Staten Island Named NYC's Most Haunted Borough

Staten Island, often called New York City's "most maligned borough," is also its most haunted, according to paranormal expert Andrea Janes. Janes, founder of the tour company Boroughs of the Dead, stated that the borough is "wall-to-wall ghosts," attributing its spectral reputation to a history that includes plague isolation units, asylums, forts, and fields.

Historical Hauntings

Janes noted that Staten Island has served as a quarantine colony for centuries, beginning in 1799 when city officials established the New York Marine Hospital, ominously known as "The Quarantine." This facility, intended to isolate deadly diseases like yellow fever and smallpox from the city's ports, operated until 1858. Local opposition, fueled by fear of contagion, led to an attack that burned the complex to the ground, a history Janes suggests may contribute to the island's ghostly lore.

Later, in 1905, Sea View Hospital was established on the island as a tuberculosis quarantine facility. Opened in 1913, it offered patients treatments of fresh air, sunlight, and healthy food, though many still succumbed to the disease.

Sites of Sorrow and Specters

Among the most somber locations on Staten Island is the former Willowbrook State School, now the site of the College of Staten Island. Willowbrook, which opened in 1948, was once the world's largest institution for individuals with developmental disabilities. In 1972, an exposé revealed deplorable conditions, including extreme filth, overcrowding, neglect, and medical experimentation on children. The institution closed in 1987, and while much of the property was repurposed, underground tunnels remain, fueling persistent rumors of hauntings.

The Billop Conference House, dating to the late 17th century, is another site Janes highlighted. The house was a meeting place for peace talks between American colonists and the British in 1776. While historical evidence for specific crimes like the alleged murder of a servant girl by Christopher Billop is unsubstantiated, visitors have reported apparitions of soldiers and a servant. The grounds also include Burial Ridge, a significant pre-European Native American burial ground.

Fort Wadsworth, a 226-acre public park and the longest-serving active military post in U.S. history, has also been the site of reported paranormal activity since becoming a park in 1994. Visitors have claimed to see apparitions of soldiers, hear phantom gunshots and cannon blasts, and smell tobacco smoke or cooking aromas with no apparent source.

The Most Haunted

Janes identifies the Kreischer Mansion on Arthur Kill Road as the "most haunted" spot on Staten Island. Built in 1885 by German brick magnate Balthasar Kreischer for his son Edward, the mansion became a site of tragedy when Edward was found shot dead in 1894. Grieving family members reportedly held séances in the home, which some believe opened portals to the paranormal. The mansion also became the scene of a mob-related killing in 2005, further contributing to its grim reputation.

Visitors to the Kreischer Mansion have reported seeing apparitions, moving furniture, and hearing disembodied sounds, including clattering pots and pans and a harrowing cry.

Boroughs of the Dead is celebrating its 13th anniversary this October. Janes is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion titled "Haunted Brooklyn: Ghosts, Folklore and the Stories We Tell" on October 27th at the Center for Brooklyn.