Night Stalks the Mansion

by Constance Westbie, Harold Cameron

A True Story of One family's Ghostly Adventure. No one believes in ghosts until they have to. The Cameron's believe. In 1864 a fourteen-year-old girl was raped and strangled outside her home. A Century later the spirit of her mother and the man who murdered her still roam the mansion grounds. Night Stalks The Mansion is the account of two chilling years Harold Cameron and his family lived in the haunted mansion.

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal, Horror, Ghosts, Ghost Stories, Mystery, Supernatural

179 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1977

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spooky Activity!

Backstory:

Harold Cameron along with his wife, Dorothy and their family move into a mansion that by all appearances seem normal, but it is anything but normal as not too long after they move in some odd happenings occur. Footsteps are heard throughout the house and outside, doors open on their own, the doorknob to the basement jiggles as if someone is trying to come up out of the basement, the family smells odd odors along with some other things that keep the family on edge.

Harold eventually hires a man named Enoch to help out around the place and learns from him that the mansion has been around since the 1800's - lots of bad things and disturbances happened there in the past.

Harold and his family do not leave though with everything that happens as they just endure it all as they have no other place to go and they end up staying there for almost two years with all the activity.

Though the only thing that really spooked Harold was when he received an unwanted visitor one night as a woman appeared out in his front yard telling him that she had been kidnapped and had escaped the clutches of a couple of men that had her tied up down the road next to an old farmhouse. When he let the woman call a cab as she insisted that she needed to call one and the cab picked her up, Harold just felt that something wasn't right. He came to find out that the woman might have been a ghost as things did not add up with her being kidnapped. Some other things were just off that gave the family a few wonderings of what was really going on in the mansion.

Thoughts:

This story was not overly scary but there were quite a few spook moments of the family living in the mansion. The family had signed a lease to stay in the house for a couple of years so it would have been hard on them to break the lease and go somewhere else so they just endured all the paranormal activity that came with the mansion hoping to try and figure out themselves what was causing all the activity.

The book was kind of fast paced and eventually the story delves more into the past of why the mansion was haunted with it being very informative and interesting. All in all the story took me into the creepy zone with some of the activity that was happening with the haunting. Giving this book four "Creepy Chiller" stars!

[Kimberly Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years ago and still haven't forgotten about it. A very interesting, well-written 👻👻👻 haunted house story. And it's nonfiction to BOO-t!

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not a story that was over the top...let's make a movie and make a zillion dollars, like The Amityville Horror and some others, and there wasn't anything really "super scary"... although if I had experienced any of what occurred for any given length of time, you can bet your last dollar that I wouldn't have stayed...not for 2 minutes, much less for 2 years. During this family's stay they said they experienced hearing footsteps in the house, while at night they heard what sounded like a man walking up the gravel driveway, they saw and heard doors opening, doorknobs moving ...and odors in their bedroom that ranged from pleasurably mild to absolutely putrid. When family visited there were some other ghostly things going on as well. Mr. Cameron did begin to investigate the history of the house and learned a few interesting things. How much of it was true and how much of it was tales that got added on to each time they were told is anybody's guess. One thing he should have known to start with is that NOBODY rents you a 17-room historical mansion out of the goodness of their heart. At one point during their time there, an elderly black man, Enoch, had been living in their barn. I found this rather odd and wondered if they didn't ever venture out on the property. Apparently, the man had previously worked in the mansion when he was young. Harold Cameron befriends and hires him to help his wife Dorothy around the house. Eventually with much prodding, Harold gets the man to tell him the history of the property. I found this part interesting. A tragic and sad past certainly would explain why these spirits might remain, if there is actually anything to this and you really believe. Personally, I found the book to be interesting. I grew up on ghost stories. My Irish grandmother believed this was real to the bottom of her Irish soul. Something about the family's reaction through the entire ordeal was strange and "off", for lack of a better word. They were entirely too calm and accepting about the entire thing. Actually, their reactions to most of what happened, ghostly or not, was rather odd. Sometimes it seemed that the story itself would go completely off topic. At the end, there was a note...an update, about what has happened to the mansion and the property over the years. That was very interesting also. If you like ghost stories, this one will keep you entertained. I started this in December and found that I did better with it to read it in sections, so I am just now finishing it. I wanted to give the book and the authors a fair evaluation and that took more "pondering" than usual.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this gripping tale from beginning to end in a single sitting. It is creepy and fun. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good ghost story!

[Sabrina Rutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be scarier, but did enjoy the way it was written. It was like a mystery and all the way through you would get more clues about those haunting the mansion until finally it was revealed who the ghosts were.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pet Peeve - over and misuse of exclamantion points.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true gem of 1970s haunted house nonsense. There’s casual racism! Rampant sexism! Chow dogs named Ching and Chang! Some brutal domestic violence that everyone seems totally okay with! And a couple of ghosts.
I found a great old paperback of this in a used bookstore and would only recommend reading this in yellowing paper bound glory. Perfect for a summer vacation or a reminder that 50 years ago, a black man could be murdered with a piece of lumber and the police would just shrug and bury him in the potters field. Fun!

[Matt Schiariti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes when I started this book. I was in the mood for a good ghost story and this one, being true, seemed like it would fit the bill for me. The truth is stranger than fiction, etc, etc.

While I find that it's based on a family's true experiences (which is what really drew me to it in the first place) I found the book to be pretty boring. I don't mean to bash it but that's my honest assessment. I found the writing and the 'characters' (I put that in quotations because we're talking about real people here, not fictional creations) to be stiff and a little stuffy. I realize that the events in the book took place quite a few decades ago, but there was really nothing to draw me in. In fact, I found the writing--especially the dialogue--to be overly dramatic at times.

I don't mean to downplay the family's experiences or the authors' efforts in producing the book but I was expecting something more chilling, more dark. After some time in the house the family just seems to accept their ghostly tenants and goes about its daily business.

Once again, I don't mean to bash. I'm just giving my honest opinion. I can see by the reviews and the high average rating that many enjoyed the tale. I just don't happen to be one of them.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Description
Back by popular demand
A supernatural detective story
Winner of the 1977 National Writers Club Award for Nonfiction
Now in paperback, this true story recounts a Philadelphia family's encounter with a supernatural presence in their eighteenth-century mansion. After experiencing footsteps at night, opening doors, strange sounds and activity that centered around the library, they investigate, unearthing the mansion's tragic past and changing their beliefs about the supernatural world.

My Review
I found this true ghost story to be a quick page-turner and very engrossing. It's not a scary story but a little bit creepy. It seems believable as the narrator tells what happened in the house and he does not seem to be building up the story in order to make it scary. The family signed a lease for two years and couldn't get out of the lease unless they paid all the rent for two years so they stayed and tried to find out the cause behind the haunting. They came across someone who knew the whole story of the house and his explanation made sense. They decided to move out of the house a couple of months early and did find another house on the other side of Philadelphia in Valley Forge. A relative of the family is not trying to raise money for a movie production. I would definitely watch the movie and think the history would be very interesting to learn more about the house. I would recommend this book to those who love ghost stories but don't expect anything too scary.

[L.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. One thing I thought off was that Harold Cameron made himself out to be an average Joe throughout the story but then suddenly in the epilogue and end notes he became this psychic medium who'd always had powers and had even more after this experience. I guess that's all sensationalized by the great-nephew who's trying to raise money to make a movie version (still, after 12 years?) But that was the only thing in the book that struck me as being disingenuous.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this because it is local to me. They changed some details, which seems odd since it is supposed to be a "true" story. It was on Rose Tree Road in Middletown. It is where the Heilbron community of homes is nowadays.

[Michael Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mundane and run-of-the-mill non-fiction "horror" story peopled by stereotypes.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family moves into an old house in Pennsylvania after WWII. It seems too good to be true and that is it exactly. There are footsteps heard in the halls at night, and footsteps heard outside the front door but nothing is ever found. The family is tied to their lease for 2 years and learns to live with these manifestations.

Decent story but I was put off by them never doing research to learn the history of the house except through an old man who worked for them toward the end who knew more than he would tell.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Story

Frankly I think this is a wonderful book. While I am sure there are many that will think this is just fiction, I believe this is a true accounting of one families experience. Ghosts, spirits, swamp gas...whatever you want to call it. In between from the dust we came and to the dust we shall return is all that energy of our lives. Good or bad we leave an imprint. A great read.

[Marianne Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was the best chilling thriller I've read since Dracula! This old house being in my neighborhood helped with the excitement; I appreciated the thoughtful discovery and discussions of the family saddled with a two- year lease and stuck with the previous occupants. I'm thankful for their bravery in sharing this story.

[Peggy Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skeptic or Believer? I'm still deciding.

I've heard from relatives who believe there are other plains of existing people, dead or alive, that most can not see. I'm closer to agreeing and ponder the possibility. A truly enjoyable read.

[Ainsley Thrasher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like a good ghost story & this one is okay. It's not very well written though and it didn't keep my attention well enough for me to finish reading it, even after 2 attempts at reading the book.

[Holli Keel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I like reading or watching true ghost stories. This one was interesting and a fast read, but nothing too scary or creepy.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have probably read this one a dozen times now. But until now I have only read it as a young person. I loved this book so much when I was a kid. It does read differently as an adult and that is rather painful. But I did still enjoy it and it was a nice nostalgic read as part of my Halloween spooky reads. I am grateful for where we have come in the years since this took place. We are not perfect, but I think we are better. This is a nonfiction story of a family's ghostly encounters and it does make one think.

"You've spent all your time in the Old Testament, Enoch. You know it well, but I've never heard you quote Jesus and he gave us a new idea of God. He preached a loving Father that could understand and forgive. He told us about the law of love. We are to forgive our enemies and those who have done evil - and to pray for them too. And God rest your soul too, Enoch. You don't have to carry this burden any longer by yourself. You can give it up. Give up your hate and your fear and your grief. Give it to God. And ask him to take care of your memories, too."

"Look at it this way, creative force just is. It could be used the wrong way as well as the right and wouldn't a thought that directed a vicious action leave a sort of vibrational pattern in the ethers - like a sooty thumbprint on a white piece of paper."

"I got in the habit of driving slowly and looking back at the house while I breathed a prayer. 'Keep them safe, God, until I get home.' It didn't occur to me for quite a while that my prayer was a little vainglorious. I was actually telling the Almighty to keep them safe and when I got home I, Harold Cameron, would handle things! As a matter of fact, I handled nothing."

"Constructed of gray Philadelphia granite, the mansion could have been used as an illustration for The Fall of the House of Usher."

[Dr. Cheyenne Foxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though many aren't sure if this really is non-fiction, my students loved this book and the remarkable story behind the antebellum mansion on the Philadelphia main line and the early American tales that are as good as any southern literary tale like the Myrtles Plantation, which I also taught, and they loved. The history, gothic beauty, and Poe-like horror are evident in both books; believe it or not, they are beautiful tales. I Highly recommend this tale; believe me, it will give you goosebumps! This house saw the horrors of being burned to the ground with seven dead and all buried on the property under the original foundation, also being a slave hiding place, the rape/murder of a young southern belle by a black coachman, and the suicide of her mother, not to mention all the 19th and 18th-century southern-like antebellum nostalgia of that haunted space. Some unexplained parts of this mystery are right out of a Poe or Faulkner novel. Wonderful!

[Briar Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an easy, quick, and interesting read. The haunting's creepiness factor is low-key, compared to, say, The Amityville Horror, but also kind of heartening to see the family adjust to the weirdness.

After some time has gone on and the family has gotten used to the strange happenings, the author learns more of what happened to the house, and while he cannot claim he has found any final answers, what he does find exposes stories of horror and suffering that still carry on a traumatic legacy. (Traumatic being my choice of words, not the author's or the reporter's. The concept was plainly there, but trauma wasn't as much of a newsworthy word back then.)

The narration is old fashioned in outlook. While the author's overall societal views are not as controversial as one would expect from a professedly religious man, he does relate some incidents that would raise eyebrows

[Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was supposed to be a true story about a normal family who lived in a haunted house. However, it seems the author's family was noted for supernatural experiences, so I have a healthy skepticism about the whole thing. I was interested enough to read to the end to see if they found out the history of the house and people who had lived there previously. The ending was not totally satisfactory to me, but if it's a true story the ending can't be manipulated to be more appealing.

The book was first published in 1978, and it almost looks like the original book was scanned for the ebook and left in the print font. It looks strange on the Kindle and cannot be changed. There were writing/editing issues as well, though not egregious.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a scary ghost story, but it's rich in history and I really enjoyed the revelations we discover throughout the book. It is an easy and quick read. The story is local to me, which helped pique my interest.
The mindset and opinions of certain characters are dated, which is to be expected when reading an older story, however, most of the main characters are likable enough and Enoch was a joy to read about. I found myself wholly invested in Enoch's story, and we share a love of animals, which made me like him even more.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and thought that it was a well-told "true" ghost story. I know this particular house so the local interest was also a factor in my rating. But. . . it turns out that this story, or I should say the backstory behind the tale was rather easily shown to be impossible! There are also a number of inconsistencies in the backstory that make it kind of implausible without knowing that the premise is fake. Take it as a good haunted house story but take it with a grain of salt.

[Tara Dowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written tragic story line full of history. Transports you to a different time and place.
In the Endnote it did mention a second book full of letters between the brothers documenting all of the experiences over time. Unfortunately I can't find it in print, it must of never came to fruition.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick but interesting read. Much tragedy as well. The book shows it’s age, having been published originally in 1978. It’s so sad to know that the house no longer exists as it did. I hope the lady is at peace, and Enoch too.

[Robi A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old Fashioned Haunting

Moving day into a big old house and you don't know that it's terribly haunted by a tragic past events. You signed a 2 year lease. The ghosts don't pay attention to your family. What do you do? Perfect editing. Perfect story.

[Lia Haskett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Good account of a haunting experience endured by the Cameron family. The characters were descriptive and memorable. The mansion that was at the heart of the haunting embraced my psyche the entire length of the read.

[Victoria Zieger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story and quick read but I didn’t really care for the writing. It was really repetitive and a lot of it was unnecessary. This could have been an essay rather than a novel about the hauntings at this site.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night Stalks the Mansion

A very quick read. You can tell it was written years ago. If you like true stories of the paranormal, you should definitely read it. I’d love to go find the house on Plum Tree Lane.