HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
A 1766 South Glens Falls home with a suspected Underground Railroad trapdoor and a history of unexplained knocks, voices, and thumps.
53 Ferry Boulevard, South Glens Falls, NY 12803
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free general admission during open hours; paranormal investigation events may have separate fees
Access
Limited Access
Historic multi-period structure with uneven floors and stairs; grounds include a one-room schoolhouse and outbuildings
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1776 · National Register of Historic Places (1994) · Suspected Underground Railroad stop · French and Indian War era construction · One of the oldest public historic structures in the region
The original structure at 53 Ferry Boulevard was built in 1776 by Daniel Parks, an early settler of Moreau and a veteran of the French and Indian War. The location along the Hudson River corridor made it both strategically and commercially significant in the early years of American settlement.
Significant additions were made to the property circa 1830 and 1840, including a Victorian-era wing constructed by the Benedict brothers, who were Quakers. Researchers have identified a trapdoor near the back entrance of the Victorian addition that opens toward the river. Though no written documentation has been located to date, the Historical Society believes the feature may have functioned as a concealment space for freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad — consistent with the Benedicts' religious opposition to slavery.
In the early twentieth century, the property witnessed at least one dramatic incident when a teenage girl was struck and killed by lightning inside the house — an event documented in local records and long part of the neighborhood's oral memory.
Parks-Bentley Place was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 1994, recognized as one of the oldest surviving historic structures in the area and the only one of its period open to the public. The grounds include a summer kitchen, one-room schoolhouse, and tool shed. The Historical Society of Moreau and South Glens Falls operates the site and offers seasonal tours, educational programs, and community events.
Sources
Reports of unexplained sounds at Parks-Bentley Place — voices, thumps, pops, and noises that have no apparent source — have circulated among visitors and historical society members for years. The sounds are most often reported in the older sections of the house rather than the Victorian addition.
The historical society notes two possible explanations for the activity: the presence of Daniel Parks Jr., the original builder and a French and Indian War veteran whose connection to the land spans the period before American independence; and the possibility that the house's suspected role in the Underground Railroad has left a residual imprint of fear, urgency, and grief from the freedom seekers who may have sheltered here.
In the early twentieth century, the house was also the site of a lightning strike that killed a teenage girl inside — an event that local memory has absorbed into the location's accumulated weight.
The South Glens Falls Paranormal Society has conducted guided public investigations at Parks-Bentley Place, treating the site's paranormal reports in the context of its documented historical record rather than as isolated ghost-hunt entertainment.
Notable Entities
Where this legend is told
Self-guided and docent-led tours of the main house and grounds, including the summer kitchen, one-room schoolhouse, and tool shed. Visitors can see the trapdoor near the back entrance that researchers believe may have served as a concealment space connected to the Underground Railroad.
The South Glens Falls Paranormal Society periodically leads public guided investigations of Parks-Bentley Place, running from approximately 7–10 p.m. Check the museum's events calendar or contact the society directly for scheduled dates.
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