PARANORMAL PUB GHOST OF SPRING STREET

Robert Thomas Rothschild Jr.


One night whiile watching TV, I caught an episode of Ghost Stories on the Travel Channel. It featured a story about the the ghost of Spring Street. The story took place on December 22, 1799. The main players involved 22-year Gulielma ("Elma") Sands and her 24-year old soon-to-be husband, Levi Weeks. On the night of her death, the two lovers were to meet at a Manhattan well. The night ended with Levi Weeks, a carpenter, throwing his fiancee down into the Manhattan well. It was rumored that Elma revealed to Levi that she was pregnant with his child. Upon hearing this news, just days before their Christmas day wedding, Levi got angry and concerned that his reputation was going to be soiled by the fact that his out-of-wedlock child would make his name mud.

On January 2, 1800, the body of Elma Sands was fished out of the well with grappling hooks. She was discovered only by her mittens being found next to the well by 3 local boys. Levi Weeks was found to be not guilty, even though he was the last person to be seen with her while she was alive.

As an interesing footnote to this story, Levi hired the 2 most prominent lawyers in the country, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, was acquitted, and eventually moved to Mississippi to become a prominent architect. Just 19 years later, at age 42, he died from an unknown cause. In the years to follow, Elma was reported to be seen walking about the area now known as Spring Street in NYC. Eventually the neighborhood of SoHo was developed all around that area and the well, and story, were both buried beneath the streets of NYC.


The building that now resides there is known as the Manhattan Bistro. My case manager, Jen Olenchak-Datko, contacted Marie (the owner of the Bistro), to inquire about doing an investigation in the basement, where the Bistro stores it's liquor and where the well still stands. The well stands 7 1/2 feet high, is made of brick and is crumbling.  Eastern Suffolk Paranormal investigated the well, the team experienced lightheadedness and heard sounds of shuffling coming from the alleyway. Our K2 meter had very high readings, enough to be certain that the energy of this once vibrant lady is still present. Elma will often throw dishes, make her appearance by way of an apparition. I personally climbed up the well and peered down, as if I were telling Elma to move towards the light. She still moves about in this basement giving everyone a sad and lonely feeling.


If you stop by Manhattan Bistro for food and drink, Elma will surely be hanging around that dark, dusty, eerie basement. Check her out someday, if you dare...

Robert Thomas Rothschild previous blog is listed below...check it out!

http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/03/paranormal-pub-introduces-robert-thomas.html