Joan Rivers’ Ghost: Unveiling the Mystery of Mrs. Spencer

Joan Rivers often joked that her New York apartment was haunted by a ghost she called “Mrs. Spencer.” It’s a story that’s been repeated for years, usually as a quirky aside in Rivers’ life, but rarely examined any further. In this episode of Citegeist, we dig into the origins of the haunting and ask: who was Mrs. Spencer?Using property records, census data, newspapers, and archival sources, this episode traces the history of Joan’s apartment and the women who lived there before her. What begins as a celebrity ghost story quickly turns into an archival investigation and an examination of how easily real people can slip into legend. As always, the goal isn’t to debunk for debunking’s sake... it’s to uncover the hidden truths of history and bring them to light.Sources:“1920 United States Federal Census - Edith Spencer AncestryLibrary.Com.” n.d. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/collections/6061/records/110512062?_gl=1*ah79cx*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTQ3NDcxMTY2NC4xNzYyODY0ODYz*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*czAyYzI0MTQwLWI4MDAtNGIxMi1hMmFjLTA2NGFlYWRjZWQ4ZSRvMSRnMSR0MTc2Mjg2NDg2MiRqNjAkbDAkaDA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*czAyYzI0MTQwLWI4MDAtNGIxMi1hMmFjLTA2NGFlYWRjZWQ4ZSRvMSRnMCR0MTc2Mjg2NDg2MiRqNjAkbDAkaDA.“1940 United States Federal Census - Natalie C Spencer AncestryLibrary.Com.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/collections/2442/records/9642470?tid=&pid=&queryId=4475eccc-c152-41bb-86cb-a71db017cf4a&_phsrc=YQL44&_phstart=successSource&_gl=1*bw6u1m*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTM3MjkxMzY5Ni4xNzYyODIyODQ4*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*c2EzNTc2ODkyLTEzODctNGYwNi1hMzA3LTI4NmNlMzE0ZjY0NyRvMSRnMCR0MTc2MjgyMjg0NyRqNjAkbDAkaDA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*c2EzNTc2ODkyLTEzODctNGYwNi1hMzA3LTI4NmNlMzE0ZjY0NyRvMSRnMCR0MTc2MjgyMjg0NyRqNjAkbDAkaDA.“1940s NYC | Street Photos of Every Building in New York City in 1939/1940.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://1940s.nyc/map/photo/nynyma_rec0040_1_01377_0005#18.39/40.766026/-73.970685.“ACRIS Search Results By Parcel Identifier.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://a836-acris.nyc.gov/DS/DocumentSearch/BBLResult.“AncestryLibrary.Com - Colonial Families of the USA, 1607-1775.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/imageviewer/collections/61175/images/colonialfamiliesii-001476_523?_gl=1*s89t3r*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTcyMTI4MTU2NC4xNzYyODE0ODAx*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*c2EzNTc2ODkyLTEzODctNGYwNi1hMzA3LTI4NmNlMzE0ZjY0NyRvMSRnMCR0MTc2MjgxNDgwMSRqNjAkbDAkaDA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*c2EzNTc2ODkyLTEzODctNGYwNi1hMzA3LTI4NmNlMzE0ZjY0NyRvMSRnMCR0MTc2MjgxNDgwMSRqNjAkbDAkaDA.&pId=450040858.Annual Report of Tennesee Railroad Company, 1972. 1972. Annual Report. Tennesee Railroad Company. https://www.stb.gov/wp-content/uploads/R-1//TENNESSEE%20RAILROAD%20CO._1972.pdf.“Edith Spencer Scrapbook.” n.d. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://archives.nypl.org/scm/20857.“Eleanor Morgan Satterlee (1905-1951) - Find a Grave Memorial.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7300641/eleanor_morgan-satterlee.“Emma Converse Death Notice.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/154947643/person/312045274519/media/52158d83-40d9-4b21-8a91-984803ea479f?_gl=1*1785xjw*_up*MQ..*_ga*NTQ0NzI5ODM0LjE3NjI4MTIxMDI.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*c2EzNTc2ODkyLTEzODctNGYwNi1hMzA3LTI4NmNlMzE0ZjY0NyRvMSRnMSR0MTc2MjgxMjE5NyRqNjAkbDAkaDA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*c2EzNTc2ODkyLTEzODctNGYwNi1hMzA3LTI4NmNlMzE0ZjY0NyRvMSRnMSR0MTc2MjgxMjE5NyRqNjAkbDAkaDA.“Emma Louise Converse.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/154947643/person/312045274519/facts?_gl=1*5yksy8*_up*MQ..*_ga*NTQ0NzI5ODM0LjE3NjI4MTIxMDI.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*c2EzNTc2ODkyLTEzODctNGYwNi1hMzA3LTI4NmNlMzE0ZjY0NyRvMSRnMSR0MTc2MjgxMjEyOCRqMzQkbDAkaDA.*_ga_LMK6K2LSJH*c2EzNTc2ODkyLTEzODctNGYwNi1hMzA3LTI4NmNlMzE0ZjY0NyRvMSRnMSR0MTc2MjgxMjEyOCRqMzQkbDAkaDA.Farber, M. a. 1967. “STUDENTS AT L.I.U. SUSPEND BOYCOTT; They Will Decide Tomorrow on Any Further Action.” Archives. The New York Times, April 12. https://www.nytimes.com/1967/04/12/archives/students-at-liu-suspend-boycott-they-will-decide-tomorrow-on-any.html.Hauntedcuriosities.Com. n.d. “J.P. MORGAN’S NIECE MRS.SPENCER.” Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.hauntedcuriosities.com/products/j-p-morgans-niece-mrs-spencer.“HPDOnline - Overview.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://hpdonline.nyc.gov/hpdonline/building/14837/overview.Inc, Zillow. n.d. “1 E 62nd St, New York, NY 10065.” Zillow. Accessed December 14, 2025. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1-E-62nd-St-New-York-NY-10065/31533403_zpid/.“John Henry Clews. - The New York Times.” n.d. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/1907/04/11/archives/john-henry-clews.html.“Junius Spencer Morgan III.” n.d. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/154947643/person/312045273144/facts?_gl=1*1lb300q*_up*MQ..*_ga*...