What’s Lurking Behind That Historic Charm? The Mercer-Williams House (ft. Marcus Harvey)
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10/20/21 • 72 min
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Hadley takes listeners to the Spanish moss-veiled city of Savannah, Georgia, as she details the storied past and present of the Mercer-Williams House. Designed in 1860 and restored in 1969 by preservationist Jim Williams after years of abandonment, the Italianate revival that inspired Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil played host to a world famous antiques collection, and, more notably, at least three untimely deaths. It’s also supposedly built right on top of unmarked graves, like much of the city is. The house witnessed some of the city’s liveliest parties as well as some of its darkest secrets, and while it was the scene of the crime in a scandalous murder trial, it’s unclear whether it’s haunted by the spirits of those who died there, or simply by its reputation. To get a better understanding of the region and the hauntings that unfold in it, Hadley and Alyssa sit down with Ghost Brothers co-star and Georgia native Marcus Harvey (42:31). Having been on several paranormal investigations in Savannah, Harvey shares his insights on the energy of the city (49:30), as well as his thoughts on antiques being possessed (56:12), and how dealing with the paranormal has allowed him to be more spiritual (1:01:48).
TW: Domestic abuse
CONTRIBUTORS
Host/Producer: Alyssa Fiorentino
Host/Producer: Hadley Mendelsohn
Producer: May Tsehay
Sound Engineer: Josh Caldwell
Interested in advertising with us? Please visit https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse for more information.
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Hadley takes listeners to the Spanish moss-veiled city of Savannah, Georgia, as she details the storied past and present of the Mercer-Williams House. Designed in 1860 and restored in 1969 by preservationist Jim Williams after years of abandonment, the Italianate revival that inspired Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil played host to a world famous antiques collection, and, more notably, at least three untimely deaths. It’s also supposedly built right on top of unmarked graves, like much of the city is. The house witnessed some of the city’s liveliest parties as well as some of its darkest secrets, and while it was the scene of the crime in a scandalous murder trial, it’s unclear whether it’s haunted by the spirits of those who died there, or simply by its reputation. To get a better understanding of the region and the hauntings that unfold in it, Hadley and Alyssa sit down with Ghost Brothers co-star and Georgia native Marcus Harvey (42:31). Having been on several paranormal investigations in Savannah, Harvey shares his insights on the energy of the city (49:30), as well as his thoughts on antiques being possessed (56:12), and how dealing with the paranormal has allowed him to be more spiritual (1:01:48).
TW: Domestic abuse
CONTRIBUTORS
Host/Producer: Alyssa Fiorentino
Host/Producer: Hadley Mendelsohn
Producer: May Tsehay
Sound Engineer: Josh Caldwell
Interested in advertising with us? Please visit https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
Is It Haunted, or Is It Hollywood? The Harlow/Bern House (ft. Bridget Marquardt)
Alyssa shares the story of Los Angeles’s infamous Harlow/Bern House, a 1930 Craftsman that was once home to Hollywood starlet Jean Harlow and her MGM executive husband, Paul Bern. Two short months after the couple tied the knot, Bern was found dead in their home at 9820 Easton Drive in Benedict Canyon. Though his death was ruled a suicide, rumors have been circulating Hollywood for years suggesting Bern was actually murdered and that studio executives covered it up to protect Harlow’s career. Strangely, the next person to own the home also suffered an untimely death at the hands of the Manson Family. The co-hosts discuss a controversial interview from a 1970 issue of Fate Magazine that suggests the ghost of Paul Bern appeared in the home to warn the new occupants about a looming violent tragedy. Unsure of whether or not the house is haunted, cursed, or just a figure of Hollywood legend, Alyssa and Hadley connect with celebrity paranormal investigator Bridget Marquardt to find out what happened when she visited the home herself (39:33). Marquardt, who starred in E’s 2005 reality series The Girls Next Door, also shares stories about Hugh Hefner’s ghost visiting her in a “dream” (50:23), seeing a full apparition in her bedroom at the Playboy Mansion (53:48), and the scariest encounter a guest has shared with her on her podcast, Ghost Magnet with Bridget Marquardt (59:52).
TW: Suicide
CONTRIBUTORS
Host/Producer: Alyssa Fiorentino
Host/Producer: Hadley Mendelsohn
Producer: May Tsehay
Sound Engineer: Josh Caldwell
Interested in advertising with us? Please visit https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
Is it Possible to Live (Happily) in a Haunted House? The S.K. Pierce Mansion (ft. Joni Mayhan)
In the finale of Dark House, Alyssa brings listeners to the last—and most haunted—stop on the tour: the S.K. Pierce Mansion in Gardner, Massachusetts. Built in 1875 for a wealthy furniture manufacturer and his family, the grand Victorian was inhabited for just two weeks before the first of five confirmed deaths in the house took place. According to countless visitors, the spirits of those who lived and died there never actually left. In fact, the ghosts are so active, the couple who owned the home from 2008 to 2015 only lived there for two years before they felt like they had no choice but to move out. After sharing the most frightening encounters reported to have happened in the house, and the current owners’ plans to turn the mansion into a bed and breakfast, Hadley and Alyssa wonder how a house this haunted can ever be inhabitable, for residents and tourists alike. Looking for answers, they reach out to Joni Mayhan, author of Bones In The Basement: Surviving the S.K. Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion (40:24). A psychic medium, self-proclaimed ghost magnet, and former resident of Gardner, MA, Mayhan joins the hosts to share an exclusive update on the hauntings at the mansion (44:25), her personal experiences with the ghosts there (including which one followed her home) (46:32), and most importantly, her best advice for anyone who thinks they’re living in a haunted house (1:02:09).
CONTRIBUTORS
Host/Producer: Alyssa Fiorentino
Host/Producer: Hadley Mendelsohn
Producer: May Tsehay
Sound Engineer: Josh Caldwell
Interested in advertising with us? Please visit https://www.advertisecast.com/DarkHouse for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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