HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
An 1889 church cornerstone laid on Halloween—now a working theater where the Lady in Red opens doors and a 2004 Christmas Carol cast photo captured an extra nobody remembers casting.
170 Schenck Street, North Tonawanda, NY 14120
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Ticketed performances; pricing varies by production
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic church building; ground-floor seating accessible
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1889 · 1889 German immigrant congregation church · Cornerstone reportedly laid on October 31 · Active church use 1889–2000 · Converted to theater 2001 by Starry Night Theatre, Inc.
Construction of the church began in 1889, with the cornerstone reportedly laid on October 31—Halloween. The congregation, Deutsche Vereinigte Evangelische Friedens Gemeinde, served German immigrants in North Tonawanda who had been separated from the broader immigrant community by the Erie Canal. After petitioning unsuccessfully to leave the parent Synod, the congregation reorganized as an independent Free Church and continued operating from the Schenck Street building.
The church remained active for more than a century. In June 2000 the congregation relocated to Amherst, New York, and the building went up for sale. In January 2001, Starry Night Theatre, Inc. purchased the property and renamed it The Ghostlight Theatre—a reference to the theatrical tradition of leaving a single light burning on a dark stage, whether to deter spirits or to allow them to perform in private.
Under owner L. Don Swartz, Starry Night Theatre has produced more than 170 stage productions in the 214-seat house, ranging from musicals and comedies to world premiere dramas. The company's mission explicitly includes protecting and preserving the historic structure. The building is listed on local historic registers and has been the subject of ongoing preservation work since the 2001 acquisition.
Sources
The haunted reputation of the Ghostlight Theatre dates to shortly after Starry Night Theatre took ownership in 2001, when staff began reporting unexplained activity. The most frequently cited spirit is the Lady in Red, a female apparition described as wearing a red dress who reportedly opens and closes doors in the building. A male presence is reported on and near the spiral staircase. A third entity, identified as a child named Mary, has been reported by staff and visitors.
The building attracted formal investigation by Western New York Paranormal and the Buffalo Paranormal Society, both of which documented electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recordings during their sessions.
The most concrete piece of physical evidence cited by the theater is a photograph taken during a 2004 production of A Christmas Carol. An unidentified figure appeared in a cast photo; theater staff report no one in the production matches the image.
A fourth entity is associated with Jed Woomer, a former cast member who died in 2015 at age 19. The theater reports that an EVP recorded after his death appears to say 'I'm fine.' The theater's name—referencing the tradition of a single light left burning on a dark stage—takes on added resonance for a company that operates in a building where both audience and staff have reported unexplained phenomena since the first year of operation.
Notable Entities
Year-round productions in the 214-seat converted church building, which regularly programs thrillers and horror titles alongside its full season. The building's paranormal reputation is woven into the theater's identity.
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