The Dakota is the most mysterious and eccentric apartment building in New York City, maybe the United States. So, it is no wonder that it has been the subject of books, movies, and even rock songs. Its appearance in the famous film, Rosemary's Baby made the Dakota a movie star. And the terrible murder of former Beatle, John Lennon on its doorstep put the Dakota on the front page of every newspaper in the world. However, it's the stories of its ghosts that have made the Dakota legendary.
The legend of the Dakota began with Edward Cabot Clark, an apt but officious man of short stature. An attorney by trade, Clark had a fortuitous meeting that changed his life. In 1849, a former actor and apprentice mechanic came into Clark's law office to seek advice about his new invention. Due to a lack of funds, Issac Singer gave Clark part ownership in his company, Singer Sewing Machine. Two years later, Singer and Clark would establish the Singer Manufacturing Company.
The Museum of the City of New York Digital Collection
The Singer sewing machine made Clark a very wealthy man. What is a rich man to do with his piles of money? Invest it in New York City's real estate, of course! In 1880, Clark purchased land near Central Park to create a luxury apartment building that would be called The Dakota. Clark commissioned architect, Henry Janeway Hardenbergh to create a fairytale-like fortress, complete with high gables, dormers, and gargoyles. Unfortunately, Clark would not live to see the competition of his building. He would die two years before the Dakota welcomed its first residents.
Library of Congress Digital Collection Details of the exterior of the Dakota
That Clark never got to live in his apartment (which, if you believe the rumors, was to have sterling silver floors) may seem ironic or even curious. Clark does, however, have the honor of being the first "official" ghost to haunt the Dakota. As the story goes, in the 1930s, an electrician laboring in the Dakota's basement reported a baffling sight. He claimed to have seen a short man dressed in old-fashioned clothes, with pince-nez glasses and a very bad wig. When the electrician asked around about this strange little man, residents told him it was the ghost of Edward Cabot Clark. The electrician got the feeling that Clark wasn't happy with his work. Whenever Clark's specter would appear, the electrician said that Clark angrily glared and would shake his ghost wig at him. Maybe Clark didn't like anyone tinkering with his building?*
Library of Congress Digital Collection Exterior of the Dakota
Another oft-told story takes place three decades later. In the 1960s, a woman was in the lobby waiting for a friend who lived in the Dakota. The woman saw a little girl run past her, open a door, and then disappeared into another room. Although it was not unusual to see children in the lobby, what was odd was the girl's clothes. The child's dress seemed to be from a bygone era. On further investigation, the room that the girl ran into was nothing but an empty closet. When her friend finally arrived, the woman commented on the strange child. To her astonishment, she was told that the girl was the "ghost in residence". This little girl was often seen in the hallways, bouncing a ball and quietly giggling to herself.**
Lastly, this story involves the Dakota's most famous resident and his encounter with the supernatural. In 1980, John Lennon had lived in the Dakota for almost a decade. It is rumored that he liked to wander the halls to think. On more than one occasion, Lennon had encountered a certain apparition that he named "the crying ghost lady".***
Near the end of 1980, on December 8th at 10:45 pm, John Lennon was shot outside the Dakota in front of his wife, Yoko Ono. He would die a half an hour later. Although this tragic event is forever associated with the Dakota, Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono still lives in the building today. Some say Lennon never left either. Residents have claimed that they saw Lennon standing in the archway entrance to the Dakota (near the spot where he was shot). And Yoko Ono has said that she has seen Lennon many times, sitting at the piano in their apartment, playing music.
The Museum of the City of New York Crowds gather at the Dakota after John Lennon's Murder
Finally, one of the strangest stories of the Dakota involves the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. While the interiors were not filmed at the Dakota, the exterior shots were. (The Dakota was named the Bramford in the film.) In the title sequence, the gothic Dakota looms over Central Park West as ominous music plays. It is possible that this film foretold a terrible death in front of the Dakota. In the movie, a woman jumps to her death. When filmed in front of the real Dakota, the spot where the fictional woman dies is surprisingly close to where Lennon fell when he was shot twelve years later. A terrible harbinger that still haunts the Dakota.
]Warburg Realty
In its almost century and a half existence, the Dakota has seen New York City expand, grow, and transform over its 140-year history. Thousands of residents have lived their lives and left an indelible mark on these famous apartments. The Dakota's magic is that there is no other building that can hold a candle to its history. And in all probability, there will be more stories of ghosts and hauntings in the future.
Want to know more? Here is a good place to start:
The Address: A Novel Fiona Davis
Life at The Dakota: New York's Most Unusual Address Stephen Birmingham
Sources:
Photographs:
Top photograph The New York Public Library Digital Collection (overlay added by author)
Comments