Waynesborough
Waynesborough is the historic home of the Wayne family. There are some families that just seem to attract the unusual. The historic Wayne family of Chester County have garnered far more than their fair share of unusual happenings. The bizarre nature of Mad Anthony Wayne’s burial is just one story. And the family’s ancestral home seems to be affected.
General “Mad” Anthony Wayne made his home in a large mansion known as Waynesborough just outside of Paoli. The land that had been in his family for many years. After the General died in 1796, the home passed to his son Isaac. After Isaac’s death, the property went to Isaac’s grandnephew, William Evans. William took the name of Wayne in order to carry on the family name. He was the grandson of Isaac’s sister Margaretta, through her daughter Mary.
Orrin Wickersham June purchased the property in 1965, taking it out family hands for the first time. He undertook extensive renovations on the house. Despite the major work done on the house, Mr. June’s wife, who was a Wayne descendant herself, probably never lived in the house. Sadly, she died just a few weeks after the house was ready for occupancy.
As the story goes, a woman named Hannah lived in the house in the 1800s and came to a sad end. While looking for something in the attic, the candle she held ignited some papers. The poor woman desperately tried to put out the flames surrounding her. She kicked out the window to get to some fresh air, but the smoke of the fire overcame her. and she perished. Female guests to the house have heard the sounds of shattering glass, though men have not heard a thing. Sometimes, women, and only women, hear muffled sobbing along with the glass breaking. These incidents have been reported over the years, and at least one of them happened during a dinner party held by the June family, so perhaps it is understandable that Mrs. June was not comfortable staying in the house.
Researching the history of the families involved in Waynesborough turned up the identity of the unfortunate Hannah. She was the wife of the above-mentioned William Wayne and her maiden name was Zook. She married William, probably in the 1850’s, and had at least two children, Mary and William. Their grandson William III owned the house when Wickersham June purchased it in 1965.
Many stories of haunted properties have no basis in reality. But Hannah Wayne did exist and she did come to a very sad end at Waynesborough. This article gives the details:
Hannah J. Wayne Dead 1Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/30/1899
Granddaughter of Mad Anthony Dies in Saving Records
Sunday morning at 10 o’clock, Mrs. Hannah J. Wayne, wife of Major William Wayne, grandson of “Mad Anthony” Wayne of Revolutionary fame, died at Paoli, at the age of 60. She died in the old Wayne house and her death was caused by her devotion to its traditions. Saturday afternoon the old lady went into the attic for some family papers. It was dark and a candle was necessary. Some of the papers ignited and there was danger, not only that some of the family records would be destroyed, but that the historic house itself was doomed. With great effort she alone succeeded in extinguishing the blaze but suffered some slight burns. Although the wounds were not serious the shock of the ruin and excitement was too much for her, after lingering until the next morning, she died peacefully. Major Wayne has been an invalid for some time and is prostrated with grief over the loss of his wife.
The article gets most of the details right. Hannah was not the granddaughter of the General, but rather she was the wife of his great-grandson. And she was probably closer to 65 years old than 60. Both Hannah and her husband William lie in St. David’s Churchyard in Radnor.