Oct 11, 2002 By Angie Santello For The 4 min read

BROWNSVILLE – Do ghosts and spirits roam the halls of the historic Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville, where unexplained and mysterious events often send chills down the spines of visitors and staff members? Nellie Mammarella, a member of the Brownsville Historical Society and a castle tour guide, event planner and staff member, said almost everyone who visits the historic castle wants to know the answer to that question.

With Halloween only a few weeks away, historical society members and castle employees decided to let visitors find out for themselves if the castle is really haunted during the second annual Candlelight Ghost Tours, which will be held throughout this month.

Visitors will have a chance to relive these ghostly experiences, while learning about the history of the 216-year-old structure and its surroundings during the tours.

“Just about every person, who visits the castle wants to know if it is haunted,” Mammarella said. “We had visitors that thought they’ve seen something. One visitor became shaken up during the regular history tours that go on throughout the year… At these tours, we don’t even mention the stories about the ghosts.”

Costumed guides will escort visitors by candlelight through the 22-room house, stopping to recount their ghostly and haunting experiences along the way.

“People travel from all over Pennsylvania to enjoy the tours,” Mammarella said. “We’ve had guests from Ohio and West Virginia. A couple of thousand people are expected to attend the ghost tours this year since we are open longer, including on Halloween.”

In a location that overlooks the Monongahela River running along Front Street, the castle was once the site of a trading post operated by Jacob Bowman. In 1789, Jacob Bowman began building Nemacolin Castle, which is named after the Indian chief, who traded at Jacob’s post.

Mammarella said the Bowman name is a historic one in Brownsville. The family owned a nail and glass factory in the town, and Jacob Bowman became the first postmaster. When he died, Jacob Bowman willed the house to his youngest son, Nelson, who finished the east wing.

“Three significant architectural time periods can be seen as one travels through the inside of the house,” Mammarella said. “It begins on the west with the trading post era, in the middle is a three-story stone structure that can be traced back through the years and the east side of the house is what we call ‘The Victorian Wing.'”

A friend of Leila Bowman returned to the castle several years ago. After Mammarella learned that the woman was a frequent visitor of Leila Bowman, she escorted her around the castle so she could revisit the surroundings.

As they entered one room, Mammarella said that the woman pointed to the next doorway, saying that Mrs. Bowman told her, “This room was haunted.”

Mammarella has also been at the castle during research team investigations when she experienced difficulty breathing for no apparent reason.

“The last time a research group visited was on Sept. 21,” Mammarella said. “This one was from Cleveland. But I’ve also been at the castle when psychics came through. They picked up on different spirits, with each of their stories matching those of the paranormal teams.”

The Paraex Research Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Columbus, Ohio, that “specialize in investigations of paranormal and parapsychological phenomena” visited the castle in June 2001. The group is planning another visit to the castle this fall. On the Foundation’s Web site, Nemacolin Castle is located at the top of the investigation list, with the study producing the most positive results of all investigations listed.

Nemacolin Castle is now owned by Fayette County, which purchased it in the 1970s after it had remained in the Bowman family for 170 years. It is now operated by the Brownsville Historical Society.

“A lot of people come into the castle not believing,” said Mammarella. “Very often, those same people leave believing.”

Tours will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 6 to 10 p.m. Sundays throughout October. On Halloween night, tours will be given from 6 to 11 p.m. A group of 10 or less will be guided through the house every 30 minutes. Each tour is expected to continue for about an hour.

An additional benefit to touring the castle is the raffle, where each purchase of a $2 ticket gives the buyer a chance at winning a night spent at Nemacolin Castle with the Mon Valley Ghost Research Society on Saturday, Nov. 2. The winner will be selected and surprised with a phone call on Halloween night.

Admission for tours is $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 12 and under. Proceeds will help to support and maintain Nemacolin Castle as a historic attraction. For more information or group reservations, contact Nemacolin Castle at 724-785-6882.