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Shades of Bolton Mansion 5s ghosts, a haunted houseFrom the outside, Bnltnn Mansion on Holly Hill Drive Inoks like what it is—a boarded-up relic or early America.From the inside, Bolton Mansion has been transformed Into the largest haunted house In Pennsylvania. Its fun-filled doors will open tomorrow night to start the Halloween season In Lower Bucks County.Bruce Traney. project director for the Lower Bucks Easter Seal Society, said the Irons format Ion would be unbelievable. lie’s right.For almost three weeks dozens of high school students have spent four to six hours a day inside the grubby man* slmt. They’ve donated time, tons of energy and much of their spending money to turn a room, a corner or a niche Into a scory memory for Hollow-cen.Crouched and swayed1 got to look ot the Inside of the mansion this week. It was daylight. Still, Traney had to act as a guide. HehalbersteinCourier Times Columnistled me by the hand, shining his flashlight through a maze of corridors, coit-struetlon and carefully contrived decorations.It Is easy to Imagine how it will be in darkness. There will be moans and screams that those waiting to make the tour will hear outside the building. Lights will flicker. It’s going to besomething to sec.The afternoon I visited, three Woodrow Wilson High School students came to the mansion early to work on their project.I don’t want to give away too many secrets. Joy F. Ventura, a senior who lives on Freedom Lane in Farm brook, was In costume. When Alan Ingraham, also a senior, turned on o black strobe light, she crouched and swayed in a corner. It was sinister and realistic.Ingraham, who lives on Sugar Maple Lane In Stonybrook, said, “It took us only about two-ond-a-half hours to figure out our skit. Wc wanted to be original but still copy from traditional ideas.”MJth day of work’Brian Bara, a Junior and a member of the drama cfub ot Wilson, said, “We’ve made changes as we’ve gone along. We’ve had some 30 people working on this skit.”Bora, who lives on Gimlet Road Inthe Goldenrldgc section, said, “Wc have two sets of people playing the acting parts in our skit. That’s so we can relieve each other after a couple of hours.”Since the tour will be from 0 to II p.m. on weekdays and from 1-11 p.m. ort weekends. It Is easy to see a lot of help Is needed.Ingraham said, “This Is our 17th day of work In the mansion getting ready for the skit. It’s been crazy In here at night. There are seven different groups from seven different high schools in here. We’re all doing different things.“We’ve worked with limited funds but a lot nf material has been donated. There has been paint, wood, electrical equipment. Wc were fortunate that the Friends of Bolton Mansion installed 200 amp wiring when they began restoring the mansion.”Working on skits Bara said, “You ought to know that strange things happen in here whileue are working. One night Alan dropped a roll of Scotch tape right herein the corridor. We looked everywhere for It and couldn't find It. A couple af days later, there it was, right where we thought It should have been to start with.”Miss Ventura added, “And that Nn’t all A lot of things have been dls-appca ring and then reappearing while the students are working on their skits We haven’t been able to figure out what happens.”Bara pointed to a strip of black crepe paper covering one wall in the corridor. “Wc put that up and just a few minutes later. It was ripped up. And we don’t know who did It.” Traney reminded that legend has it that Bolton Mansion Is really haunted. Thorc are supposed to be two ghosts. “Bloody Mary,” a young servant girl who killed herself after the Civil War when she heard her lover had died; and “The Captain,” about whom little Is known.Several of the skits will take place In the basement of the mansion. “You should have seen it when wc began work In here,’* Ingraham said, “There was two feet of dirt on the floor of the basement. Wc bad to dig U all out.” The enthusiasm of the high school students for the Halloween event has been contagious. “Usually you have problems when you get schools together,” Traney said. “We’ve had none. It’s been all cooperation.”The young men and women from Bristol, Pennsbury, Bishop Egan, Bishop Conwcil, Dclhaas, Ncshaminy Maple Point and Wilson have tried out their acts on one another. “It’s just a normal type of insanity around here all the time when we’re working,” Ingraham said.So If you want a buck’s worth of entertainment, Bolton Mansion is the place to go. One warning! Hold tight to the hand of the person you go on the tour with. You’ll need the reassurance.
Newspaper Details
Bucks County Courier Times
Levittown, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Oct 19, 1977
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Margaret R.
PA, USA 18 Apr 2022
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