Real or not, ghosts a part of Lewes history
- The Cannonball House is supposedly haunted by a former resident and shop owner.
- The tour will teach people of paranormal tools and the city's history.
- Ghost stories can be considered a viable part of oral history, similar to folk lore.
While restoring the Cannonball House in the 1960s, the Lewes Historical Society's maintenance man would neatly arrange his tools each night, only to find them scattered the next day, with a door to the attic ajar.
After coming in time and time again to the same scene Fred Hudson nailed the latch to the door shut – if a squirrel or other animal was causing the issue, surely this would stop it. The next morning, the nail had popped out, and the tools were scattered.
In the same room in 1917 a woman's dress had caught on fire, killing her – according to Executive Director Mike DiPaolo. Hudson attributed the events to her ghost.
It wasn't the only time someone was spooked in the building. A few years ago, DiPaolo said a former Delaware River captain came to visit the house, now a museum.
"I still don't know exactly what he saw, but he was up there one day and he came back here and said 'I just have to get out of the house, there's just something there,' " DiPaolo said. "And this is a big old guy that has seen a lot of things on the river."
The Cannonball House and three other society building will be explored during the Historic Haunts in Lewes program scheduled for Oct. 25. Participants will tour with Delmarva Historic Haunts, learning about the tools the group uses to explore paranormal activity.
Whether you believe in the paranormal or not, ghost stories have historic value, DiPaolo said.
"If it exists it exists, if it doesn't, it's still a part of our history. It could be considered folk lore," he said. "These are stories, customs that have been passed down as part of this town's cultural, oral tradition. That's just as much a valid part of Lewes' history as something that's written down on a piece of paper from 1813."
The woman who died in the room was named Susan Rowland. She owned a sundries store in one part of the home, and lived in the other.
Her story is just one of many connected with the Cannonball House, built in 1765. Volunteer militia members lived there and fought during the War of 1812, and at different times throughout history it has been the mayor's office, a laundromat and a restaurant.
"We make sure when folks are doing this they're learning about the house, they're learning about the people that were there that we know about and that they're learning about Lewes," DiPaolo said. "Heaven forbid somebody have fun."
Another building on the tour, the Burton-Ingram House, has a spooky story, but the background is unknown. The house generally creeps people out, DiPaolo said, and that feeling elevated to the next level during a small group tour in December a few years ago.
"They asked if they could go to the third floor. The third floor is just a full-sized attic, there's nothing up there, it's just empty," DiPaolo said. "Right when they asked that this voice just goes 'No, James up there.' Everybody heard it. 'No, James is up there.' We don't know who James is, but everybody looked at each other and said OK, we're not going on the third floor."
The house was rented in the past, making it hard to figure out exactly who "James" might be, DiPaolo said.
The other stops on the tour, the Rabbit's Ferry House and the Old Doctor's Office don't have ghost stories associated with them, DiPaolo said.
IF YOU GO
What: Historic Haunts In Lewes
When: 7-10 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., Oct. 25
Where: Lewes Historic Complex
Cost: $25
Call: (302) 645-7670