers who didn't just come in to buy things, but hung out and conversed.

The house on the right was the former Romagnoli/Brunetti Butcher Shop

One such customer was one of my favorite characters, Valentino Romagnoli. Val was the son of Americo Romagnoli who built his home on Seventh Avenue in Alpha around the former Peter Brunetti Butcher Shop in 1951.   I recently spoke with Val who told me he bought a chicken coop off of John Shiller who had lived on E. Central Avenue on the block between Sixth and Seventh Avenue back then, and attached it to the rear of the home and refurbished it to create a kitchen.  Since Val only paid $20.00 for the chicken coop and was working at the Vulcanite/Alpha Cement Mill at the time he also paid to have a new floor put in the kitchen.   Back in the early fifties there were still many outhouses in Alpha, and Val also added a brand new bathroom to the house for his mother and father.  After the passing of his mother and father he sold the house for $12, 000.00. 

When I stumbled upon a totally unbelievable tale online, I knew that if anyone would have known about any ghosts that supposedly haunted the small wooded area situated behind his parent's home on Seventh Avenue Val would certainly be the one.   My family  purchased 1159 Seventh Avenue from Ethel Keller in 1968, and her parent's Mr. and Mrs. Ringo lived nearby on Seventh Avenue.  We knew everyone in the neighborhood and some that had lived there for a lifetime.

We heard many a tale about Alpha legends, and not one single one about a ghost of a child haunting the wooded area a few hundred feet away, across the street, up the hill, and over the tracks.  There were many a night we awoke to the loud clanging noises and screeching brakes of a train passing through.

I would advise that no one should go hunting for this fabricated ghost Sara in the wooded area between the former PA Railroad bed and the former Vulcanite Cement Mill quarry, because it is against the law, private property, and dangerous.   Glenn Miller stumbled over the 70 ft. cliff falling to his death on August 3, 1991.  Another young man Timothy Vas also fell at the same time but lived to sue the town of Alpha for negligence in failing to warn the public of its danger. http://articles.mcall.com/1991-01-02/news/2791687_1_alpha-suit-new-jersey-superior-court.

On my private Facebook page I put the question to my forty or so friends who grew up in Alpha.  I asked them if they had ever heard of the haunting of a little girl ghost named Sara or Sara's Woods, and not one of them ever heard of it.  However, two of my friends told me some horrendous stories about witches who were persecuted by the town's people over eighty years ago.  It was the first time I had ever heard that tale.  The two who mentioned this are third generation raised in Alpha, their families go back to the town's inception. 

When I was about eight years old a man was hit by a train on the tracks near the walking bridge that spans the tracks between Railroad and First Avenues.  He was always known to the locals as the Bocce Man.  I don't know his actual name or how he got the nick name Bocce Man.  I often thought that he could have been walking home from playing Bocce with the guys at the SIM club that was on Warren Street,  a favored spot for the Italian men to hang out and play Bocce in the yard next to the club.

And Plot Thickens With A Whole New Set Of Multiple Posters Trying To Convince Others Of The Non-Phenomena 
http://angelsghosts.com/alpha_nj_ghost_story.html

http://pub41.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=3480317052&frmid=1198&msgid=662318&cmd=show

http://ghosthunters39131.yuku.com/topic/381#.TygpgsVSTp9





"It makes me feel sick to my stomach knowing that the majority of the posts on all of the websites were actually made by one person using multiple pseudo-names to give  validation to her trumped up story.  I find this fact scarier than any ghost! "

The Lighthouse Inn, New London, Connecticut

I had the eerie experience of staying at one of our nations most haunted hotels.   One October a few years ago I spent a weekend at the Lighthouse Inn in New London Connecticut.  I must admit that I did not experience any kind of paranormal activity during my stay, but I did give one of its ghosts some "other worldly" advice.


In 1902 a steel mogul Charles Guthrie built a summer home near the harbor of New London, Connecticut on the Long Island Sound.  He loved gardens and surrounded the mansion with beautiful fields of native wildflowers, thus giving the estate the name Meadow Court.  His summer home become so popular that socialites and celebrities were eager to spend time there.  Some of the elite who spent respite time there are Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford.

In 1927, the mansion became a hotel, and because of the spectacular view of the harbor lights, it was given the name the Lighthouse Inn.  It's regal Victorian interior made it a popular place for weddings.  During one such wedding in 1930, as the lovely bride descended the ornate winding staircase she tripped and fell to her instant death.  


It has been reported that her ghost in great sadness and despair wanders the hotel, opening and closing doors, and the scent of her perfume wafts through the air near the staircase. 


As I was very carefully descending the stairs during my stay, I repeated these words, "Dear Bride, go into the light, you were spared a lifetime of despair the night you died." Yes, it was my meager attempt at being facetious regarding marriage.  There are supposedly two other spirits that haunt the Lighthouse Inn, however I did not experience any of them during my stay.

I simply experienced the ambiance of a very old, and austere Victorian Inn that did need some TLC as it was beginning to show some wear. The rooms are nice in the main hotel, but the Carriage House is not as lovely.  However the beach is just a few hundred feet away and very private and serene in October.

We had a typical lunch of sandwiches that were very tasty in the Olde English styled lounge, and then partied with several friends to a very entertaining three piece band.  The last night of our stay we had a banquet in the very stately ballroom.  All in all I had a great time, however this hotel gets only 3 1/2 stars because it is in need of some tender loving care.  Unless the innkeepers want to maintain the dark haunted image of the Inn, it is very dark and in need of adding some light to the decor. Just one walk through the door into the small lobby, the darkness of the interior creates an overwhelming feeling of gloom.   I most likely would only return for a stay at the Lighthouse Inn of New London, Connecticut if it were because of the haunting experience with a medium in tow.  This hotel was featured on the popular television show,  Ghost Hunters.


The Lighthouse Inn on Ghost Hunters, click here

The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center

While writing my autobiography I had been reminded of the many occasions when I was able to stay in five star hotels. My last blog on the Bradywine Valley of Pennsylvania, and our wonderful stay at the Folkestone Bed and Breakfast gave me inspiration to share my memories as a guest at several of these elegant, and accommodating  hotels.

This blog is a brief summary of a few visits to the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center.  In the coming week I will also feature the elegant and historical Hotel Hershey, the breathtaking Cliff House on the Bald Head Cliffs in Ogunquit, Maine, the seaside Clarion of Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, and the hauntingly austere Lighthouse Inn in New London, Connecticut which happens to be on the list of haunted hotels in the world. 

My first glimpse of the Desmond Hotel in Malvern, Pennsylvania, was when I attended the bridal shower for my cousin Kathy's daughter Rachaelyn .  They happen to live nearby in West Chester. The bridal shower was absolutely enchanting, with excellent service, and a delectable variety of luncheon delights.

Everyone was so pleased with the wonderful service, elegance of the hotel, and wonderful meal; that Rachaelyn  then decided that it would be the best hotel for her wedding guests to use during her upcoming nuptials.   Rachaelyn was marrying a fantastic young man who hails from Dublin, Ireland therefore there would be many guests that would need a hotel room.

My four year old granddaughter Maggie was to be their flower girl so Jamiann, Mike, the kids and I were to arrive the day before the wedding.  We had several rooms booked for the weekend.  I made the crown of baby breath for Maggie to wear as part of her flower girl ensemble. 

As I had previously mentioned the food for the bridal shower was so delicious and ample that Rachaelyn held the rehearsal dinner there also.  The rehearsal dinner was held outside on one of the hotels lovely lawn and garden settings.  Just beyond the patio and pergolas there was a tent set up with a floating wood floor, several round wrought iron patio tables, a hot buffet station was set up with a chef in attendance, waiters for drinks, and clearing the tables.  The ambiance was romantic and magical.  Once again the food was fabulous and the Chef has won many awards.  In 2003, The Hunt Room at The Desmond was one of just six restaurants in the nation to be awarded the American Culinary Federation's Achievement of Excellence Award.  I would recommend this hotel for a wedding or any kind of banquet.

The wedding reception was held at the area's  premiere venue for weddings, the Farmhouse at the Peoples Light and Theater Company set amongst the Bachman Gardens. The building is a restored 18th Century Stone Farmhouse and they opened the ballroom's French Doors which led out to a brick patio, and splendid garden setting. 

My daughter Jennifer and I were so impressed with the quality of the Desmond Hotel that we decided to take her daughter Emily and two of her friends there to celebrate Emily's 12th birthday.  It was a really fun and unusual way to celebrate with three enthusiastic preteen girls. The hotel staff were so accommodating, and pretty much gave us free reign over the pool area.  In fact we did not encounter another guest while we used it several times both days.  It was as if it were reserved just for us. 

One of my favorite decorations that adorn most of the walls of the Desmond Hotel are the multiple paintings of both Dan and Pauline Campanelli.  Most of their paintings; Dan's landscapes in watercolor and Pauline's still-life in oils; are reproduced by the New York Graphic Publishing Group, the largest and oldest publisher of fine art reproductions.  Pauline and Dan had lived in the town of Finesville which was only a few miles away from my own hometown of Alpha, NJ.  I own three Campanelli paintings, one done by Dan, and two by Pauline, one which was signed by Pauline before her death in November of 2001 with a special birthday message to me. 

Campanelli of Springtown, NJ mill

For Emily's birthday we were given a suite of three rooms and two complete baths. One room was two queen sized beds, the other was a living/dining room with a fireplace and balcony which was also shared with the second bedroom that had a canopy bed.

The hotel had a cute small flower arrangement waiting for Emily in our room when we arrived.  Jen brought a cake, and goodies.  No birthday stay in a hotel would be complete without an order from room service.

The girls expressed that they loved their time spent at the Desmond Hotel and didn't want to leave.

My daughter Jamiann and her husband Mike also stayed in one of the Desmond Hotel suites for a romantic Valentine's Day without the kids. The hotel had a nice surprise waiting for them when they arrived, two bottles of champagne.

I would give the Desmond Hotel 4 1/2 stars for ambiance,  5 stars for service, and 5+ for the food they serve. If you are ever in the West Chester or Brandywine area and would rather stay in a hotel than a Bed and Breakfast, the Desmond Hotel is the place to stay.

The hotel has many amenities, including a gym, indoor pool, gazebo, patios, putting green, English Pub setting bar, lovely lobby with wall murals, computer room with Internet service, and much more.  Here is a link to their site: http://www.desmondgv.com/

 

A Visit To The Historical Brandywine Valley Of PA

One of my favorite places to visit is the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania.  The Brandywine Valley is nestled amidst the rolling hills of Chester County, and is the area where the Revolutionary War Battle Of Brandywine took place.  This area is steeped in historical value, lush gardens, splendid mansions, wineries, museums, and art galleries.
Folke Stone Bed And Breakfast

Foyer/Room Folke Stone B & B

For our tenth anniversary my husband Roger and I vacationed there to renew our vows at Longwood Gardens.  We stayed at the Folke Stone Bed and Breakfast situated in the country just outside West Chester.   This charming beautifully restored stone manor house with its open beam ceiling, random width floors and warm decor and hospitality not unlike the days of George and Martha Washington welcomed us at first glance. 


The Innkeepers Marcy and Walter Schmoll were very friendly and accommodating.  They were so kind that when we checked out, Walter gave me a clump of the ground cover that I admired growing around the tree in the front yard.

Breakfast Table Folke Stone B & B

Marci being a retired dietician creates the most delicious breakfast which is also nutritious.  We enjoyed fresh raspberry pastry that Marci had just made and served at one dining room table where all the guests are seated together.

There were two other couples; one elderly couple who were visiting their granddaughter in college, and they were regular guests at the inn. The other couple was from Washington DC; he a Corporate Attorney, and she a Supervisor for U.S.D.A. which just happened to be the governing office of the agency that I had worked for in the past.  I was a Clerk Transcriber for a New Jersey Food Stamp Office in Warren County. The conversation was very interesting, and the woman from the U.S.D.A.was quite interested in the operations of what she called a "lay office". 

After breakfast we enjoyed the view from the side porch.  I remember that the door leading out to the porch was original from 1732 and had lots of character. 

King Louis Room

Swans on pond Folke Stone B & B

Our room was the King Louis room which had a French Provincial style elegance, and the view from the window was right out of a Romantic Novel.  Our view was of two lovely swans floating peacefully on what appeared to be an old English countryside pond. 

The prices are reasonable and definitely worth every penny spent on  an extraordinary place to lodge in such a historical area of our country.  Our stay there was not just a place to sleep, but was a memorable experience.

Longwood Gardens

Longwood Conservatory

A visit to this region of Pennslyvania is not complete unless you spend a day at Longwood Gardens.  I have often described Longwood Gardens as Heaven on Earth.  It is not uncommon that the first time you visit a vacation spot, is usually the best experience, however with Longwood Gardens every visit is the best!  Each season offers a different view, and experience. 

Loves Temple Longwood♥ Renewed Our Vows

Main Fountain Garden Longwood

 
A circular arbor is covered with pink roses in June. During the bloom period, the enclosure serves as one of the outdoor staging areas for concerts. In the center of the arbor is an old Italian wellhead.

Winterthur

 Winterthur

The next attraction on our agenda is always a visit to Winterthur, a Dupont family mansion converted into a museum with the largest collection of Americana antiques in the world. 

One of several dining room settings

A tour of this mansion invokes a sense of affluence.  Because of my vivid imagination, and love of all things of the past, I simply get lost in an overwhelming feeling of participation in the opulent settings created by Henry Francis Dupont. 

I can picture a huge dinner party seated around the many lovely dining room settings of Winterthur, eating off of fine china, perhaps the set which had been formerly owned by George and Martha Washington.

I have always dreamed of having a home with a winding stairway, just like the one my Great Aunt Ree and Uncle Bill had in their home.  However the one at Winterthur is absolutely magnificent, and on the Yuletide Tour it is decorated beautifully with greens and poinsettias. 

The gardens at Winterthur are gorgeous and their fall foliage equal to that of Longwood Gardens.  Since my last visit to Winterthur they have added an enchanted garden for children, complete with a thatched roofed cottage for fairy tea parties.

Winterthur has a great little store where they sell reproductions of the many antiques that are housed in the museum, as well as garden ornaments, and Victorian collectibles. 

In May of 1997 Winterthur acquired the Campbell Soup Tureen collection.

Campbell Soup Tureen Collection

From their website:  The genesis of the Campbell Collection dates to 1966, when John T. Dorrance Jr., chairman of the Campbell Soup Company, and W. B. Murphy, the company president, decided to begin collecting. They secured a charter for a museum in Camden, New Jersey, and the collection soon grew to include a wide range of tureens and soup-related objects made in Europe, Asia, and America. The dates range from 1720 to modern times.

 If you decide to eat at either of their two cafes, you must try their delicious Kennett Square Cream Of Mushroom Soup!

Brandwine River Museum

The second day of our trip to the Brandywine Valley we visited the Brandywine River Museum the home of the artist work of the Wyeth family in Chadds Ford on Route 1.  From their website:

In 1971, the Conservancy opened the Brandywine River Museum in the renovated Hoffman’s Mill, a former gristmill built in 1864 that was part of the Conservancy’s first preservation efforts.  With nearly six million visitors to date, the museum has established an international reputation for its unparalleled collection and its dedication to American art with primary emphasis on the art of the Brandywine region, American illustration, still life and landscape painting, and the work of the Wyeth family. 

Among the hundreds of artists represented are Howard Pyle, many students of Pyle who affected the course of American illustration, N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth.  There is work by hundreds of famous illustrators.  Landscape, still life, portrait and genre painting includes work by Benjamin West, Gilbert Stuart, Asher Durand, W. T. Richards, William Harnett, John Haberle, J. D. Chalfant, Horace Pippin, and many others, while the major still life collection includes paintings by William Harnett, John Peto, George Cope, John Haberle, Horace Pippin, and many more artists.  Nearly 300 special exhibitions have been shown in the museum’s six galleries, along with constant installations of work from the collection.  Educational programs and publications for audiences of all ages are regular and frequent.

One thing that stands out in my memory is that they had the 1911 lithographs of N.C. Wyeth's illustrations for Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.  

Chadds Ford Inn

 Chadds Ford Inn

Second Floor Dining Room

After our tour of the Brandwine River Museum we had dinner at the Chadds Ford Inn which is now operating under the name of  Brandywine Prime.  We were seated in the upstairs dining room near a window.  At the very top of the stairs hung a painting by Andrew Wyeth of a lovely nude woman.  Our waiter pointed out that the Battle Of Brandywine was staged right outside the inn and that the legend  has it that a cannon ball came through the window by which we were seated. 


The ambiance of  the Chaddsford Inn was only upstaged by the beautifully plated meal which was scrumptious.  This restaurant is now under new management and I can't vouch for their food, but the ambiance has to be as inspirational because of the historical value of the inn.  

Chaddsford Winery

The Brandywine Valley is filled with many other historical sites, gardens, and wineries.  After our dinner at the Chadds Ford Inn we stopped by a wine tasting festival at the Chaddsford Winery which was right nearby the inn on Route 1.  It was a very mellow ending to a very memorable trip to the outstanding Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania.  




Brandywine Valley Links:  




Folke Stone Bed & Breakfast


Longwood Gardens


Winterthur Museum


Brandywine River Museum


Chaddsford Inn/Brandywine Prime


Chaddsford Winery