THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The imposing Gonder Mansion in Strasburg is associated with the spirit of Annie Gonder. For more than a century, men inside the house have reportedly heard an unseen woman laughing, while some witnesses have described glimpsing a female apparition moving through the mansion.
Built in 1905 for railroad businessman Benjamin B. Gonder, the elaborate Queen Anne-style Gonder Mansion is one of Strasburg's most recognizable historic homes. Its ghost legend centers on Benjamin's sister Annie Gonder. According to local tradition, Annie expected to move into the new mansion with her brother and his family but was instead excluded from the household. After Annie died in 1918, stories developed that an unseen woman could be heard laughing inside the mansion even when no women were present. Curiously, the reports were traditionally said to come primarily from male witnesses. Some men also claimed to glimpse the image of a woman moving through the rooms. The apparition became identified in local folklore as Annie, supposedly returning to enjoy the home she had been denied in life, although no evidence proves that identification. The mansion's historical identity and 1905 construction are independently documented by Strasburg Borough. Gonder Mansion remains a private residence, and its haunted reputation should be appreciated only from public areas without disturbing the occupants or entering the property.