Est. 1765 · Georgian manor built 1760–1765 for Shippen brothers, owners of Oxford Furnace (est. 1741) · Oxford Furnace supplied Continental Army during Revolutionary War · Edward Shippen IV family connection — his daughter Peggy Shippen married Benedict Arnold · Warren County Cultural Heritage Commission museum; Ghost Hunters investigated 2010
Oxford Furnace was established in 1741 in what is now Warren County, making it one of the earliest iron-smelting operations in colonial New Jersey. The furnace produced pig iron and castings for regional markets; during the Revolutionary War it supplied iron goods to the Continental Army, following the pattern of other New Jersey furnaces including Batsto and Ringwood.
The Shippen brothers — members of the prominent Philadelphia Shippen family — took ownership of Oxford Furnace in the 1750s and commissioned the Georgian stone manor house between 1760 and 1765. Edward Shippen IV, one of the most prominent lawyers in colonial Pennsylvania, had familial ties to the ironworks; his daughter Peggy Shippen would later marry Benedict Arnold. The manor served as the ironmasters' residence and the business headquarters for the furnace operation.
The furnace continued operating into the early 19th century through a succession of owners. After iron production ceased, the property changed hands multiple times before Warren County Heritage Commission acquired it for preservation. The manor house has been restored and is operated as a museum, with period furnishings and interpretive materials covering the furnace's industrial history and the Shippen family's colonial significance.
SyFy's Ghost Hunters investigated Shippen Manor in 2010, bringing the building's paranormal reputation to a national television audience. The investigation documented the specific apparition accounts that staff and visitors had reported for years, and the episode brought increased visitor attention to the site.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shippen_Manor
- https://www.co.warren.nj.us/departments/culturalheritage/shippen_manor.html
- https://www.newjerseyhauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/shippen-manor.html
Soldier apparition in period dressChild apparition in colonial clothingFemale torso apparition without head or limbsUncatalogued objects appearing on shelvesDoors opening without causeCold spots
The apparition accounts at Shippen Manor are among the more specific in Warren County's paranormal landscape. Staff members working alone in the manor have described three recurring figures: a soldier in period dress who appears in the main rooms, a small boy in colonial-era clothing seen on the upper floor, and a female apparition described as a woman's torso that appears without head or limbs. The last account is the most unusual and has drawn particular attention from paranormal investigators.
Long Island Paranormal Investigators (LIPI) documented their findings from an investigation of the manor, recording apparition descriptions from staff members and their own team's observations during an evening session. Their investigation corroborated the specific figure descriptions that had been circulating in Warren County paranormal accounts. Additional phenomena documented during investigations include uncatalogued items appearing on museum shelves between staff visits and interior doors found open when the building was confirmed secured.
Ghost Hunters, the SyFy network series, filmed an episode at Shippen Manor in 2010. The episode brought the building's haunted reputation to a national audience and has driven continued visitor interest in the museum. Warren County Heritage Commission, which operates the site, engages with the paranormal history as part of the visitor experience without formally endorsing specific accounts.
The colonial context amplifies the site's atmosphere. The adjacent Oxford Furnace ruins — silent cast-iron structures in an overgrown setting — add physical texture to a property where ironworkers, enslaved laborers, and the Shippen family's complex colonial history intersect. The specific nature of the apparition accounts suggests layers of occupancy that predate the manor's current museum function.
Notable Entities
Edward Shippen (ironmaster, owner)William Shippen (ironmaster, owner)
Media Appearances
- Ghost Hunters (SyFy) (Television, 2010)