“Oh, Baby, Don’t Say a Word”: Exploring the Enigmatic York House in Pikeville, Kentucky
Greetings, everyone! It’s “Haunted” Heather once again, and today I have an intriguing topic to share with you: the York House, also known as the Creekmore Mansion, located in Pikeville, Kentucky. This place holds a captivating history. While the Hatfield-McCoy feud is well-known in Pikeville and Mingo County, there are lesser-known details about their lawyer, John Dills, and, more specifically, his house. In the Dill Cemetery, open to the public, the rest notable figures like Randolph McCoy, Sarah McCoy, Roseanna McCoy, and many others.
John Dills, a father of five children, including Augusta, gifted his daughter the York House when she married a wealthy lawyer named James York at 25. The house, built in the early 1800s, still stands at 2-3 Main Street in Pikeville. If you visit, you can even see the original stained-glass piano that has remained in its place for over a century. However, one noticeable absence is the tower. In the mid-1900s, the tower was mysteriously removed, leaving behind unanswered questions and speculation.
The tower’s removal might be connected to the chilling screams of a child that echoed from its confines. This child was Geraldine Creekmore. According to local folklore, she would unleash blood-curdling wails without apparent cause. Rumors suggest she may have suffered from a high fever that left her with permanent brain damage, or she might have been born with a disability that people of that time didn’t understand or accept. This lack of understanding may have fueled the rumors surrounding Geraldine’s screams.
Regardless of the cause, the outcome remained the same: Geraldine’s terrifying screams unsettled her neighbors and deterred them from approaching the house. Witnesses claim that Geraldine would appear in the window whenever someone passed by, screaming at the top of her lungs. Even today, people report seeing Geraldine in a white nightgown, floating around the house and occasionally peering out of the windows, creating an eerie atmosphere. Pikeville college students have also shared accounts of flickering lights and strange occurrences within the house. Therefore, if you decide to visit the Horn or Cows areas in search of paranormal activity or specifically to encounter Geraldine, exercise caution, as you may find more than you bargained for.
During my visit to the York House, I captured some chilling pictures. I would love to hear your thoughts on them. [Applause] I must confess that while exploring the upper level of the house, I felt an inexplicable strangeness. I captured an intriguing light anomaly during this time, seemingly moving from one side to another before disappearing above the house. Now, I’m not one to attribute everything to the paranormal. I understand the workings of photography, including lens flares and ghosting. However, this particular occurrence didn’t fit those explanations, and my feeling was unusually accurate, which only happens sometimes. As a hopeful skeptic, I maintain a logical and skeptical perspective, but being at the York House was undeniably intriguing. While there was nothing overtly wrong that I could sense, the experience was worth it.
Interestingly, the York House is frequently put up for sale and changes hands from one owner to another. Pikeville had temporary control over it and attempted various endeavors, including transforming it into an inn and later a museum. However, for some unknown reason, success seems elusive. I find this puzzling because, personally, it is a fascinating place. That may be my perspective. Pikeville has captivating attractions, including Boyd graves, sites connected to the Hatfield and McCoy feud, and the York House. An intriguing twist occurred when Pike County Tourism took charge of the York House and discovered a tower hidden in a shed behind the property. Plans are underway to restore the tower, allowing Geraldine to reclaim her special place. Sometimes, stories do have a happy ending.
Before I conclude, Muffin and I would like to express our gratitude for your continued support. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, “Han and Heather,” and connect with us on Facebook through the “Bloody Mingo Web Society.” Thank you, Muffin.
You have this history completely wrong; maybe you should have spoken to descendants of the people you speak of before you write about things you do not know. Instead, your haunted house tale is a made-up fantasy that you put your spin on.
Barbara York said it well!!! Or are you writing about your own family or yourself?? You do look the part, and you are from Mingo county WV!! Enough said!! Seek HELP!!!
This is not true! As a member of the York family, I would know!
Geraldine, the daughter of Tot Ruth York, never lived in the York house on Main Street, the one you claim she screamed from the tower. She lived in the Augusta Dils York Mansion on Elm Street. Also, Geraldine was born with mental disabilities and had the mind of a child; probably, in today’s world, she would have been diagnosed with autism, which would not be something you would exploit to spin a ridiculous haunted house story. The tower was taken down because of disrepair on the house on Main Street. It’s been so long ago and so insignificant to our family. I feel personally violated by your stories made of half-truths and rumors, but what should I expect from this type of gossip that’s gone on for years from ignorant people?