Emily Chan
Usually, hauntings are relegated to myths and legends. They’re considered to be fictional occurrences that stem from overactive imaginations.
However, there’s one seemingly idyllic house perched on the banks of the Hudson River in Nyack, New York, that was declared legally haunted in 1991. It was the first house in the United States to earn the title.
The Ackley House is located at 1 LaVeta Place in Nyack, New York. It is a three-story Victorian home that was built around 1890. The mansion features a wraparound porch and a fenced-in pool.
From almost every room and window, picturesque views of the river can be seen. Inside, there are eight bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. Some of the unique Victorian details include elaborate moldings, stained glass windows, and high-quality hardwood floors.
Not much is known about the early human occupants of the house, although it likely belonged to a family that still lives in the area. For about a decade in the 1960s, the house went unoccupied.
So, whatever happened in the Ackley House that would cause its residents to abandon such a beautiful dwelling? Apparently, the house was haunted by three different ghosts.
The rumors of ghosts originate from the story of Helen and George Ackley. The first encounter Helen had with a ghost was in the late 1960s.
She was standing on a ladder, painting her living room ceiling, when she looked over and spotted a man seated near the fireplace. The figure had white hair and was dressed in a colonial-style suit. He was rocking back and forth as if he were sitting in a rocking chair, but no chair was in sight.
In another instance, George claimed to have seen a pair of disembodied feet clad in moccasins walk past him. Furthermore, their daughter Cynthia, who was in high school at the time, was shaken awake every day by some mysterious entity until she politely asked the room to let her continue her slumber.
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