Est. 1840 · Private estate of the Harris and King families from 1907 through mid-20th century · Listed on the Haunted History Trail of New York State · One of the Hudson Valley's most recognized haunted hotel properties
The grounds occupy a hillside above the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York. The main King Mansion is an 1840s Georgian-style structure that served as the private residence of the Harris and King families for decades. Sybil Harris King was the daughter of William Rees Harris, an executive associated with the American Tobacco Company. The family moved to the estate at 49 East Sunnyside Lane in 1907. Sybil lived there the majority of her adult life.
Sybil Harris King died on August 1, 1955. Her death certificate lists Presbyterian Hospital in New York City as her place of death; she did not die at the estate, though her obituary noted a private funeral service was held at her home, followed by a burial at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The hotel's haunting lore places her death in Room 293, which is not corroborated by her death records — a discrepancy the Haunted History Trail of New York State, which lists the property, does not address.
The estate eventually passed out of private family ownership and was developed as a conference center and hotel. Today the Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson operates as a full-service hotel with 80 rooms across several historic buildings, including the original King Mansion. The Goosefeather Restaurant occupies the property and staff there regularly share the mansion's ghost lore with guests.
Sources
- https://hauntedhistorytrail.com/explore/king-house-mansion-at-the-tarrytown-house-estate
- https://sleepyhollowcountry.com/ghost-of-sybil-harris-king/
- https://wrrv.com/haunted-historical-hudson-valley-landmarks/
Footsteps pacing second-floor hallway near Room 293Apparition in whiteOrbs in photographsFaint shadowsPhone date changed to 1865Music streaming service looping single track
The haunting at King House centers almost entirely on Sybil Harris King, who lived at the estate for close to fifty years. Guests and staff report that she is heard pacing the second-floor hallways near Room 293, the room the hotel designates as most active. Witnesses describe an apparition in white, orbs visible in photographs taken in the corridor, and faint shadows.
The electronics-manipulation reports are among the more specific claims attached to any Hudson Valley haunted hotel. One guest reported that their phone's displayed date changed to 1865 — a year roughly seventy years before Sybil was born. Another reported that a music streaming service looped the same song without interruption. These accounts have been documented by the Haunted History Trail of New York State and are recounted by hotel staff.
The factual record complicates the lore. Research into Sybil King's death records establishes that she died at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City on August 1, 1955, not in Room 293 at the estate. Her obituary confirms a private funeral service held at the home before burial at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The hotel's ghost narrative places her death on the premises, which the death certificate does not support. This gap is not unusual in hotel haunting traditions — the lore often settles onto a building regardless of where a death occurred — but it is noted here for accuracy.
The Haunted History Trail of New York State lists the King House Mansion as an official stop, and the property is among the more consistently reported haunted hotels in the lower Hudson Valley.
Notable Entities
Sybil Harris King (1887–1955; longtime resident; died August 1, 1955, at Presbyterian Hospital NYC)