Post by Graveyardbride on Jun 13, 2016 6:38:40 GMT -5
York House before/after tower removal.
Cries from the Tower
The Hatfields and McCoys are famous feuding families from the 19th and early 20th centuries. You’ve probably heard of them because they and their antics have been the subject of many literary works, most notably the Discovery Channel’s entertaining documentary. Less known however, is the story of their lawyer ... more specifically, his home in Pikeville, Kentucky, a dwelling that remains shrouded in mystery.
The house was built in the late 1800s by James York, a rich attorney, and his wife, Augusta. If you visit 223 Main Street today, you can see the original stained glass windows, fireplaces and a piano in the same places they were more than a century ago when the bloody feud was approaching its end. But there’s something important missing from the old Queen Anne/Second Empire residence – its tower. The tower was mysteriously removed during the mid-1900s and no one knows why, but there is speculation. Perhaps it had something to do with the bloodcurdling screams of a child. The girl’s name was Geraldine Creekmore and she was the daughter of Tot Ruth York and her husband, Tom Creekmore. According to local folklore, baby Geraldine would wail and wail for no discernible reason. It seems she fell ill and suffered a high fever that caused permanent brain damage. As a result, her loud screams were a frequent occurrence that disturbed the neighbors.
Geraldine spent a great deal of time in the tower room of the family home and townsfolk reported that when she would see people walking past, she would scream from the window. The piercing cries unnerved adults and terrified children. Geraldine died sometime in the mid-20th century, but even after she was laid to rest, many avoided the York House, claiming it was haunted. People walking or driving along Maine Street at night told tales of Geraldine in a flowing white garment standing in the window where she always stood. Others claimed to have heard her hair-raising screams, particularly when there was a full moon. Before long, the family removed the tower, the most distinctive and attractive feature of the old mansion. Thereafter, stories of the haunted York house began to fade, though in the 1980s, students at Pikeville College reported lights going on and off of their own accord and other strange activity at in the old mansion.
But there’s a happy ending to this tale. In 2014, the City of Pikeville purchased the home and during restoration, workers discovered the original walls and windows of the tower room stored in the spring house out back. Hopefully, the tower room will be returned to its proper place atop the old manse and perhaps Geraldine will return to her favorite room. Will her spirit gaze down from the restored tower and her cries once again pierce the stillness of the night under the soft glow of the full moon?
Sources: Lex18, March 16, 2016; and Big Sandy Heritage-History Center Museum.
