“Hauntingly” Good Wine at Marjim Manor
October 29, 2009 by Kathleen J Kaminski
Filed under Featured, Food & Wine, Lifestyle, Personal Stories
It was a dark and stormy night. Well, actually it wasn’t. It was a Thursday afternoon at 3:00. Shubal Merritt was cleaning his gun in the living room when his son, Lewis, came into the room through the French doors. Shubal turned and accidentally shot Lewis, killing him. It was Thursday afternoon at 3:00.
Article and Photography by Kathleen J. Kaminski. Image Editing by Elias Hawke.
The Winery at Marjim Manor, formerly known as Appleton Hall, is a grand home that sits along Lake Ontario in a peaceful, pastoral part of Western New York. Unfortunately, its history hasn’t been as peaceful as its environment.
In 1834 Shubal Merritt bought a 205 acre piece of property and began construction on his new home, calling it Appleton Hall. Sadly, his wife, Sophia, died before the house was completed, but Shubal eventually moved in with his children; two girls, Phoebe and Cordelia, and a boy, Lewis.
After the tragic death of Lewis on May 22, 1865, Shubal ordered the French doors locked, never to be used. Legend says that he would walk through the house every day at 3:00 calling for his son. On Thursdays the French doors would open in response.
Grief-stricken, Shubal was unable to cope with life. Some say he eventually went completely mad. One story says that while Shubal was crying over the loss of his son, the house burst into flames, killing him. Another says he died in a farming accident. Both stories say he died on Thursday at 3:00.
Phoebe and Cordelia, Shubal’s married daughters, inherited Appleton Hall upon his death. Cordelia and her husband sold their share to Phoebe, who moved into the home with her husband, Lucius Adams. Phoebe decided to restore the home. According to legend, the family was discussing the planned renovations one Thursday afternoon at 3:00. Suddenly the French doors (which were still kept locked) burst open. Phoebe gasped and fell to the floor-dead. Lucius and their children quickly moved out and the Hall fell into disrepair. The once grand hall was relegated to storing grain.
The Winery at Marjim Manor, formerly known as Appleton Hall
Eventually the house was rented to John Morley, who may have been the caretaker for Lucius. No one in the area would go near the house, in fact, neighbors took pains to avoid it. Morley wrote a poem decrying his loneliness on Sunday, May 26, 1867. While records show he died that night, legend says his body wasn’t found until Thursday afternoon at 3:00.
The hall remained empty until Dr. Charles Ring bought it in 1895. Like Phoebe, Charles decided to restore the house. He regularly met with architects on Wednesdays to discuss his plans. One day the meeting went quite late and he told his servants not to wake him in the morning. That next day, Thursday, there was a loud thud from his room at 3:00 PM. Servants burst into the room to find Dr. Ring dead at his desk.
Dr. Ring’s fiancé inherited the house and lived there for about 12 years. The Sisters of Saint Joseph, Roman Catholic nuns, bought the property in 1933. The new owners set about restoring the house. They changed the whole look of the hall by adding a two story enclosed porch. Appleton Hall went from having 50 windows to having 100!
Duke, the nuns’ dog, enjoyed sitting by the fireplace in the dining room. One day he got up, barked at the French doors, lay back down, and died. It was Thursday afternoon at 3:00. Duke’s was the last recorded Thursday death at Appleton Hall.
Margo approaches winemaking from a marketing perspective. “I know I can get good wine made” so she focused on how to sell it. When it comes to wine “people need to think a bit, learn, and have fun”. Appleton Hall is the perfect backdrop for that approach. She incorporates the history of the home into the wines she produces. Wines have interesting names that reflect the manor’s history. Thursday Afternoon at Three is a blend of peaches and Niagara grapes. One Hundred Windows is a sweet white wine named after the 100 windows the manor had after the addition of the enclosed porch (and yes, there is a Fifty Windows as well). The labels are works of art. Designs are a result of a group effort. Staff, as well as a graphic designer, creates the unique images.
The Winery at Marjim Manor specializes in fruit wines. Cherries, pears, plums, and other fruit are brought in from Singer Farms, which happens to be owned, in part, by Margo’s husband. The winery uses grapes too, bought from local vineyards and produces a wide variety of wines ranging from dry to sweet. Each year they create a new signature wine. This year, 2009, saw the creation of Spirit of the Law. Named in honor of Lewis Merritt’s dream to be a lawyer, Spirit of the Law is a wine made from the Syrah grape.
Having grown up in the area, Margo was aware of the legends regarding Appleton Hall. The home’s many tragedies have colored perceptions of the house since the 1800’s. Many say it’s haunted.
In 2008 the producers of the TV show Ghost Hunters called the winery and asked to investigate the claims of paranormal activity. The episode aired on October 15, 2008. I won’t give any details, but The Atlantic Paranormal Society team had some interesting experiences…some of which didn’t make it on air. Apparently, the spirits at Marjim Manor don’t like being photographed. One disembodied voice kept telling the camera man, “Go!”
The spirits often make themselves known at the manor. One day an employee was telling some customers about Dr. Ring when a bottle of Lord of the Manor came off the rack and stood straight up on the floor. The spirits seem to be quite helpful. The basement of the manor is comprised of several rooms-each with its own light switch. One day an employee needed to go through the rooms and the lights turned on ahead of her, illuminating her way.
It is said that animals are sensitive to spirits and paranormal activity. The manor is home to several resident cats who do react to the spirits. Meshuganah, one of the older female cats, often goes up to the cupola where she seems to interact with someone, then returns to “tell” of her encounter. Too bad humans can’t understand cat, perhaps we’d know if she was seeing the ghost of Hannah, or another entity.
Even I had an interesting experience at Marjim Manor. I was sitting in the chapel area talking with Margo about weddings and other special events that are held at the manor when suddenly my legs got very cold. My arms, though not cold, had goose bumps. I mentioned what was happening to Margo who said it was probably Duke, the dog who belonged to the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was just my legs that were effected-as if a dog had come under the table and rubbed up against them. I suppose Duke saw me petting the cats earlier and knew I loved animals. Perhaps he wanted to say hello and get a pat himself.
Skeptics may say Marjim Manor isn’t haunted. There are no such things as ghosts. It’s just a marketing ploy. I say open yourself to the possibility. Enjoy the history, the ambiance, and, of course, the wine.
Authors Note:
Special thanks to Margo Sue Bittner for taking time out of her busy schedule to talk with me. In addition to our interview I also learned about the history of the manor from the booklet The Legend of Appleton Hall as told by Margo Sue Bittner.
© 2009, The Spartan Opinion. All rights reserved.
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