This week’s photo is from Baron Hirsch Cemetery on Staten Island, New York. Located in the Graniteville section of Staten Island, Baron Hirsch Cemetery is a beautiful, sprawling Jewish cemetery with burials dating back to the early 1800s. The most notable person buried in the cemetery is Paul Zindel, author of “The Pigman,” one of my favorite books from when I was a kid. There are rumors all across Staten Island that Baron Hirsch is haunted, but the only information that I can seem to find online is this one paragraph, which seems to be used over and over again on various websites (so I’ll follow suit): “The cemetery has spirits dating back to the early 1800`s. People who live in the neighborhood have reported that some of the spirits from the cemetery have gravitated to the houses near the cemetery property and have now become unwelcome residents. Shadowy figures have been seen near these homes.” We’ve investigated there a few times, and while the cemetery is spooky at night (as they all are), we found no evidence of any paranormal activity on the grounds. The surrounding homes may be a different story.
You can see more of Laura’s work at Pennace Photography (www.pennacephotography.com)
