Cleveland’s Grays Armory

Grays Armory

It is said this huge sandstone castle located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio has some friendly ghosts.

Cleveland like many cities in the mid 1800s had their own militia. They were known as the “Cleveland Grays” after the gray uniforms they wore.

This unit was the first group from Cleveland to fight in the Civil War. They also fought in the Spanish American War and during the First World War with the 145^th Infantry in 1916.

Grays Amory is an impressive fortress that is located across from the Erie Street Cemetery. It is not known if this cemetery has something to do with the hauntings.

The armory has a 10,000 square foot ballroom, a library and a shooting range in its basement. It is used for both military and community functions.

Photo by Ron Skinner

My stepmother lived in Shaker Heights for many years. She attended several concerts held at the armory. She mentioned that once she got an overwhelming sense of nausea while visiting this building.

On another occasion she became uneasy. She told me that it felt like something was watching her.

Photo By Ron Skinner

Typical stories about the haunting in this fortress include phantom footsteps when the building is empty and lights acting up. 

Other reports state witnesses have seen the apparitions of Civil War soldiers at Grays.

Central Park’s Skating Sisters

In the 19^th century two sisters, Janet and Rosetta Van Der Voort lived with their overprotective wealthy father in New York City.

Their father rarely let his daughters leave their home unaccompanied. The one exception to this was when they went ice-skating during the winter months at the 59^th Street Pond located in the southeastern section of Central Park.

This “one freedom” was allowed only because it was near their Central Park South home.

The sisters being kept much of the time in isolation became very close to each other. As young ladies they spurned all their potential suitors.

They died within months of each other, both spinsters, in 1880.

After the sisters’ deaths, during the First World War, witnesses started to report a strange sight near the 59^th Street Pond. *

During both the summer and winter months people stated they saw the Van Der Voort sisters skating side by side at this pond.

Both are seen wearing old-fashioned dresses, one red and one purple, both with bustles.

Most odd is the fact their feet do not touch the ground. Their silver skates are seen gliding above the ice doing a series of endless figure eights.

Legend states these sisters appear most often when there are “overprotective” parents visiting the pond.

An Unusual Date

One witness that reported this unusual sight was a young man who took his date to this pond to skate.

He spotted the sisters laughing and skating. They obviously were enjoying themselves.

He wondered at their strange dress. He looked to see if there were any “movie cameras” around--there weren’t any.

He noticed the two women’s feet didn’t touch the ice and that he could see the figures of the other skaters through one sister’s body.

He gasped when he realized they were ghosts.

He saw them skating right toward him and his date. He felt they would surely collide but instead the two figures skated right through them.

He and his girlfriend fell down on the ice. He then felt something ice-cold moving through his body.

He looked over at where the sisters were standing watching, they were laughing at him and his date.

The two then just disappeared.

This couple saw the sisters in the late afternoon but more often than not they are seen after sundown.

*  In another version of this legend the sisters are seen skating in another section of Central Park.

Spooky New York, Retold by S.E. Scholosser