Oct 21, 2015 3 min read

One of Brownsville’s early founders and his family will be highlighted Oct. 30 and 31 as part of a family-friendly night-time Ghost Walk on the Northside, where residents will be share experiences of their encounters with the unknown.

Walks begin at 10 p.m. each day at Brownsville Fire Company 1, 520 Market St. Ticket sales will begin 30 minutes before the guided tours, which will be held rain or shine. The Northside Beautification Committee will use all proceeds for neighborhood enhancement projects.

Brownsville resident Mark Kovscek will portray Jacob Bowman, who died in 1847. Kovscek is senior warden of Christ Church Anglican, as was Bowman, and both men’s children are the same ages. Joining Kovscek, who will appear as Bowman at Christ Church Cemetery, where the Bowman family is buried, will be his children, Hannah, 18, Olivia, 17, Emma, 15, and Nathanael, 13.

Bowman was an entrepreneur and businessman who saw opportunity in establishing a life on the frontier in a town at the river’s edge, where migrants flocked to board flatboats in pursuit of a better life farther west.

“I ended up with no less than seven businesses and became wealthy. For us, life was easy compared to others who came to Brownsville,” Kovscek says during his performance, which is highlighted by the tale of three men buried in Christ Church Cemetery who professed to be George Washington’s cousins. Their tombstones are in the cemetery; their are not. Kovscek, speaking as Bowman, will explain why.

Bowman was English bred, relocated to Germany and came to the United States, immediately settling in Brownsville with his wife, Isabella Lowry Bowman, who died in 1845. Bowman was a founder of Christ Church and bequeathed a portion of his estate to its perpetuity. The existing structure is the second one on the site.

“It’s a myth that the first church, built circa 1822, burned,” Kovscek said. “The gentle ladies of the church felt the original church was too cold and drafty. They raised nearly $12,000 to build a new one, which was completed in 1859.”

Located at 319 Church St., the church is among the properties on the walking tour. Homeowners will share tales of their one-on-one experiences and those of guests in their homes with spirits from days long ago, including first-hand encounters at Nemacolin Castle. The remaining properties are 401 Church St.; 320, 510 and 514 Market St.; and 126, 131, 209, 210, 300 and 417 Front St.

The Northside walks begin after Nemacolin Castle closes for the evening, enabling the public to participate in both fundraisers. The Brownsville Historical Society is conducting ghost tours at 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 1. The castle’s admission is $9 for adults and $4 for children younger than 12.

Tickets for the Ghost Walk are $7 per person, regardless of age. Participants are asked to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring flashlights. For more information or advance tickets, call Jef Wilhelm at 724-880-6528.