History & local legend
Richard Kraus and his family lived at Elmwood Mansion in York before selling it in 1986. His son Adrian recalled an encounter there when he was seven or eight: looking into his father’s bedroom, he saw a bearded man in a gray officer’s coat standing at the window.
Adrian remembered unusually precise details, including gold embroidery on the man’s sleeve and a sword at his hip. When the figure turned and met his eyes, Adrian ran screaming down the hallway. He later described the experience to York Daily Record reporter Frank Bodani.
Richard remembered hearing someone on the stairs while putting on his sneakers one morning. The family cat, Zippy, seemed to track the approaching person, raising its gaze higher as the steps continued. Expecting one of his sons, Richard jumped into the hall. The staircase was empty. Although Adrian had been frightened as a child, both father and son recalled the mansion’s unexplained visitors as familiar rather than hostile.
Sources
- Frank Bodani, York Daily Record, interviews with Adrian and Richard Kraus, reproduced by Jim McClure
- Architect Robert Niess, whose family owned Elmwood, distinguishes the 1905 site from the original farmhouse location
- NAI CIR, seller’s and buyer’s agents identify the property sold in 2021
- Esri World Geocoder, mansion address point
