The Spirit Guide: Marjim Manor

The Legend of Appleton Hall does have the habit of steering from historical fact. However, that doesn’t stop the hauntings of the Winery at Marjim Manor.

Appleton Hall was built in 1854 by Shubal Scudder Merrit for his wife, Sophia. For the next few years, they lived there happily with their children Phebe Sophia, Cordelia, and Lewis. Sadly, their happiness didn’t last too long.

Over the last 160 years, Shubal’s beloved Appleton Hall has gone through many different owners. From the tragic Merritt family to the director of the Buffalo Psych Center, Dr. Charles A. Ring and his two wives, Hannah and Estelle Morse, and finally the Sisters of St. Joseph who lived in the manor until 1993. Multiple deaths were recorded on the property, including Sophia and Lewis Merritt as well as Hannah Ring. And there have been even more hauntings recorded over the years.

According to claims made by both staff and customers, the ghosts of Shubal, Sophia, and Lewis Merritt are all present in what was once their family home.

Some believe that Sophia still haunts the manor because it was built especially for her during the height of the family’s prosperity.

Others fear that Lewis’s spirit is still present because of his tragic and unexpected death. Legend tells us that as Lewis entered through a pair of French doors, he frightened his father who accidentally shot him in the middle of the house.

Of course, no evidence supports this tragic tale, but that does nothing to explain why these doors like to open on their own.

Learn more about The Winery at Marjim Manor in The Spirit Guide: America’s Haunted Breweries, Distilleries, and Wineries coming July 2020! 

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