Manhattan - House of Death

A Brief History: Located at 14 West 10th Street no would ever think looking at this unassuming Greek Revival styled brownstone in Greenwich Village; once occupied by writer Mark Twain that it could have such a nickname as the “House of Death”. Built in 1856 it became the home of Mark Twain from 1900 – 1901. After Mark Twain’s short residency the brownstone had a rather quiet history until 1974, when writer Jan Bryant Bartell used it as the subject of her book: “Spindrift: Spray From a Psychic Sea”. Already somewhat of a local legend due to the book, it became the scene of a grisly crime when attorney Joel Steinberg made headlines nationwide for the abuse and death of his adopted daughter Jessica Steinberg, age 6 in 1987 further cementing its macabre reputation.

Haunted History: Much of the buildings haunted history comes from Jan Bryant Bartell’s book. The former actress turned psychic turned writer chronicled her paranormal experiences over the course of her 12 years residency. According to her book, the brownstone was inhabited by 22 spirits, of former tenants who died, some mysteriously, while living there. The book goes on to say that the spirit of an old man with white hair, possibly Mark Twain is known to haunt the stairwell. She also heard many unexplained noises while living there. The house is under private ownership now and reports of hauntings have dwindled to urban legends.