Proprietary House – Haunted Mansion in Perth Amboy, New Jersey

The Proprietary House stands as New Jersey’s last remaining colonial Governor’s Mansion. Built in the 1760s, this Georgian-style brick mansion has witnessed centuries of American history. Its walls echo with tales of revolution, occupation, and ghostly presences that refuse to leave. Visitors and staff report unexplained footsteps, shadowy figures, and mysterious voices throughout the historic building.

This architectural gem served as the official residence of New Jersey’s last Royal Governor. The mansion’s rich history includes Revolutionary War drama and decades of various institutional uses. Today, it operates as a museum, but many believe its former residents never truly departed. The building’s paranormal reputation has grown steadily over the past several decades.

Historical Background

Construction of the Proprietary House began in 1762 and was completed around 1764. The mansion was built specifically to serve as the official residence for New Jersey’s Royal Governors. William Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, became the house’s most famous occupant in 1774. His loyalty to the British Crown would seal his fate and the mansion’s dramatic history.

The building cost approximately £6,000 to construct, an astronomical sum for colonial times. Local residents resented the expensive project, viewing it as a symbol of British extravagance. The mansion featured fifty-four rooms spread across three floors and a basement. Its grand design included elaborate woodwork, tall ceilings, and spacious entertaining areas befitting royal representatives.

William Franklin’s tenure as Royal Governor ended violently in January 1776. American revolutionaries stormed the mansion and placed him under house arrest. They eventually dragged him from his home and imprisoned him for two years. His wife Elizabeth died during his imprisonment, some say from the stress of separation.

British forces occupied the mansion during the Revolutionary War from 1776 to 1783. The building served as military headquarters and housing for British officers. Soldiers transformed the elegant rooms into barracks, causing significant damage to the property. Local legend claims several people died within the mansion’s walls during this tumultuous period.

After the war, the mansion fell into disrepair and changed hands multiple times. It served as a hotel called the Brighton House during the Victorian era. The building later functioned as a rooming house and various businesses throughout the 1800s. By the mid-twentieth century, the once-grand mansion faced demolition before preservation efforts saved it.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Visitors to the Proprietary House frequently report disembodied footsteps echoing through empty hallways. The sounds seem to follow specific patterns, as if someone follows their daily routine. Staff members hear these phantom footsteps most often on the mansion’s second floor. The sounds typically occur when only one or two people occupy the entire building.

Cold spots appear randomly throughout the mansion, defying logical explanation. These temperature drops can be dramatic, sometimes plunging twenty degrees within seconds. The cold areas move and shift, appearing in different rooms on different days. Visitors often feel watched or followed when entering these inexplicably frigid zones.

Shadow figures dart across doorways and along corridors with startling regularity. Multiple witnesses describe seeing dark human-shaped forms from their peripheral vision. When observers turn to look directly, the shadows vanish instantly. These apparitions appear most frequently in the late afternoon and early evening hours.

Objects move without explanation, particularly in the museum’s display areas. Staff arrive to find items shifted from their previous positions overnight. Pictures hanging on walls tilt at odd angles despite secure mounting. Small objects occasionally disappear completely, only to reappear weeks later in unexpected locations.

Electronic equipment malfunctions regularly within the mansion’s walls. Cameras drain batteries inexplicably, even with fresh power sources. Audio recording devices capture strange voices and unexplained sounds during tours. Cell phones frequently lose signal or turn off spontaneously in certain rooms.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The spirit of William Franklin himself reportedly haunts his former residence. Witnesses describe seeing a tall, distinguished man in colonial-era clothing on the second floor. The figure appears most often in what was Franklin’s private study. He seems to wander the rooms as if searching for something lost long ago.

Museum docents report encountering Franklin’s apparition during evening lock-up procedures. One former staff member claimed to have full conversations with the ghostly governor. The spirit allegedly expressed continued concern about his wife Elizabeth’s wellbeing. He appears unaware that centuries have passed since his forced departure from the mansion.

Elizabeth Franklin’s ghost manifests as a sorrowful woman in a flowing white gown. She appears most frequently in the mansion’s master bedroom on the second floor. Witnesses describe her as weeping or wringing her hands in obvious distress. Some psychics claim she searches eternally for her imprisoned husband, unaware of his eventual release.

Several tour guides have reported hearing a woman’s voice calling out a name. The voice sounds distant and plaintive, filled with desperate longing. It echoes through empty rooms when no women are present in the building. Historians speculate this could be Elizabeth Franklin calling for her husband William.

British soldiers from the Revolutionary War occupation reportedly haunt the mansion’s basement. Visitors describe hearing military commands shouted in English accents from below ground. Heavy boots march across basement floors when the space sits completely empty. Some witnesses claim to smell gunpowder and unwashed wool uniforms in certain basement areas.

A particularly disturbing presence haunts the mansion’s third-floor servants’ quarters. Staff members refuse to work alone in this area after dark. The atmosphere feels oppressive and threatening, unlike the generally benign spirits elsewhere. One volunteer described feeling invisible hands push her toward the stairway during an evening visit.

Children’s laughter echoes through the mansion despite no young visitors being present. The sounds seem to come from multiple directions simultaneously, creating confusion. Research suggests several families with children lived in the building during its hotel years. These playful spirits seem content and cause no disturbance beyond their audible presence.

A spectral woman in Victorian-era clothing appears in the mansion’s front parlor. She sits in a chair near the window as if waiting for someone. Her appearance suggests she dates from the building’s time as the Brighton House hotel. She vanishes when approached directly but reappears once observers move away.

Most Haunted Spot

The second-floor master bedroom represents the mansion’s most actively haunted location. This room served as William and Elizabeth Franklin’s private chamber during their residence. Visitors report overwhelming sadness and despair upon entering this specific space. Temperature drops of fifteen to twenty degrees occur here more than anywhere else.

The bedroom door opens and closes by itself with witnessed regularity. Staff members lock it securely, only to find it standing open minutes later. Heavy footsteps pace back and forth across the bedroom floor at night. Security personnel have investigated these sounds dozens of times, finding no physical explanation.

Can You Visit?

The Proprietary House is open to the public as a historic house museum. The Perth Amboy Historic Landmarks Commission operates the property year-round. Admission costs $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors. Children under twelve enter free when accompanied by paying adults.

Regular guided tours occur on Wednesdays from 10 AM to 4 PM. Sunday tours run from 1 PM to 4 PM, subject to volunteer availability. Special evening paranormal tours occasionally run during October and around Halloween. Advanced reservations are required for group tours of ten or more people.

Photography is permitted and actively encouraged throughout the mansion. Many visitors hope to capture paranormal evidence during their tours. The staff requests that visitors not use flash photography around delicate historic artifacts. Video recording is also allowed with prior permission from tour guides.

The mansion hosts private paranormal investigation events throughout the year. These overnight investigations require advance booking and separate fees apply. Investigators may bring their own equipment and explore freely after hours. Results from these investigations have produced numerous unexplained photographs and audio recordings.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity at the Proprietary House increases dramatically during autumn months. September through November sees the highest concentration of reported encounters. Staff members believe the anniversary of William Franklin’s arrest in January also triggers activity. The winter months generally produce more intense experiences than summer visits.

Late afternoon hours between 4 PM and 6 PM generate numerous shadow figure sightings. The changing light during these hours may contribute to increased visual phenomena. Evening investigation events after 8 PM consistently produce the most compelling evidence. The mansion’s spirits seem most communicative during darkness and quiet periods.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Former curator Susan Smith documented dozens of unexplained experiences during her fifteen-year tenure. She reported finding objects moved overnight despite secured locks and alarm systems. Smith witnessed a full-body apparition of a colonial-era man in Franklin’s study. The figure stared directly at her before fading gradually from view.

A 2015 visitor named Margaret Chen photographed a distinct face in an upstairs window. She took the picture from outside before entering the mansion. No one was inside the building at the time, as confirmed by staff. The face appears to be that of a middle-aged woman in period clothing.

Paranormal investigator Robert Torres conducted multiple investigations between 2012 and 2018. His team captured EVP recordings of a woman saying “Where is William?” clearly. Electronic equipment malfunctioned repeatedly in the second-floor master bedroom during his visits. Torres concluded the mansion houses at least four distinct spiritual entities.

Local historian James McDonald experienced physical contact during a 2019 research visit. He felt someone tap his shoulder three times in the empty third-floor hallway. Upon turning around, he saw no one but heard footsteps retreating down the stairs. McDonald has since refused to work alone in the building after 5 PM.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Atlantic Paranormal Society investigated the Proprietary House in 2008. Their team recorded unexplained temperature fluctuations and electromagnetic field anomalies throughout the second floor. Team members captured audio recordings of whispered conversations in empty rooms. They concluded the location showed definite signs of paranormal activity.

A 2016 investigation by New Jersey Ghost Hunters Association produced dramatic results. Investigators photographed multiple orbs and light anomalies in the master bedroom. Their thermal imaging cameras detected human-shaped heat signatures with no physical source. The team’s final report classified the mansion as authentically haunted.

Local paranormal group Garden State Ghosts conducts annual investigations at the mansion. They have compiled an extensive database of EVP recordings and photographic evidence. Their most compelling evidence includes a video showing a door slamming shut by itself. Multiple team members witnessed shadow figures moving through the first-floor dining room.

The mansion was featured in a regional documentary titled “Haunted New Jersey” in 2017. Film crews experienced equipment failures and unexplained sounds during production. One camera operator captured footage of what appears to be a colonial-era woman. The documentary brought increased attention to the mansion’s paranormal reputation.

Local Legends & Myths

Perth Amboy residents share a persistent legend about Elizabeth Franklin’s death curse. According to local lore, she cursed the mansion before dying of a broken heart. Her spirit supposedly prevents any couple living there from finding happiness together. The curse allegedly explains why the mansion never again served as a family home.

Another legend claims British soldiers buried treasure somewhere on the mansion grounds. Ghost hunters believe the basement spirits guard this hidden cache of gold. Several witnesses report seeing spectral soldiers digging in the basement’s dirt floor. No treasure has ever been found despite numerous searches over two centuries.

A darker tale suggests someone committed murder in the third-floor servants’ quarters. The story claims a servant girl was killed there during the Victorian hotel era. Her death was allegedly covered up to avoid scandal and maintain business. This legend might explain the threatening presence reported in that specific area.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

The Proprietary House is a protected historic landmark with strict visitation rules. Trespassing outside official tour hours is prohibited and prosecuted under state law. The Perth Amboy Police Department regularly patrols the property at night. Violators face fines up to $1,000 and possible jail time for breaking and entering.

The mansion’s structure contains areas with damaged flooring and unstable conditions. Visitors must remain with tour guides and follow all safety instructions carefully. The basement is off-limits except during special investigation events due to low clearances. Third-floor access is restricted because of structural concerns and narrow staircases.

Nearby Haunted Places

The Spy House / Seabrook-Wilson House – Haunted Museum in Port Monmouth, New Jersey

📍 10.3 miles

The Devil's Tree – Haunted Oak Tree in Bernards Township, New Jersey

📍 18.7 miles

Merchant's House Museum – Haunted Historic House in Manhattan, New York

📍 21.2 miles

Lambert Castle – Haunted Castle in Paterson, New Jersey

📍 27.9 miles

Morris-Jumel Mansion – Haunted Historic House in Manhattan, New York

📍 28.7 miles

Centenary University / Brotherton Hall – Haunted College Building in Hackettstown, New Jersey

📍 38 miles