The Harlow E Bundy House In Binghamton, New York

Built in 1893, the Harlow E Bundy House, herein as the “Bundy House,” is a Queen Anne-styled mansion located in Binghamton, N.Y.  Harlow E. Bundy (1862 – 1916) was born in Auburn, New York, and along with his older brother Willard, founded the Bundy Time Recording Company based on Harlow’s inspiration of Willard’s clockwork wizardry, an endeavor that was the first to capturing of employee’s unique number along with their recorded work times.

After much growth and several mergers, the Bundy Time Recording Company would change its name to International Business Machines, which, in today’s acronym-heavy nomenclature, is better known as IBM.

The Bundy family relocated to Pasadena, California, where he eventually passed away in 1916.  The house, at the time of Bundy’s death, was owned and occupied by the Hopton family who were the longest-term residents.

The Haunted Bundy House

Like many old mansions, it’s hard not to gather a history over time that includes things that go bump in the night, strange noises and the likes best served around the dancing flames of a midnight fire on All Saints’ Eve.  According to the Haunted History Trail—

The Historic Bundy House, built in 1892 for Harlow and Julia Bundy and their family, has seen several families live there until 1942 when the last occupant, Elizabeth Hopton, passed away. Later, the house endured years of vacancy, saw occupancy as a boarding house, office space, and even printing shop until 2002 when rehabilitation began to preserve the house as a museum.

A little background on the one photo in particular that shows a number of “figures” along with the family.  This photo  was in the Watertown Daily Times library and scanned there in August, 2021.  There was no information on the back of the photo and, at the time, it looked familiar with regards to some of the architectural styles found in some of Watertown’s older mansions.  With no further information and out of curiosity, it was posted to the You Haven’t Lived In Watertown, N.Y., If–‘s Facebook page and it was identified as the Bundy Museum downstate in Binghamton.

With that information, the photo was set aside until it was decided to write an article about it and dig up more information.  In the process, and noted in the comments, there was another figure noted in the photo aside from the family members.  A rather “transparent” individual, at that.  Then it was discovered the museum is part of the Haunted History trail.  Further to that end, the video, “Investigating the Bundy House,” by Paranormal of Watertown POW! on their YouTube! channel, appeared in website’s search results.  An uncanny coincidence of what was quickly becoming an uncanny house – but the discoveries didn’t end there.

After posting this article, another reader (see comments) pointed out there were several more figures in the photo.  Pretty startling to go from a photo and not knowing where this is located to seeing figures in the photo and finding out it’s been investigated for ghosts.  Is there a plausible explanation?  Possibly, but  it’s still quite a discovery.  If you haven’t already, take a look at the old photo again and see if you can spot the figures.  They’re circled in the photo posted in the comments.

The investigators of the macabre, Paranormal of Watertown POW!,  who visited the LeRay Mansion on Fort Drum, N.Y., conducted an investigation into the mansion in 2021 and reported “We heard a little girl’s voice 😳.”

The Haunted History Trail website lists dates, times and prices for haunted tours and notes it’s a favorite place for paranormal investigators to explore.

A book, Hometown Haunted: The Historic Bundy House, has also been written regarding the paranormal activity within its walls.

As of 2004, the mansion, which has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, has been home to The Bundy Museum, who strive (and admirably succeeded) in preserving the history of the house, the Bundy brothers and their company.

In a last bit of irony, the Bundy Museum also promotes the arts such as an exhibit commemorating Rod Serling, of Twilight Zone fame, who is one of Binghamton’s most famous residents.  You can help support the museum and their efforts to preserve history with donations here.