Lakeview Cemetery in Patchogue has been the subject of countless tales of ghosts and haunting's since the early 1800's. It's been discovered that it's reputation as one of the most haunted places on Long Island.
Lakeview Cemetery runs along Main Street and Waverly Avenue in the western portion of Patchogue. It is actually a combination of 5 separate cemeteries, with the oldest graves dating back to the late 1700's. These cemeteries include the Episcopal, Waverly, Gerard, Rice and Lakeview cemetery. All know now as the Lakeview Cemerty. The actual Lakeview portion of the cemetery is the youngest portion, been opened in the late 1880's. This land was donated by Ruth Newey Smith, one for the four well to do Smith sisters of Patchogue.
The combined cemeteries contain the remains of over 1200 souls including at least 13 Revolutionary war veterans, 9 civil war veterans, 12 World War 1, 6 WW 2 veterans and 3 Vietnam Vets. The crew of the schooner Louis V. Place, a doom ship that had in February of 1895 floundered off the coast of Patchogue in a wintery strom. Unable to be rescued, the crew of the ship died a painfull and eerie death. The tragedy of the Louis V. Place made the newspapers all over the United States. Resting side by side with them is the crew of the Nahum Chapin which sunk off the coast of Patchogue in 1897.
The most famous accounts of the haunting of Lakeview Cemetery occurred soon after the burial of the crew of the Louis V. Place and was written about in the New York Times and the New York Sun.
Directly across from the sailor's graves can be found the monuments to the eccentric Smith sisters who are buried in Lakeview and who donated much of the land. They too add the mystery of this cemetery as one of the sisters, Augusta, was so afraid of being buried alive, her will stipulated she could not be buried until 5 days after her death.
So who is haunting lakeview Cemetery? Not sure. Through the years however, there are numerous reports from those who claim to have seen and experience the ghost that roam the cemetery.
The cache is NOT in the cemetery and can be found between the parking lot and the outside fence. If you choose to enter the cemetery Please Remeber to be respectful during your visit. Visiting hours are from 8:00 am to Dusk. Any person found on the cemetery grounds after closing will be considered a treaspasser. As per the General Rules and Regulation of the Lakeview Cemetery.