The Wild Man of Berkeley Castle

 

The Hills Behind Berkeley Castle

Wild man stories, as found in old newspaper articles, can be broadly categorized in one of two ways: 1. potential Bigfoot-type creatures, or 2. Real humans, often those suffering from mental illness. The wild man of Berkeley Springs seems to fit into the category of being human---but maybe not your average crazy guy.

In the spring of 1902, the citizens of Berkeley Springs were trying to capture a 'wild man.' This fellow, clad in a blue coat and trousers, was apparently living in the area. At the time, the Samuel Taylor Suit castle was unoccupied. Several witnesses claimed that the man was sleeping at night in the castle. Around dawn, he'd shimmy down the stone columns of the castle, and retreat into the wilderness behind the estate. He was said to have been as swift as a deer, and able to easily navigate the rocky, craggy hillside. He also had a keen eye, and was able to detect any would-be captors. 

But who was this not-so-wild wild man? By the color of his clothing, it may suggest that he was a veteran of the Union Army. Certainly, the Eastern Panhandle saw quite a bit of action during the Civil War, but by 1902, this man should have been about 60 years old or older. Could a man of that age really move around the rough terrain that easily? But...what if he was not a LIVING man, but a ghost?

Berkeley Castle was built by Samuel Taylor Suit in the 1880's as a way to woo his young wife, Rosa Pelham. Suit died after a brief illness in 1888, never seeing the castle's construction fully complete. Rosa finished the castle, but blew through her inheritance by hosting lavish parties at the castle. It is rumored that her husband may or may not have died of natural causes, a claim which gained further suspicion as two of Rosa's lovers also died in the castle. 

Was the man in blue simply a squatter, taking refuge in an empty castle at night...or was he the ghost of one of Rosa's lovers? Could he be the ghost of a Union soldier who died in the area during the Civil War? I'll let you decide!   

Check out my previous blog post on the Ghosts of Berkeley Castle!

Martinsburg Herald
19 April 1902

Morgan County's Haunted Police Barracks

Morgan County State Police Barracks
Source: Google Maps

Way back on Halloween of 1992, the Associated Press picked up a story out of West Virginia's eastern panhandle. In an area of the state that is already known for more than its fair share of paranormal activity, local state police officers shared their stories of what it was like to work amongst a ghost!

According to the Morgan County iAS Property Search website, a beautiful, large brick home was built around 1960 at 1750 Valley Rd, in Berkeley Springs. This was the home of Ercel Luther Michael, a retired carpenter. Ercel was born in Morgan County on 8 February 1897. While living in the house, it was noted that Ercel LOVED his garden and his garage. He was meticulous about the care and upkeep of such, and as his niece would later say, he had a mantra of 'everything in its place.' 

Unfortunately, Ercel passed away on 13 January 1973 at the age of 75. His wife, Della, passed away three months later.  Both were buried in the Greenway Cemetery in Berkeley Springs. The following year, their beautiful brick home was sold to the state, and became the local WV State Police Barracks. With the transition from a private home to a state facility, Ercel's beloved gardens were paved over to make room for a parking lot. 

Ercel's Grave at Greenway Cemetery
Find-a-Grave (uploaded by GraveRobber)

That's when the paranormal activity allegedly started!

Police officers stationed at the barracks would often claim that they would turn off all the lights before leaving on patrol, only to come back to a completely lit up building. Slamming doors and creaking stairs are a few of the other spooky reports made by officers, including Sgt. Jim Riffle, who was stationed there in 1977. According to Riffle, "some awfully strange things happened in those barracks."

Apparently, the ghost of Ercel was common knowledge, and more than a few troopers actually refused to sleep in the barracks overnight. But, in recent years, it seems as if activity has pretty much died down. It is believed that as long as the grounds around the barracks are kept neatly trimmed and maintained, Ercel remains happy. Let the grass get a little too long, however, and you're bound to get a visit from the former owner. 

I've included a copy of the 1992 article. The clipping below is from the 02 November 1992 edition of the Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, PA), but you can also access the AP article online for free via the AP website. This story re-appeared this past Halloween season in a article by Lisa Schauer in The Morgan Messenger.

The Ghosts of Panorama at the Peak

Source: Whiskey Fire, 2012

Although currently closed, the Panorama at the Peak Restaurant for over a decade offered up farm to table favorite meals, awe-inspiring views, and a plethora of ghosts! The restaurant, located just outside of Berkeley Springs, WV, was built in 1929 and over the years garnered quite the haunted reputation.

According to The Big Book of West Virginia Ghost Stories, by Rosemary Guiley, Panorama at the Peak began in 2004 when partners Leslie Hotaling and Patti Miller purchased the old Panorama Steakhouse. Already, the restaurant was known to be home to several ghosts, as the former owners had strategically set up protective crystals throughout the property to keep the spirits at bay.

Fortunately, however, all the ghosts at Panorama at the Peak seem rather benign and playful. The most-often encountered is the spirit known as Captain Grey. No one knows who the Captain was in real life, but believe he was the first white man to settle the area, and thus, guards the land. The captain gets his name for his outfit---he is seen wearing dark pants, a dark jacket, and a cap similar to what a sea captain would wear.  He appears as solid and full as a real person, beard and all, and is often mistaken for such. He has been seen in the upstairs in the former residential area, but prefers to frequent the pub section of the restaurant, located in the oldest part of the building. 

When seen in the pub, he always sits in the same booth. Occasionally, he is accompanied by the spirit of a young girl about 12 or 13 years old. This ghost also appears as a solid, living person, wearing a white dress, white bobby socks, and sporting long hair. 

For whatever reason, Captain Grey has never been spotted in the kitchen---but the kitchen does seem to be one of the more active areas of the restaurant. Scott Callanish, who was hired as an executive chef in 2007, has had multiple encounters with multiple entities, many of whom are very playful. An unseen presence likes to turn off one of the stove's burners and throw rice paper, sheet by sheet, around the kitchen. Scott simply has to tell the offending phantom to knock it off, and it usually does. In one incident, one of two turkeys that were put in the walk-in to thaw went missing.  After an extensive search, Scott told whatever ghost took it that they better put it back in the walk-in before it went bad.  Shortly thereafter, the turkey was returned to the walk-in.

Two other ghosts are seen near the kitchen--a woman in her 40's and a young girl around 12 years old. These two are seen running out of the pantry, and then running out the front door of the restaurant. Psychics who have visited the restaurant believe that this is a mother and her daughter. After the daughter died, the husband left the mother, and she became trapped between the worlds. In 2011, psychics helped the mother cross over, and she and her daughter have not been seen since.

Another ghost 'disappeared' or moved on after the 2011 intervention by psychics. A little boy around the age of 8 had been seen in the kitchen area. The boy, with brown hair, jeans and a t-shirt, began appearing to Scott two to three times a week, so Scott set out a ball and a truck for him to play with. Both items were moved from their original location overnight. Psychics visiting the restaurant believe that the boy was killed when his grandfather pushed him down the stairs, and although he wasn't specifically the target of the 2011 crossing over, he seemed to have moved along with the mother and daughter. 

Rosemary notes one more ghost in her book: Psychic Donna Wolfe Gatti, who often came to the restaurant, claimed that Patti's own grandmother was one of the ghosts who hung out in the kitchen, tossing flour around. Could she also be the one who liked to play with the stove top and the rice paper?