Oct 20, 2006 By Jean Lohr For The 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – As early as 1734, Indians occupied the area around Brownsville. The high cliff overlooking the Monongahela River, which is the site of Nemacolin Castle, has a well-documented history beginning about that time. In its more than 200-year existence, the castle, which was built by Jacob Bowman as a trading post, has also been a home and a gathering place for the town of Brownsville as it grew up. It is said by historians to be built on or near an Indian burial ground.

As the colonies were expanding and wars were being fought and as settlers were heading west, many people walked the planks of the trading post/general store. Many more worked, lived, or, it is thought, were buried here.

So, if there is one place that should be rife with spirits, the castle is it.

Nancy Franks said she knows there are at least seven – spirits that is – six in the upper two floors and one in the basement. One little girl in particular is named Mary.

History shows that several children of the second generation of Bowmans died. The staff believes Mary is one of them. She is said to stay pretty close to the nursery, one of the seven upstairs bedrooms.

Tour director of the castle on Front Street, Franks is a nonbeliever turned around.

“I never believed in the paranormal until I started here,” she said.

She emphasized she and visitors often experience a feeling of not being alone, or become overwhelmed by the cold – in a heated building.

“We’ve had to help people out of the castle because they were really having trouble breathing. But once they were outside, they were fine,” she said.

“This is the reason we open the castle to candlelight ghost tours every autumn,” she said. “There are lots of stories to tell, and they (the visitors) want to hear them all.”

It is a very busy season for the castle – tours may begin every 5 to 10 minutes – if the crowd warrants, and it usually does.

“We don’t like more than 10 or 12 in each group,” she said.

Franks said believers return year after year hoping, not only to hear the tales again, but to possibly see an apparition or witness a paranormal event.

Franks can attest to the fact that she has heard footsteps, voices and doors opening, closing and in some cases slamming.

Since she started working at the castle in 1999, she said she has witnessed other paranormal activity, as well.

She said other staff members have had similar experiences.

“And lots of our visitors experience the ghosts,” said Franks. “It’s both thrilling and scary.”

The castle is open to tourists during regular daylight hours.

Halloween Candlelight Ghost Tours at Nemacolin Castle are only conducted every Saturday and Sunday in October and also Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 between 6 and 10 p.m. There is a small fee.

Tour groups are welcome. For more information about the ghost tours, visit the Nemacolin Web site at www/nemacolincastle.org or contact the Brownsville Historical Society at 724-785-6882.