Woodburn

  Woodburn was originally built by Charles Hillyard in 1790 and was later owned by Daniel Cowgill, a Quaker, who dug a tunnel from the cellar of the house to the St. Jones River to serve as part of the underground railroad. The house has been reported as haunted for about 200 years and it wasn’t until 1966 that it became the official home of Delaware’s governor.

   The first ghost was reported in 1805 by an evangelist and was described as an elderly man. This may be the ghost of Charles Hillyard, the original owner, who died in the house.

  At the time that it was being used as part of the underground railroad, a slave kidnapper began making a habit of hiding in the branches of a tree on the property, hoping to catch some of the runaway slaves. He slipped in the tree, however, and was “hung” between the branches. His ghost can still be seen in the tree, struggling to free himself.

   Another ghost is that of a little girl who has never been identified. She is sometimes seen wearing a red- checked dress and she likes tugging at clothing.

D&A Paranormal Investigators