Ithaca may not be as notorious as Gettysburg for its hauntings, but there are some places that I know of that might capture the interests of the curious few. I'm sure that there exists many houses that people believe are haunted, but what about more public and well known places? The first place that comes to mind is the Babcock mansion, formerly a residence, before that the restaurant known as Turback's, and countless other things. This house is well over 200 years old, and rests atop a small hill, looming over route 13 towards Elmira. If you live in Ithaca, I'm sure you've passed this house plenty of times, maybe even trespassed on the property. It was nicknamed " The House of Eleven Gables" for its striking architecture, but the name evokes thoughts of Salem's infamous House of Seven Gables. Whether or not the house has any history with witches is undetermined. I originally discovered this name after being in the back of the house before the owners bulldozed what was there. Behind a small grove of pines behind the house was the ruins of the old farm's slaughterhouse, and the foundation of the burnt down barn. The forest itself was littered with rusted playground equipment and overrun by lilac bushes. One day as I made my way through the mess, pushing aside the lovely flowers, I discovered a huge wooden sign, with peeling green paint that read "House of Eleven Gables". Being young and having no familiarity with Salem, I simply assumed it had to do with the gables on the house, and quickly put it out of my mind. But now that I can see the connections between the two places, I begin to wonder if they have any connects through history as well.
I'll be adding to this story regularly, so be sure to check back for updates.
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