Ghost Stories: Visit Gabreil Daveis Tavern for a Ghostly Trip Through History

(Editor's note, 1 p.m., Oct. 29: Tonight's tour is canceled because of the weather. It won't be rescheduled immediately.)

Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Especially when it is in your own backyard.

According to local volunteers, the 250-year-old is haunted, and by more than one ghost.

There have been reports of chairs moving on their own, doors opening and closing with no one near them, and unexplained banging noises when the house is empty.

Are you spooked yet?

This Saturday, you can experience the haunted happenings at the 12th annual Ghost Hunting Experience from 6 to 10:30 p.m. The event will include a bonfire, snacks, tours of the property, ghost stories and some real-life ghost-hunting with professional paranormal investigators from South Jersey Ghost Research.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the preservation of the historic site, which was willed to Gloucester Township by the tavern’s last owner, William Schuck, who died in 1976.

Schuck is buried on the property, and it is said that Schuck's is one of the spirits who makes frequent appearances at the tavern.  

The Glendora tavern was built in 1756, before the Revolutionary War, by Gabreil Daveis. It served as a place for food and rest for weary travelers and immigrants who sailed in on Big Timber Creek, which was, in the 1700s, the size of a river. Later, farming and forestry caused the creek to shrink to its current size.

Throughout the years, the tavern has passed through many owners, including the Warwick and Jaggard families. Joseph Jaggard, who was the last of the Jaggards, is still around the house, according to investigators and volunteers.

“When we first began working on the house and using Joseph’s former bedroom as a storage area, there was some unsettling,” said one of the volunteers, who asked to remain anonymous.

This volunteer said she was once in the basement and the light would not work. 

“We asked, 'OK, Joseph, put the light on,’ and the light went right on,” she said.

According to Sharon Vincz, a volunteer investigator with South Jersey Ghost Research, it is not uncommon for there to be more paranormal activity when there is construction or renovations being done to a home.

“These spirits are more like caretakers than ghosts. They have a passion for the area and for the home,” Vincz said.

Neighborhood children have reported seeing Mr. Shuck’s rocking chair rocking on its own. Locals working on their plot in the community garden have heard loud banging noises from inside and ran away spooked. Public Works employees have reported similar unexplained noises and refused to return to the property alone.

But, even with all the spookiness, Vincz says the spirits are harmless.

“We’ve been here enough investigating and know it is a safe environment,” she said.

On Saturday, guests will learn all the ropes of ghost-hunting, from thermal imagining and photography to recording EVPs, or electronic voice phenomena, which are recordings of white noise that may contain messages from spirits. Guests will be given the chance to go on a ghost hunt of their own.

Gloucester Township Historical Society volunteer Jill Maser has participated in the annual ghost hunt, as well as numerous special VIP ghost hunts at the tavern. 

“One night, I was holding the thermometer in Mr. Schuck’s former bedroom. The temperature started at 60 degrees and by the end of our time, the temperature dropped to 52 degrees,” Maser recalled.

Maser also reports feeling heaviness—almost as if some one was pushing her.

Investigators have detected ghosts of Revolutionary War soldiers. There are rumors that the property was once a hospital during the war and that there are blood stains on the attic floor. However, according to Maser, there is no documentation that the property was ever a hospital and the stains in the attics could be anything.

Both Mazer and Vincz believe that the spirits who reside at the tavern are friendly. 

And whether you believe or not, historic Gabreil Davies Tavern is worth a visit. If you go, tickets are $8 for adults and $3 for children under 12. Contact Joanne Carr at 856-784-5243 for more details. The event is shine only and will be postponed or cancelled due to inclement weather. 

Tonight, the tavern will host a special VIP Ghost Hunt. The cost is $50.

Reservations are required for tonight's event, which was near capacity mid-week. If you're interested, it never hurts to try, right?

If you miss both events this weekend, keep on the lookout for other ghost-hunting events and activities at the tavern throughout the year.

Gabreil Daveis Tavern is located at Fourth Avenue and Floodgate Road.