The Ghosts of Searles Castle and the Whiting House

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GREAT BARRINGTON — Thumps behind walls. Voices from the ceiling. Sudden breezes and dancing lights. Ghosts evidence themselves in many ways.

Three Great Barrington residents, Judith Stavisky, David Rutstein and Francis X. Mackoul, will relate their personal ghostly encounters in two historic buildings -- The Whiting House and Searles Castle -- in a talk at the Great Barrington Historical Society’s May annual meeting Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at the Claire Teague Senior Center at 7 p.m. The public is invited. Refreshments will be served.

The Whiting House originally stood on Main Street where the Sumner Block is today. It was moved in 1839 to the corner of School and Bridge Streets and in 1963 to its present site on Maple Avenue. The ghost came along. Stavisky’s late husband, Arthur, had his law office in the building for many years. Today it is home to Shopper’s Guide.

Searles Castle, built of blue dolomite mined nearby -- never moved. Completed in 1887, it was home to Mary Hopkins, widow of railroad magnate Mark Hopkins. She called it Kellogg Terrace. She left the property to her second husband, interior decorator Edward F. Searles, and when he died in 1920, the estate went into other hands. Frank Mackoul was a caretaker at Searles Castle for a number of years, when it was owned by Home Insurance. Mr. Rutstein gave tours in the building when it was owned by a private developer in the 1980s. Since 1984, it has been home to John Dewey Academy.

Also on the agenda is election of officers and directors for the coming year. To learn more about the society, visit www.greatbarringtonhistoricalsociety.org.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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