Only Psychics & Mediums Can Own Property in This New York Neighborhood

Lily Dale, New York

Most towns in 1879 had a post office and maybe a church. Lily Dale had those plus certified professional ghost whisperers. Here’s the story of the town where the dead never really leave, and yes, you can visit it anytime.

When Jeremiah Carter Heard Spirit Voices

Jeremiah Carter got tuberculosis in 1845 and turned to Dr. Moran, who practiced early forms of hypnosis.

Through these sessions, Carter found he could enter trances that let him diagnose and heal sick people. He had no medical training but claimed to channel a spirit named Dr. Hedges during these states.

In 1877, Carter said spirit voices told him to “Go to Alden’s and arrange for a camp meeting.” He walked six miles to Willard Alden’s property to plan the first formal Spiritualist gathering.

Willard Alden’s Grove

Willard Alden owned land where the Leolyn Hotel now stands in Lily Dale. On June 15, 1873, he hosted a picnic for local Spiritualists and set aside his grove just for their meetings. Before this, groups met on his land without any formal arrangement.

This dedication marked the first official space for Spiritualist work in the area. The First Spiritualist Society of Laona formed in 1875 and began holding regular summer events at Alden’s Grove with talks and demonstrations of spirit contact.

From Summer Camp To Permanent Community

When Willard Alden died in 1879, the Spiritualist Society bought 20 acres next to his property. Both men and women cleared the forest together to make room for their new community.

Instead of selling land, the group decided all property would be leased for 99 years from the Assembly. This system still exists today. The first cottage went up in 1880 where the Marion Skidmore Library now stands.

The First Speaker At Lily Dale

Elizabeth Lowe Watson became the first official speaker at Lily Dale in 1880. She started preaching and working as a medium when she was just a young teenager.

Watson later fought for women’s right to vote alongside other Spiritualists. Her work started a tradition of strong female leaders at Lily Dale that continues today.

The School for Spiritualists

The Spiritualist Lyceum, a school for children to learn about spirit communication, began in a tent in 1881. Children gathered under canvas to learn about Spiritualist beliefs.

By 1883, the community had built a large permanent auditorium, fifty feet square with eleven rows of seats.

By 1900, almost 200 Victorian homes stood alongside community buildings, stores, a library, and a printing press.

The Community’s Names

The settlement started as the Cassadaga Lake Free Association in 1879, named for its location and founding principles. This name lasted through its early growth years.

In 1903, leaders renamed it “The City of Light” after they installed electric lighting before nearby towns. In 1906, the name changed again to “Lily Dale Assembly” because of the water lilies growing in the lake.

The Inspiration Stump’s Sacred History

In Lily Dale’s old forest stands the Inspiration Stump, now covered in concrete. People say lightning struck it, giving it special energy for spirit communication. Since 1898, mediums have gathered at this stump to share messages they claim come from the dead.

The spot became so important that benches were built around it for twice-daily message services. Visitors sit quietly while mediums move among them, stopping to deliver messages from deceased loved ones.

These sessions remain one of Lily Dale’s most popular activities.

Susan B. Anthony’s Connection To Lily Dale

Susan B. Anthony visited Lily Dale in 1891 and spoke to 3,000 people about women’s right to vote.

Anthony became friends with Marion Skidmore, a Lily Dale founder who organized Political Equality Clubs in the area. During that time, spiritualist communities often supported women’s rights when many other groups didn’t.

The Lily Dale Museum now houses a major display on Anthony and the women’s voting rights movement, showing the strong link between Spiritualism and social reform.

The Fox Cottage

The Fox Cottage became famous in 1848 when the Fox sisters said they heard strange “rappings” from the spirit of a murdered peddler. This event helped start Modern Spiritualism.

In 1915, B.F. Bartlett bought this historic building in Hydesville, New York, and moved it to Lily Dale. Workers took it apart, shipped it across Lake Ontario to Buffalo, then brought it by truck to Lily Dale.

Sadly, fire destroyed the cottage on September 21, 1955. Today, only a garden marks where this important building once stood.

The Rigorous Testing Of Mediums

Anyone wanting to work as a medium in Lily Dale must pass tough tests. They must give three separate 30-minute readings judged by Assembly leaders to prove they have real abilities.

Mediums must register with both the Lily Dale Assembly and the Medium’s League. Many resident mediums also serve as clergy in the National Spiritualist Association of Churches.

Visiting Lily Dale

You’ll find Lily Dale Assembly at 5 Melrose Park, Lily Dale, NY 14752, about one hour southwest of Buffalo.

Don’t miss the twice-daily message services at Inspiration Stump (1:00 PM and 5:30 PM) and afternoon services at Forest Temple (4:00 PM).

The Lily Dale Museum and Marion Skidmore Library showcase Spiritualism’s rich history. You can book readings directly with registered mediums, stay at the historic Maplewood Hotel, and explore the 10-acre old-growth Leolyn Woods.

Read More from WhenInYourState.com:

• NYC’s Strangest Castle Was a Glorified Warehouse for Civil War Surplus Weapons
• The Manhattan Fort That Was a Concert Hall, Aquarium & Immigration Center Before Finding Its True Calling
• This Medieval-Style Mansion Along the Hudson Was Built by Three Different Gilded Age Millionaires