Dutchess County Library Among Most Haunted Spots in Hudson Valley

A Hudson Valley library is said to be haunted by not one, but two different ghosts.

The Grinnell Library in the Village of Wappingers Falls was not always as it appears today. Built in 1867 by Irving Grinnell, the building was originally shared between the library upstairs and a jewelry store downstairs. If you look at the front facade of the library on Market Street, you can see a giant archway over the middle window. That was the original entranceway to the store. A winding staircase located in the building's iconic turret led to the library, which was just the size of its current large reading room.

Another staircase on the other side of the building led to an upstairs apartment and the local newspaper, which operated in the basement. The building was lit by gas for 60 years until it was eventually fitted with electrical wires.

In 1826, the jewelry store was replaced with a clothing store before the entire building was absorbed into the Grinnell library.

The Ghosts of the Grinnell Library

According to local legend, a former librarian by the name of Ms. Drace began working at the Grinnell Library in 1933. Drace was said to be so dedicated to the library that she lived in a makeshift apartment in the building's basement. The librarian lived and worked at Grinnell for a half-century before she passed away in the 1980s.

Since her death, there have been reports of people who claim to have felt the presence of Ms. Drace at the library. Paranormal Investigator, Donna Parish-Bischoff claims that during one of her investigations, the "swooshing" sound of Drace's dress moving through the bookshelves could be heard.

Another ghost is said to have been haunting the lower level of the library for even longer than Ms. Drace. Some claim to have seen a young paperboy who used to work at the Wappingers Chronicle which had its printing press in the basement. The young ghost has allegedly been seen hiding behind bookshelves and peeking through the window. Some say that when the library is quiet you can hear him playing.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, a visit to the Grinnell Library is like taking a step back in time. The reading room even contains a creepy display case filled with stuffed birds donated to the library in 1923. It's so old that it includes a bird that is extinct today.

Currently, the Grinnell Library is undergoing a major restoration of its exterior to preserve the original look of the 1867 building. It remains open to visitors.