Four Haunting Mysteries of Delaware County
Imagine driving through the winding roads of the Great Western Catskills enjoying crisp, colorful leaves floating past your car window. It is a peaceful area, with small towns scattered through the mountains. Who would think there could be mysteries lurking in the corners of these bucolic neighborhoods? These four haunting stories will give you chills, but don’t worry, you can visit Awestruck Cider for a drink to cut the nerves. Plan a visit to each site below and enjoy the stories, both recent and old.
*The article below mentions death, murder, and death by suicide.*
Photo of the Frisbee House, courtesy of Delaware County Historical Association
Frisbee House, owned by the Delaware County Historical Association (DCHA) with reports of haunted rooms and a lingering “presence.”
46549 NY-10
Delhi, NY 13740
Things can get a little spooky at the Frisbee House in Delhi, NY. The house was built in 1797 by Gideon Frisbee who was a judge, tavern keeper, and Revolutionary War Veteran. While the house is no longer open to the public due to structural concerns, the property is always open to visitors. The Federal Style house was purchased by DCHA and many of the original features remained the same. To this day, not much has changed. The large front door is referred to as the “coffin door” since it was large enough for pall bearers to carry out a coffin. Visitors to the property sense a “presence” lingering in the house. People suppose the “presence” is Gideon Frisbee’s wife, Huldah, who died in 1804. The following year he remarried and the new couple’s infant son passed away in the house in 1809. When tours of the house were permitted, visitors sensed the “presence” most strongly in the nursery.
Located a short walk behind the house is the Frisbee Family Cemetery. Enter through the white fence and view the gravestones of Gideon Frisbee, his two wives, and many of their children. The cemetery also includes veterans of the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
Photo of Octagon Farms, courtesy of The Reporter
Octagon Farms, across from Octagon Motor Lodge
34350 New York 10
Walton, NY 13856
(607) 865-3190
Octagon Farms, built in the 1850s, is a retired dairy farm and scene of a sudden death centuries ago. It is rumored that a young bride was riding a white dress atop a white horse on her wedding day at Octagon Farms. It was a beautiful day until the horse threw her to her death.
To this day, the ghost of the bride riding the white horse haunts Octagon Farms. Witnesses report that the harrowing scene of the woman being thrown from the horse replays each night. The Octagon House was a Bed and Breakfast but has been permanently closed. Octagon Farm opened Octagon Motor Lodge across the street from the site. For a haunted stay, spend the night at the motor lodge and witness the haunting scene from across the road.
Photo of Hometown Homicider, courtesy of Awestruck
Awestruck Cider, Hometown Homicider- a seasonal cider inspired by a mysterious death that was ruled a homicide
Awestruck Cider Awestruck Mill
8 Winkler Road 34 Howell Street
Sidney, NY 13838 Walton, NY 13856
(607) 232-1143
Hometown Homicider is a barrel-aged, special release pumpkin cider made by Awestruck. The cider is inspired by a mysterious death that was ultimately ruled a homicide in 2013, Walton, NY. It wasn’t until three years after the death that the body was found in the deceased man’s home, which had been inhabited by his wife. The investigation into the home was sparked by his wife’s recent murder suicide in which she murdered her new boyfriend and then herself inside a burning home. That horrific event led the police to search the woman’s home where they discovered the three year old remains of her deceased husband stuffed inside a barrel, five paces from the farmhouse door. Before all the murderous events, the couple was known for cultivating giant pumpkins, having entered many record-setting pumpkins events in New York State. Hence, the barrel-aged, special release pumpkin cider by Awestruck was born!
Get your hands on the Hometown Homicider by visiting Awestruck Taproom in Sidney, NY, or Awestruck Mill in Walton, NY.
Photo of the Christian Church, courtesy of Delaware County Historical Association
Fitch’s Bridge & Fitch’s Bridge Christian Church, mysterious death of a 19 year old woman on her wedding day
1456 County Road 18
Delhi, NY 13753
This historic bridge, open to vehicle traffic, was built in 1870 and originally stood in the village of Delhi. In 1885 it was moved to its current location, next to Fitch’s Bridge Christian Church. The church was built a few decades prior to the bridge in 1860. It was in 1906 that tragedy struck near these historic landmarks.
On the day she was to be married, 19 year old Mabel J. Tuttle, “choked to death.” The cause of death was mysterious, sudden, and a thorough autopsy had to be done. After transferring many of her organs from Bloomville, NY, to Albany, NY, still no cause of death had been found. The Catskill Mountain News reported that, “There are some reasons for thinking she had doubts about her intended husband keeping his promise. The last letter from him dated more than a month ago and her parents believe that she had not heard from him since. So far as known it’s the old story of a young girl’s confidence cruelly destroyed, for the autopsy disclosed that she would soon have become a mother.”
News articles speculated that Tuttle’s death was due to her ingesting vegetable based poison after fearing her groom would not keep the promise of marrying her. Mabel J. Tuttle was buried in Delhi’s Woodland Cemetery.
Visit the scene of the mystery by driving across the historic Fitch’s Bridge and visiting the cemetery outside of Fitch’s Bridge Christian Church. The church is not open to the public but is available to rent for special events.
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Information about the Frisbee House, Fitch’s Bridge, and Fitch’s Bridge Christian Church was found in the pamphlet, “Spooky Spots: Haunted History Driving Tour of Delhi, NY” written and produced by Samantha Misa for the Delaware County Historical Association.
Information about the mysterious murder inspiring the Hometown Homicider was found here