At number 2 on our list of the 5 most haunted locations in the Hudson Valley is the Van Wyck-Boos House located in Wappingers Falls NY. Listed on the National Historical Register, the home was built in 1870 by Stephen Van Wyck. Through the years the property has had it's share of tragedies including a fire and a fatal accident.

In 1920 a young girl was using some farming equipment on the property when her hair got unexpectedly caught in the gears. She and was later found by the owners scalped to death. The young girl was never identified or named in any newspaper clippings that were found about the tragedy.

Several generations of the Van Wyck family lived in the home, including Stephen's great-granddaughter, Fanny Van Wyck. Fanny was born in 1903 and lived in the home until she passed away in 1988. Her wishes were to leave the house to the town, keeping all of her possessions and property in tact as a part of the historical register. She wished for the home, which has not changed much since it was built, to become a sort of museum for the public to enjoy. This did not happen, and all of her items were eventually auctioned off and the house was eventually sold.

A Young Fanny Van Wyck / Photo courtesy of Julia Drahos
A Young Fanny Van Wyck / Photo courtesy of Julia Drahos
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The Van Wyck-Boos House was purchased by Julia Drahos, who has owned and operated it as a guest house for the last ten years. The property is now called Miss Fanny's Victorian Party House, named after the home's last living Van Wyck resident. Fanny Van Wyck was a believer in the supernatural and would often invite psychics over for dinner parties.  She would even record some of the regular psychic sessions that were held in the library. When Fanny Van Wyck visited England she attended a "ghost hunt" where she believed she encountered the spirit of a young girl. Until her death, Fanny insisted that she somehow brought the young girl's ghost home with her. Perhaps she was right. There have been sightings of ghostly figures running about the house and others have described hearing unexplained noises such as a young child whispering “mommy”.

On an episode of My Ghost Story the current owner of the home, Julia Drahos, speaks openly about some of her experiences in the house. One evening while giving her children a bath Julia heard a man's voice followed by loud footsteps walking up the stairs. After searching the home she found no one there.  Drahos finally convinced herself that her home was haunted after arriving home late one night. As she was turning into her driveway Julia saw what appeared to be a huge human figure in the headlights of her car. Startled, she was about to question the mysterious man when the figure suddenly scrambled out of her way and disappeared through the siding of her home.

Julia Drahos
Julia Drahos
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In this clip from My Ghost Story, you can also hear eerie audio captured by author Donna Parish-Bischoff. Listen as a menacing voice whispers a warning to those who are intruding in "my house":

Unlike some of the other haunted locations in our area, visitors are always welcome at Miss Fanny's Victorian Party House. The home is open to private parties and events throughout the year. You can learn more on their website.

Julia Drahos
Julia Drahos
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Donna Parish-Bischof is the author of The Lee Avenue Haunting and Growing Up Paranormal.  Co-founder of Indy Para, Paranormal Investigators located in Hyde Park, New York and online at indypara.com  Donna is also the Co-host of this year’s Wappingers Falls First Annual Halloween Parade and festival that took place on October 18th.  Visit hauntedhudsonvalleyhalloweenmagazine.com for more information on next year’s Halloween festival. She is also a contributing writer for HHVHM. Donna’s books can be purchased online at amazon.com.

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