Happy to Haunt

If I were a ghost, I might be tempted to haunt Hartwood Acres Park.

After I found the pet cemetary that sits right behind the old mansion, I realized that the original owners may have had the same thought. A google search brought up this article by Sandy Trozzo from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Hartwood Acres. It ends with this quote from recreation superintendent Sylvia Easler : “I think Hartwood is a beautiful place and we have happy ghosts here.”

This past April, Jonathan and I walked the grounds around Hartwood. We found the pet cemetery right away. (I read that Hartwood also has a horse cemetery near its stable.) Inspired by the Stephen King novel and its movie, I tried to get one or two spooky looking photos of it. This didn’t work. Each of the six little tombstones gave the name and an endearing quality of a loved pet.

Since the park’s summer crews had not yet started working, the mansion still had its Christmas lights. Now that I know that last year’s Celebration of Lights at Hartwood Acres may very well have been the final one, I get a little sad seeing the strings of lights that are visible in the first picture:

Finally, here is a blog about Hartwood Acres  by one of the original owners’ family members. I hope that the ghosts are enjoying themselves.