Strange Fancies: The Ghosts of Broadhall

SOLD OUT – A second date has been added — October 25. 

This summer, BCHS presented Strange Fancies, an exploration of Pittsfield ghost lore, the supernatural influences on Herman Melville’s imagination, and the ghostly experiences reported at the Moby-Dick author’s former home led by Robert Oakes.

The tale continues this fall  at the Country Club of Pittsfield. Once known as Broadhall, this building was the home of Melville’s friend, fellow writer Sarah Morewood, whom Melville often visited while he lived at Arrowhead. 

And some say he may still be calling. Indeed, both Melville’s ghost and that of Mrs. Morewood are said to haunt the house, as well as others yet unidentified. Many have visited the property throughout its long history, including Alexander Hamilton, President John Tyler, famous literati, and formerly enslaved people. And many have died there, including Mrs. Morewood, as well as seventeen victims of a 1910 ice house explosion, described as the worst disaster in Pittsfield history.

Join Robert Oakes, author of Ghosts of the Berkshires and ghost tour guide at Ventfort Hall and The Mount, as he leads you through this historic Pittsfield property, sharing accounts of sightings and other strange encounters reported by those who work there. Explore this unfolding mystery, and discover for yourself whether Melville or Morewood—or others unknown—are haunting the house next door to Arrowhead.

Please note:  This tour involves climbing two flights of stairs.

Tickets will be available October 1 by using the BOOK NOW button; $25 for BCHS members, $30 for non-members.