The Halloween season is in full swing here at SUNY Cortland. If you’re looking for the spookiest haunted attraction, you should look no further than 37 Tompkins Street, where the 1890 House Museum is rumored to be one of the most haunted places in Cortland, New York.
Built in 1890, the home belonged to the entrepreneur and industrialist, Chester Wickwire. Just minutes away from what is now SUNY Cortland, the house has an extensive record of history and ghosts. Chester Wickwire lived in the home with his wife and two sons from 1890 until his death in 1910. Staff and visitors have reported various types of supernatural activity, such as hearing footsteps in an otherwise empty building, shadows moving across rooms, unexplained voices, doors opening and closing on their own, knocking, and silhouettes of human figures in the windows. These ghostly activities have been attributed to several historical figures who lived and died within the Cortland Castle’s walls, including Charles Wickwire and his wife Ardell Wickwire.
The 1890 House was featured on the SyFy channel’s Ghost Hunters back in 2013. Many of the museum’s staff members say there is a female presence that they assume is Ardell Wickwire. The staff reports the sound of billiard balls clicking together when they are put away. One woman even claims that she felt a presence brush against her leg at one point. Both Chester and his wife died inside the home, and Ardell’s wake was held inside the home. Board members of the 1890 House believe that the family never left. If you’re interested in checking out what the Ghost Hunters team found when they investigated the house, you can view the episode here.
Marion Wickwire O’Connor, Chester’s daughter-in-law, was the last Wickwire to live in the home before her death in 1973. The Wickwire Residence was put up for auction and the remaining contents of the Wickwire family were sold at auction. A group of Cortland County leaders, including members of the Wickwire family, campaigned for the house to become a museum in 1975. The 1890 House Museum was used as an anchor for the Historic Tompkins Street District’s entry on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 1984, the 1890 House Museum received an official NYS Charter to operate as a historic house museum.
Today, staff give tours that ensure to not miss a single detail. The staff interact with many of the artifacts on display, and encourage visitors to do the same, with no rope or displays tied off. It is a showcase of what life was like in the Victorian Era.
If you are interested in seeing this eerily beautiful home for yourself, tours are from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday- Saturday. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and students (with ID), and free for kids ages 10 and under. If you’re looking for a spooky overnight experience with the Wickwires, visitors can request an overnight stay for a discounted rate.