The Haunted Baleroy Mansion

Posted: 03.31.2025 | Updated: 03.31.2025

Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love. The Cradle of Liberty. The Place That Loves You Back.

This riveting town is full of history, vibrancy, culture…and ghosts! Yes, it’s probably no surprise that a town that’s existed since 1682 has picked up more than a few different ghosts over the years. These ghosts call Philly home and range from the terrifying to the quirky. 

Both kinds of ghost stories can be found in today’s tale, which takes us all the way up a long and luxurious driveway to the Baleroy Mansion. The place has an ominous and impressive nickname, “The Most Haunted House in America,” and it certainly lives up to the name. 

Read on to learn what events transpired here that earned the house such a title. After you’re done, we’re sure you’ll want to learn even more about haunted Pennsylvania and the best way to do that is by booking an in-person ghost tour with us at Philly Ghosts.

Who Haunts the Baleroy Mansion?

This isn’t as clear-cut a question as it may appear because the truth is there are said to be multiple ghosts who call Baleroy Mansion home. From cursed chairs to phantom cars to your traditional haunted spirits, the ghost sightings at Baleroy are as strange as the history of the home itself. 

History of the Mansion

Well before it earned the dubiously prestigious title of “The Most Haunted Home in America,” the, Baleroy Mansion was constructed in 1911 to great fanfare. The mansion stood tall, even against the backdrop of other mansions, due to its position in the neighborhood – at the end of a long driveway and at the very top of a steep staircase. 

Despite its opulence – it had 30 whole rooms for a family of four – it was built to be a home and not just another investment vehicle for a rich family to park their money in. The family in question were the Easbys, who moved there in 1925. 

However, they weren’t the first residents to move in. There was a couple who had moved in there first until the husband snapped and murdered his wife. This would be a harbinger of the many strange and terrible things to afflict the mansion.

The Easbys Move In

But the Easbys were not deterred by the tragic fate of the mansion’s last owners, and they happily moved in all of their expensive furnishings. The Easbys were a Pennsylvania institution, wealthy and descended from a long line of notable people including the winner of the Battle of Gettysburg, General George Meade. 

The Baleroy Mansion (it got the name from the Easby’s favorite vacation spot in France) was a fine place for the children, Meade and Stevie to grow up but, unfortunately, only one of them ever would. 

Ever the hotspot for tragedy, the mansion was the cause of poor young Stevie’s death. Shortly after moving in, Stevie became obsessed with the mansion’s fountain. He would stare at it for long periods of time, and it began to worry the family. His brother Meade even had a vision of Stevie’s reflection in the fountain water turning into a skeleton. 

The vision would come true when, after spending hours a day staring at a photograph of the fountain, Stevie developed a blood clot in his brain and died, fulfilling Meade’s vision. 

Hauntings at Baleroy Mansion

Stevie’s death would be just the beginning of the hauntings that would plague his brother, Meade. Meade grew up to be a relatively famous artist and actor and lived in the mansion until his death in 2005. During his time there, he grew to understand and fear the many ghosts that haunt the mansion. 

He would come to embrace the place’s haunted reputation, hosting ghost-hunting events and telling chilling stories about the spirits within its walls. His paranormal encounters were featured in books and TV shows like Sightings.

However, there was always a tinge of sadness whenever Meade would relate a ghost story to someone else, and many suspected that moroseness came from the death of his brother. Stevie is said to still haunt the mansion, always wandering near (where else?) the foreboding fountain. Although it was usually Meade who would see him, Stevie’s ghost – as young as he was when he died – has occasionally been spotted by workers and restoration experts.

Visitors are more likely to spot one of the phantom cars around these days. Meade was quite the collector of classic cars during his life. 

Although all of his possessions, including his automobiles, were auctioned off after his death, some of his old cars find ways of coming back. Known as “phantom cars” by locals, these antique roadsters will sometimes pull up into the driveway at night, only to disappear the next morning. Perhaps, the ghosts driving them are paying respect to Meade, the former owner of the mansion.  

The Blue Room and the Blue Chair 

However, it’s not just the fountain and the vehicles of the Baleroy Mansion that are said to be haunted. There’s also the famous Blue Room, considered to be the most haunted room in the most haunted home in America. 

The Blue Room is a drawing room, and it seems to have garnered its curious name, not from the curtains or wallpaper but from the brilliant blue chair that sits in the middle of it. It probably belonged to Henrietta, who was quite the connoisseur of antiquities. 

The 200-year-old blue upholstered chair has a bit of a legend around it. It’s said that anyone who sits in it will die shortly. 

This isn’t just supposition either – it’s been put to the test before. A housekeeper who worked for Meade and a museum curator died prematurely two weeks after each sat on the chair. 

The room and chair’s reputation prompted Meade to hire a couple of psychics to investigate it. One of them swore that, in her investigation, the vengeful spirit of a woman named Amelia came through. Years later, the other psychic, upon visiting, was stricken with fright and told Meade to immediately sage the room. 

Perhaps, this Amelia is the cause of all this suffering towards those who sit in her blue chair. Maybe it is Amelia that Meade’s father referred to in his note, which he left after his death. The note was simple but chilling with its message; “The ghosts are here. Don’t be afraid.”

Haunted Philadelphia

Do you believe Meade’s father’s note? A soldier and a war hero, perhaps his bravery and resolve were made of sterner stuff than most people. Whether or not you choose to heed his advice or steer well clear of the Baleroy Mansion on your next trip to Philadelphia is up to you.

Whether or not you plan on visiting Baleroy, be sure to check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They spotlight other offbeat ghost stories all over the United States. Checking our blog is another good way to stay up-to-date with all the latest ghost stories and haunted spots in Pennsylvania.

If you want to explore Philadelphia ghosts up close, a ghost tour with Philly Ghosts is the best way to do that. Our guides are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and can provide even more information on the area. 

Sources:

• https://www.chestnuthilllocal.com/stories/the-nations-most-haunted-house-is-hidden-in-chestnut-hill,25475
• https://billypenn.com/2015/06/01/my-neighbors-chestnut-hill-mansion-is-probably-haunted/
• https://secretphiladelphia.co/baleroy-mansion-philadelphia-haunted/
• https://pocketsights.com/tours/place/Baleroy-Mansion-1920:254