WHAV 97.9 Broadcasting my Halloween Story

WHAV 97.9 will be broadcasting my Halloween story on 10/17 at 10 pm and again at 1 am the morning of 10/18.

The inspiration for my Halloween story is the result of an evening visit to Gelston Castle, Herkimer, NY, in the 1970s. At the time, I was an assistant professor at Herkimer County Community College and was tasked, along with another faculty member, with evaluating the site that might be affiliated with the college. We arrived on a late fall evening much like the conditions described in the story, but we didn’t drive into a ditch, nor were the owners of the castle supernatural beings. They were polite and wanted to develop the castle into a halfway house for patients with substance abuse problems. Much later, it was used as a music venue. We were informed that the castle was haunted, as was a disassembled antique car stored in the stable below the castle. Apparently, a previous owner who passed away had wanted to be laid to rest in a crypt below the castle, but the family chose to bury heer in New York City. This disturbed the deceased, causing her ghost to wander the castle, waiting for her remains to be placed in the crypt. The interior of the castle, as described in the story, is how I remembered it. Unfortunately, its roof collapsed, probably due to a lack of maintenance, and now lies in ruins.