In 1859, this imposing structure was originally built for Nelson Reynold's, the sheriff of the county and took three years to complete. A mock-Elizabethan castle even has a legendary "hidden chamber" and a secret tunnel to complete it's reputation as a true castle of old.

In 1879, it came into the possession of the Methodist Church who turned it into the Ontario Ladies' College which changed names in 1979 to Trafalgar Castle School and is recognized as one of the finest private girls school's in the province.

Reports of the school being haunted have filtered to us almost since the inception of this site. Some students past and present have sent us tales and reports from phantom footsteps to doors that opened and closed on their own volition.

One tale that seems to have transcended from a sighting to folklore and is often repeated (and is in John Robert Colombo's Myteries of Ontario,) is the story of an elderly lady coming to the school at night and, on meeting the caretaker, asks to see her granddaughter in room 232 (according to Principal George Biggs in Colombo's book, room 232 is a constant in most of the stories he's heard,) and once she is lead to the room, the caretaker turns to address the old woman to of course find she's vanished.

Like many "old schools", this beautiful building definitely deserves a ghost story whether it's based on truth or merely a legend passed from school girl to school girl.

OF NOTE: We received sometime ago a report from a student who tried to contact the ghosts using a Ouija board. Aside from her success or lack of it, we remind people that our site and society does not endorse or recommend the use of Ouija boards.

Can you add anything to these reports? Please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photo credits: Ronda Walfield

Update November 2008

Because I work in law enforcement, I'd prefer to remain anonymous.  I just finished three nights of working at Trafalgar Castle School & I feel pleased to offer you a new story.  This happened my first night there.

At about 9:30 PM, I was starting to write a report in the green gym office area when I saw a brunette about 15 years old in white gym clothes (tshirt, shorts) walk down a staircase, turn right and vanish from sight. She was in the building where the fitness room is, located behind the Chapel.

Since I hadn't toured the grounds yet, I didn't think anything of it. The students are free to go in, out until 10:30 PM. Then I went for a walk & I quickly realized that there was no door where the girl turned and left my sight. 24 hours later, a friend was talking to my husband quite casually about TCS being haunted. Apparently this is old news to those who live nearby.

I've enjoyed visiting your website & I hope to learn more about our area. There's a lot of spiritual thrill-seekers among those who work in old buildings late at night...

Our thanks go out to the witness for sharing these experiences with us.

Do you have anything to add to this report? Perhaps a report of your own? Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Your anonymity and privacy are assured as we are compliant with the privacy laws of Ontario brought in on March of 2004.