By KRISTEN DOWD
When asked if ghosts exist, “Haunted Haddonfield” author Bill Meehan carefully considered his answer.
“As I say in the forward to the book, I certainly believe that the people who have told me these stories and the people I never met who died 150 or more years ago and put these stories in their diaries — they believe them,” said Meehan. “Without question, they believe them.”
Discovering his town’s haunted past (and present) became a hobby of Meehan’s, one he is still pursuing, evident in the Haddonfield Historical Society’s annual Haunted Haddonfield Tours he leads every October. A well-written ghost story was something Meehan always enjoyed, so writing a book for Haddonfield — a town without such a book but steeped in so much ghost lore — was a natural fit.
“People are never more interested than when the subject is local,” Meehan said. “It’s one thing to read about a haunted castle in England, but if it’s about a place that you walk past, a place you’ve seen more times than you could ever count, and to hear a story about what is going on or may be going on behind those walls — it has far more impact. It resonates much more than a place you’ve never heard of or seen.”
“Haunted Haddonfield” was published in 2002, after two years of research with the help of his daughter and research assistant, Lily, who is now a college student. The project grew out of elaborate, fun-filled Halloween parties Meehan would throw with his wife, Kathy, who he credits with “the germ of the idea.”
“In those days, we had a large house on Chews Landing Road and had very large Halloween parties. My wife was in charge of planning most of that. One year, she mentioned she was running out of something different,” Meehan said, adding that his wife asked him to head to the library to research local ghost stories.
The writer found a plethora of haunted tales and, equipped with about two dozen stories, the couple rented a school bus and took 54 costumed friends around town on a guided tour of the paranormal. It was the first Haunted Haddonfield Tour, now an annual tradition to benefit the historical society.
“It was very well received, and they’re still extremely successful,” Meehan said. “We charge admission to raise money, but another reason I was highly motivated to do it was because I wanted to draw attention to the library and historical society.”
Meehan said private tours are offered, too, and he’s given tours for birthday parties in the past. Although he has given the tours for over a decade, the author continues to enjoy leading his audiences through Haddonfield’s haunted realms.
“I like seeing the look on their faces when I give a tour or presentation. It’s almost the same reaction they would have if you said, ‘I could document Abraham Lincoln stood in that very spot where you are standing,’” said Meehan. “It’s an almost electric reaction. It’s the immediacy of it.”
Haddonfield’s Haunted Happenings
Haunted Haddonfield Tours
Tour dates are Fridays, Oct. 19 and 26, and Saturdays, Oct. 20 and 27, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 13. Children under 3 are admitted free, although tour guide Bill Meehan recommends the tour for those ages 8 and older.
Tickets can be purchased at the door (cash only) or ahead of time by visiting Greenfield Hall, the Haddonfield Public Library or the Haddonfield Visitor Center. Wear comfortable walking shorts, bring a flashlight and where something reflective as a safety precaution.
Proceeds benefit the Haddonfield Public Library and the Historical Society of Haddonfield.
The Haunted Mansion
The annual Haddonfield tradition is at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, and after the parade on Tuesday, Oct. 30. The grounds of Greenfield Hall are ghoulishly transformed into a Haunted Mansion. Refreshments are offered in the courtyard on Oct. 30. Tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for children, available at the door.
Proceeds benefit the Historical Society of Haddonfield.
“Haunted Haddonfield” by Bill Meehan
Copies of the book can be found at the Haddonfield Public Library and the Historical Society of Haddonfield. They can also be purchased at www.haddonfieldhistory.org. Sales benefit the historical society.
