“Haunted Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland Counties” author recounts research and experiences of what goes bump in the night
Few places are as obsessed with the paranormal as New Jersey, and the area, once known as West Jersey, is a hotbed of paranormal activity. As a participant in local paranormal investigations, Kelly Lin Gallagher-Roncace has the goosebumps to prove it. She recounts her research and experiences in her newly released book, “Haunted Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland Counties,” and will be on hand for a book signing at Old Town Hall Museum in Mullica Hill on Sunday, Oct. 15, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Books will be available for purchase.
Roncace began her writing career as a news reporter, but switched directions to become a features writer in 2009. Soon she began writing a popular weekly column, “Paranormal Corner,” exploring the unexplained with a team of paranormal investigators. In 2015, she received a third place award in entertainment writing from the New Jersey Press Association. She now enjoys writing about legends and mysterious happenings throughout the state.
“We are excited to have Kelly here as part of the opening weekend of our new exhibition, ‘Weird South Jersey,’” Harrison Township Historical Society’s president Robert Schumann said, “especially since the book includes stories about two locations right here in Mullica Hill.”
“Weird South Jersey” features photographic images by New Jersey artists. A selection of unusual objects from the society’s collection, most on exhibition for the first time, accompanies the works of art. Artifacts include 19th and early 20th century funeral registers from Mullica Hill’s James M. Wolf Funeral Parlor, the wallet and its contents that a local soldier carried with him throughout World War I and a 108 year old bottle of wine commemorating a 1909 wedding in Richwood.
“I’m so excited to be a part of Harrison Township’s ‘Weird South Jersey’ exhibit’s opening,” Roncace said. “I can’t wait to see what strange items the historical society has on display.”
“Weird South Jersey” opens Saturday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the same day as the society’s popular Ghost Walk that takes place that evening starting at 6:30 pm. The Museum remains open Saturdays and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., through Dec. 9, and admission is free. Old Town Hall Museum is located at 62 South Main St., in the heart of Mullica Hill’s National Register Historic District. For more information, call (856) 478–4949 or visit www.harrisonhistorical.com.
