THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Vanderlip Mansion is surrounded by dark local legends involving members of the Vanderlip family, including a story about a daughter whose forbidden romance ended tragically. Other versions of the mansion's folklore tell of murders and hidden bodies, although the historical accuracy of these stories is disputed.
Vanderlip Mansion, in a private, gated community, is rumored to be haunted. One legend says it is haunted by a former resident, Mr. Vanderlip’s daughter, who committed suicide after being prohibited from marrying her African-American lover. Mr. Vanderlip was said to have built an insane asylum and locked his daughter in it, then killed her lover and their baby. Another legend surrounding this house tells of a wife, Narcissa, who murdered and chopped up her family, burying them in the mansion walls. Then she killed her two dogs and hanged herself from a living room beam. In this legend, glowing ghost dogs haunt the yard and the woman and her family haunt the house.