Est. 1925 · Prohibition-era supper club · Legs Diamond connection · Six-generation family ownership · Discovery ID and TLC television appearances
The property at 562 Fifth Avenue in Lansingburgh — Troy's northernmost neighborhood, an independent village until it was absorbed by the city in 1901 — has been owned by the same extended family across six generations. The house was built in 1925, though family lore places the Feyl family in residence from around 1919 following Frederick Anthony Feyl's immigration from Bavaria with his wife.
During the Prohibition era the house operated as a supper club, functioning as a private gathering place for the neighborhood and, according to later accounts, a venue that attracted figures from the Albany criminal scene. Notorious bootlegger John T. 'Legs' Diamond — shot to death in his bed at an Albany rooming house in December 1931 — reportedly dined at the Feyl house. The specific nature of any business relationship between Diamond and the Feyl family is not independently documented beyond oral tradition passed down within the household.
The house has remained in family hands continuously. Michele Bell, the most recent owner of record, put it on the market in 2021 asking $444,444 — the asking price itself a reference to the address. The listing drew national press coverage, with outlets including Mental Floss and WHDH Boston covering the reported haunting. The house subsequently appeared in television programming on Discovery ID and TLC, further establishing its reputation as a commercial paranormal destination.
As of 2026 the property operates as a private venue offering paranormal investigation access and custom events by inquiry, marketed through the venue's own website.
Sources
- https://www.theenslinhouse.com/
- https://www.news10.com/news/local-news/troys-haunted-mansion-the-enslin-house-up-for-sale/
- https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/651125/haunted-house-troy-new-york-for-sale-ghosts-included
ApparitionsPhantom footstepsOrbs (photographic)Object disturbanceTactile phenomena
The owner of the Enslin House, Michele Bell, has stated publicly that nine spirits reside in the building — five of whom she identifies as deceased family members. The sixth and most frequently named is 'Shirley,' a former tenant who died after falling down the basement stairs; Bell keeps the basement permanently locked following repeated unexplained incidents in that space.
Paranormal investigators who accessed the property documented flying orbs in video footage, the sound of unexplained footsteps at 3 a.m., and the figure of a tall man moving through the rooms. An Airbnb guest reported waking to find a visible indentation in the bed beside them, as though someone were sitting there — with no one visible in the room.
The house appeared on programming from Discovery ID and TLC, though specific episode titles have not been publicly confirmed by the venue. The coverage positioned the Enslin House within the broader category of Hudson Valley haunted properties that have attracted national attention in the 2010s and 2020s.
The venue now markets itself specifically to professional paranormal investigation teams and private groups, offering exclusive after-hours access through an inquiry-based booking system. The basement, the stairwells, and the upper floors are cited in promotional material as the most active areas.
Notable Entities
Shirley (former tenant, died on basement stairs)Unidentified tall male figure
Media Appearances
- Discovery ID paranormal programming (Television, 2020)
- TLC paranormal programming (Television, 2020)