Excerpts from chapters in the book...

The Ghost of Stony Brook's Country House

Recalling another story, Bob added, "Once, one of our waiters was at the top of the stairs and saw a woman go into the storeroom.  Every once in a while someone will wander around wanting to see the place, so he said, 'Excuse me, ma'am, no one's allowed up there.'  He walked into the storeroom, and nobody was there."

The Ghosts of Cedarmere

"The rest of the stories were told to me by the family of the old caretaker," said Harrison Hunt.  "The chauffeur/caretaker lived here with his wife and two daughters from 1920 until after 1975 - after Elizabeth Love Godwin died and before it was left to the County.  Supposedly, an apparition appeared down in the kitchen, in the butler's pantry.  It was a ghost of a man walking dogs on a leash.  He would come walking through the wall, and then he'd just keep going.  Several of the staff had reported seeing this"

He continued, "Another story had to do with the coal room in the basement.  A group of men were working down there, and they reported feeling a presence.  Now these guys were not believers, yet they would only work in pairs.  No one worked alone down there.  They wouldn't talk about it, but they went in twos so someone could keep watch.  Eventually the men were convinced that there was a presence down there."
 

Ghosts from Faraway Lands - Or Are They Americas?

Edwina said she was never the same after seeing the two figures.  "It was visible proof that ghosts exist.  It wasn't something I just heard, it was something I saw, and it literally changed me for the rest of my life.  It changed my thoughts about what happens when you die, that there is absolutely something beyond this.  I know people speculate about religion and things like that, but when you've seen something like that...it actually makes you physically ill, because reality is turned upside down.  What you've always heard about or read about or imagined, or were afraid of when you were little, and all those times when your mother said there's no such things, those things don't exist...you realize it's really, really true...they do exist.  It was such a dramatic, unbelievable turning point in the way I view everything, but it also frightened me so badly that I wouldn't stay in that house."

The Ghost of Uncle Levi

"So how do you explain that you were a skeptic and now all of a sudden..." I trailed off.

"I am a skeptic," Lloyd replied. "I always said that's a lot of baloney, but I know what I see, and hear, and what people tell me."

Joe commented, "Ghosts can come and go, anytime, even if they don't need to make a statement anymore."

"They come back to say hello?" Lloyd asked

"Yes.  The wall between here and the other side is very thin," Joe replied. "It's good to be skeptical, though.  It makes it more credible, because you're not a believer."

The Spirit of an Indian Chief at Montauk Manor

In 1653, the Narragansetts once again set foot in Montauk, waging a surprise attack on the Montauketts.  The fierce warriors nearly destroyed the Montauk Indians in one of the worst attacks ever made on the tribe.  The ambush took place at the foot of the present-day Montauk Manor.  Because of the terrible losses inflicted on the Montauketts, the low-lying land just east of Fort Hill next to Signal Hill became known as "Massacre Valley."

At least thirty Montauk Indians were killed there, and fourteen others were taken captive, including Wyandanch's daughter, who was celebrating her wedding feast that night...

Some Native Americans believe that Wyandanch is buried somewhere at the top of the hill, which overlooks Massacre Valley.  There are many Indians buried in this area, although the graves are not marked.  It is said that there are a few, probably hidden under brush now, which are marked by a circle of stones.  At the time the Manor was built, many graves that could be seen were probably moved.  The entire area was disrupted during the Manor's construction...

Janice continued, "One man who did come down, and I would say he knew nothing about the story, was a corporate guest here on business.  He said to me, 'I think I had too much to drink last night.'  He said he saw an Indian in full head-dress float across near one of the duplexes on the first floor..."