"Alarming Office Behavior"
Perhaps no tale of haunting is as sober as that of the Cyrus Stover
house. The structure was built in 1858 by the then 28 year-old Stover
as a residence for him and his beloved wife, Anna Bunstein. Cyrus
was the brother of John L. Riegel’s second and third wives, and he
worked as a merchant in the post office/general store of the town. He
was also an original partner with John L. Riegel in the area’s first
paper mill.
The story goes that after having built this home and having lived in it
for only a brief period of time, Cyrus went off to fight in the Civil War
in 1864, serving with the Grand Army of the Republic. Tragically, he
died on October 29th of that year during the battle of Athens,
Tennessee, perhaps from injuries sustained in combat. The epitaph on
his grave in the Riegelsville Union Cemetery reads, “His sun set while
it was still noon….”
Even more tragic than his untimely death is the fact that he lies for
eternity alone; with his widow not buried at his side. Perhaps it is
loneliness, or the tragic nature of his death, but for some reason this
Cyrus doesn’t seem to lie still. Many believe his ghost wanders the
building he was never fully able to live in, and possibly shares the
haunt with Mary Louise Aughinbaugh or another spirit. Whatever
the case, if the presence in the Stover house is that of Cyrus, he does
not seem well adjusted to the present day use of the structure.
My experiences and knowledge of the Stover ghost began in the fall of
1996.
One weekday evening, as a rainstorm was kicking up fog in this small
town, I arrived at my office in the Stover house to meet a young
couple that was planning to be married. The pastor's office is located
on the first floor of this yellow clapboard building—a structure listed
on the registry of national historic landmarks. The office is quite
elaborate, with floor to ceiling bookshelves and a desk that sits facing
into the center of the house. To the left of the desk is a window that
looks out at the exterior door of the office that is used to enter the
reception area. Through the doorway to the study, one has a view of
the foyer at the bottom of the staircase to the second floor.
On this particular evening, I sat with the young couple and listened to
their joys and dreams as the rain created echoes on the slate roof two
floors above our heads. A cool evening breeze blew through the space
around the air conditioner in the porch window and brought a light
chill into the room. After about an hour of conversation, I said good
night and walked the young couple to the door, returning to my office
to finish up some paperwork before I had to leave for a late evening
visit with a church family.
The Stover house is very silent when one is there alone. In fact, some
have described that silence as smothering. To my amazement, as I sat
writing, I heard the screen door of the reception area open, and I
heard footsteps come into the building and toward the hall. Slightly
alarmed and not expecting anyone, I looked out the window to find
the door closed. Peering harder, I couldn't see anyone outside, so I
got up from my desk and gingerly made my way out into the hall and
back toward the reception area. I remember my heart was pounding
as I moved through the doorway and was startled to find the room
empty. I checked the screen door one more time to be sure it was
latched then hurried back to my desk to finish my work.
No sooner had I sat down, when I was startled by the blaring alarm
of an old clock radio on a desk of the reception space, screaming out a
mix of music, buzzer, and static! It was so loud that I got up and ran
down the hall to shut it off. I now suspected a prankster had come in
and began to look around the room and in the old kitchen of the
house, but saw no one. I played with the alarm clock and couldn’t get
the alarm to work again. Frightened, I quickly gathered my things
and left for the night.
The next morning I shared my experience of the alarm clock with its
owner. To my surprise I learned that the alarm didn't work and
hadn’t for some time now.
Stover House...
sign of an angry ghost?
Parsonage of the Church
Mary Louise Aughinbaugh,
erected by the congregation of
St. John Reformed Church in 1867.
Mary Louise died on
September 19, 1867.
Many believe her spirit still walks
on the church's properties!
Orb Photos from 2005:
and BULLETIN BOARD
