The New York Public Library's main branch is associated with ghost stories, including the tale of a red-bearded construction worker's spirit who fell during the building's construction, and the haunting of the Astor Library, one of the institutions that merged to form the modern NYPL system, which reportedly featured apparitions of a recently deceased doctor. The presence of vacant custodian apartments within the library's historic architecture, some of which were once occupied by families, also adds to the eerie atmosphere and potential for ghostly encounters. A man named John Fedler, who grew up in the library, recalled his father's story of a red-bearded ghost, attributed to a construction worker who fell to his death during the building's construction. One of the libraries that merged to form the NYPL, the Astor Library, had its own spooky history. The then-librarian, Dr. Cogswell, reportedly saw the apparition of a doctor in the section dealing with supernatural texts, who would disappear when approached.