Ghosts of Central Jersey: Historic Haunts of the Somerset Hills

Haunted America

by Gordon Thomas Ward, Loyd Auerbach (Foreword)

What ghosts roam within the historic sites and buildings of
Central New Jersey? How accurate are the traditional stories? From the shadowed woods of the Somerset Hills to the dappled banks of the Delaware River, Ghosts of Central Jersey delivers a rich mix of factual history and the sound investigation of ghostly phenomena. The combination of an open-minded enthusiasm and a level-headed approach underscores this collection of reports that will inform, entertain and lead the reader to places where the past is considered to be very much alive and entwined with the present.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Paranormal

130 pages, Hardcover

First published August 13, 2008

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon after I bought the book at a local bookstore where the author, Gordon T. Ward, signed it for me. I have always believed in ghosts, and I could not wait to get home and begin to read this book that had all kinds of information about the area where I live. I also am extremely interested in the Native Americans, and there was info on the Lenapes who lived here first quite a while ago. I discovered in this book that a brook not very far from my home named Indian Graves Brook and the Lenape buried their dead near this brook on a hillside. "...-this is hallowed and haunted ground.". Fascinating!! Further down Route 202 North, there is Jockey Hollow where Washington's troops spent 2 different winters at Jockey Hollow. The final stay in 1779-80 when the temperatures during January 1780 went above 0 only once as well as 28 snowstorms left 4 feet of snow on the ground with snow drifts as high as 6 feet. This winter was the worst winter of the entire Revolutionary War and the century. Ghosts of Central Jersey discusses various spectres all around the area where I live, the Somerset Hills. It is fun, an easy read, and has historical info also.

[Cathy-Renee Vinnicombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a former Bernardsville resident of Old Army Road with a ghost of my own, I found Gordon Ward's book with absolutely engaging. I fully appreciate the extent to which he documented his research and made it available in an easy, organized format, against a background of sound history and debunking evidence of former myths and legends. Particularly enjoyable to those of us from the area; recommended reading.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason I picked up this book was not the title, but the subtitle that contained the word 'Historic.' The book shares the historical background surrounding the location (places like the Prallsville Mill or the Great Swamp), then visits the location with an EVP (electronic voice phenomena) meter, asking questions and looking for any odd phenomena. Indeed, this book contains more historical information than ghost hunting! And that's exactly what I was hoping for.

[Cheri Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book!

I was born in East Orange and was hoping to read some ghost stories about my area of New Jersey. We moved to Florida when I was 4 y.o. Nevertheless, this book was very interesting. I do love reading about history and hauntings together in the same book. That is why I really enjoy this series!!

[Denise Cimpko-Beller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting if slight investigation into ghostly haunts—interesting historical tidbits.

[Cheryl Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book! Lots of local history!

[Oldroses · Rating 4 out of 5]

What better way to spend a wintry day than listening to ghost stories in an old house. I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Gordon Thomas Ward this past January that was held in the Van Wickle House, a 18th century Dutch farmhouse. He is an excellent speaker, holding us spellbound with accounts of his investigations into hauntings in central New Jersey. Afterwards, he held a book signing. Being a collector of autographed books as well as wanting to know more about his investigations, I purchased his book.

I finally took the time to sit down and read his book this past week. It covers the same material as his lecture but goes into more detail about the historical background of each location he investigated. Too much more detail for my taste. Chapter 6 about the Prallsville Mills was a classic case of overkill. Reading it is like reading the begats in the Bible as he meticulously traces every owner of the property through three centuries. Twelve pages into the chapter, the last paragraph on the page starts out “This second period of operation at the Prallsville Mills property came to an abrupt end with the destruction of the stone gristmill by fire on the afternoon of August 21,1874.” Twelve pages, and we’re only up to 1874? How much longer until we get to the ghosts?

Perhaps he is writing for skeptics, trying to establish himself as a serious scholar in a legitimate field of study. He doesn’t have to convince me. I’m a believer. I used to live in a haunted house. The first few months after we moved in, we were awakened every night by the sounds of someone stomping down the stairs from the attic to the second floor, across the hall and then down the stairs to the first floor. That phenomenon subsided and the rest of our ten year residence was more playful. The ghost loved to hide things. Which was merely an annoyance unless I needed something urgently, like my car keys. After a few minutes of looking, I would ask the ghost to return them, wait a few more minutes and then look around the house again. They would always turn up in an odd place such as the top of the microwave or on a shelf in the bookcase, places I would never leave my car keys (metal and microwaves, yikes!).

Mr. Ward doesn’t just look for evidence supporting evidence of paranormal activity, he also actively debunks local legends such as the story of the phantom carriage. There is a vintage photo of the very same scene. So he questions if the legend was inspired by the photo.

Another debunking was not so much a debunking as an historical correction. Having been raised in upstate New York on Washington Irving’s "Leatherstocking Tales", I was disappointed to learn that the legend of the Headless Horseman originated in the Great Swamp in New Jersey and not in the Hudson Valley.

If you enjoy a good ghost story and are curious how they are investigated, I recommend you attend one of Mr. Ward’s talks. If you prefer more in depth coverage of the historical background involved in paranormal phenomena, then definitely buy his book.