11/08/2025 Haunted Locations: The House of Death in New York City, New York
- Danielle Yvonne
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Happy Spooky Saturday! Today is a wild ride! I decided to take a haunted location that's also related to reading in a way, Mark Twain's house, aka The House of Death, in New York City. This one has a lot of tragedy, so let's dive in!
A beautiful brownstone in a phenomenal location of NYC. One would probably not be surprised to find a ghost or two roaming around, but this one… this one is said to have over 20 ghosts. One being Mr. Mark Twain. I was slightly familiar with this location, but I truly was unaware of all the tragedy that took place, which would easily explain why there would be some unearthly happenings that took place.
BRIEF HISTORY:
In the 1880s, the brownstone was home to the widow and daughters of James Boorman Johnston. Johnston was a big deal in New York and helped found the Metropolitan Underground Railroad. This was a huge deal for New Yorkers. Luckily, no tragedy strikes here. It isn’t until they move out that the drama begins.
The first recorded incident happened in 1897. Fred H. Andrew, who was a celebrity cyclist, hit an 8-year-old boy with his bike. He breaks his leg and is arrested for the incident.
Per DiaryofaNewYorker: By the early 1900s, the house’s reputation had begun to grow. Guests and tenants spoke of whispers and sighs in rooms that were supposedly empty, and objects that shifted when no one was looking. Some claimed to see glimpses of a woman in a flowing gown, gliding silently down the staircase before disappearing into the shadows.
Okay, now let’s get to Mark Twain. In the early 1900s, after Andrew is arrested, Twain moves into the home.
DiaryofaNewYorker stated: Twain battled bankruptcy and depression, racing against deadlines to finish the work we still treasure today.
Though a lifelong skeptic of the supernatural, he documented a strange encounter at 14 West 10th Street: one evening, he noticed a panel of wood moving by itself. Convinced that rats were trying to steal it, he fired a gun at the wood... only to discover a few drops of blood but no sign of any intruder, human or otherwise. Even for Twain, the experience was disturbing.
Now we move on to Jan Bryan Bartell. She didn’t die there. But she had some crazy experiences, and her work as a writer gives us great insight into her firsthand accounts. She was an actress and a writer. She moved into the brownstone in the 1950s.
Per Jan, the ghostly happenings started right away. Footsteps and shadows. Then she described a smell as “rotting flesh, sweet and suffocating” that clung to the corners. Jan’s dog passed away, and then a tenant within 24 hours. This was enough for her and her daughter to leave immediately. Allegedly, the hauntings followed her, though.
In 1974, she wrote a book about these experiences, her memoir, SPINDRIFT: SPRAY FROM A PSYCHIC SEA. Apparently, the book reads like a gothic diary- part confessional, part séance, part fever dream. And in a twist, Bartell died shortly after finishing the manuscript, as though the house had finally claimed her.
The wildest thing to happen here, in my opinion, was the tragic tale of Lisa Steinberg. Lisa was the victim of severe abuse and was murdered by her adoptive father in 1987. Joel Steinberg was the man who did this to her. This case absolutely rocked the city and solidified the cursed reputation of the home.
The Ghostly Guest List, according to DiaryofaNewYorker is:
Mark Twain: Twain lived here briefly in 1900, and many swear he never left. Dressed in his iconic white suit, he’s been spotted pacing the staircase.
The Lady in White: A pale figure who drifts through parlors and vanishes at will, her entrances and exits as theatrical as any Broadway performer.
The Others: Paranormal investigators count more than 20 spirits within its walls, from shadowy figures on the stairs to phantom cats darting through the halls.
So, tell me. Have you heard of this location before? Have you been there? Would you go? Let me know in the comments. And as always, if you do decide to visit here or any haunted location, respect the property, respect the owners, respect the residents... living or dead.
For more details about this story, how you can visit, and links to the shows, podcasts, documentaries, and resources used for this post can all be found below.
RESOURCES:
Comments