History & local legend
Grey Towers Castle, on Arcadia University’s campus in Glenside, was the home of the Harrison family. Its elaborate rooms have become the setting for student traditions about former residents and unfinished romances.
One story concerns Abigail, described in campus lore as a young aristocrat who loved a stableboy named Toby. Her parents prevented their planned elopement, and the legend says she died after jumping from the castle. Students explain flickering lights near the bridge as the two lovers searching for each other after death. Arcadia’s own account presents this as a story passed through campus, not an established episode in the family records.
The Mirror Room carries a happier prediction. According to the tradition, if two people dancing there at night see the Harrisons reflected in a mirror, the dancers will eventually marry.
