My House: Past Dealings with the Paranormal

My first memory of a ghostly encounter dates back to when I was five. My mom and I were living in a one bedroom flat that was on the second floor. It was around November and snow was on the ground in Fort Worht, TX. I slept on a couch that was against a window. I recall waking up to find a little girl in a red polka dot dress, with Shirley Temple curls, moving her finger side to side. She was shaking her head and repeatedly saying "No, No, No." Even more surprising, she was floating outside my window! This is what led me to study the paranormal at an early age. I would always go to the local library and check out books on the subject, little did I know that later on in life this would pay off. My next memory falls around nine or ten. My family at this point was composed of an abusive step-father, a younger half-sister(but I never refer to her as such), and my mom, a battered wife.  My little sister and I were playing in our room when we heard a knock on the door that lead to the living room. I investigated on the other side of the door and heard nothing, but my sister insisted that it was still happening. My mom saw a child's wet foot prints leading from the back door into the living room. Neither my sister nor myself were home at the time. Ocassionally, I would have the distinct feeling of being watched. My sister saw an apparition of an old white man dressed in farming clothes, intently staring at her. She described his gaze as hateful or mean. There were other random instances such as things becoming mysteriously torn apart. For Christmas, my sister got a Baby Heather Doll ( a robotic doll that grew and learned a vocabulary). In the middle of the night, my step-father yanked me out of bed accusing me that I ripped the doll's head off, wires and all! There is even one instance in which my sister reported in her early-teens ghostly violin players, dancers, and a dark man.  The presence then either went away or was dormant. The next paranormal occurence happened a little later when I was 12. My sister and I were playing at a vacant house adjacent to my current property. It belonged to an old man who had passed away and was related to those who had lived at my current location. I spoke up and said,"Let your presence be known," or something to that effect. The bushes began to shake wildly but no wind was blowing. We high-tailed it out of there. I moved to my current property when I was a bit older, around 15-16. I encountered a spirit who shook me early in the morning while I was sleeping on a couch in the living room. The voice sounded elderly and kept telling me to "Get up Boy!" Startled, I sat straight up while my quilt was ripped in half. I saw the ripped quilt sail across the room. Close to a kitchen door was a solid, golden human form that seemed to be made of liquid. It had no distinct features; only a human body form. The apparition lasted for about 10 seconds and then melted into the floor. I was taking a bath one time and I heard my mom call my name from the other side of the bathroom door. Oddly enough, she was not home at the time. Later on such things as the garage door having a mind of its own occured. I even went to such lengths as to shut the power off to the garage opener,  not to be out done the door stilll opened on its own accord. Also odd lights, noises,  and smells were wittnessed by myslef and faimly members. It is noteworthy to mention there is a church across the street that has many funerals; you can watch them unload the casket from my bedroom window. After joining the Navy and becoming an investigator of the paranormal, I returned home on leave. My mom still lived in the original house and I thought it would be neat if I could get some EVPs of the spirits that might still be there. After getting some good EVPs, things began happening ... quite frequently. Orange lights would start popping on the ground and in the air like fire-crackers. Something heavy jumped in my bed and began to smother me. Something, every night would continue to mess with me while trying to sleep. I didn't mention this to my mom or my sister, for fear of scaring them. I went back to the Navy and my sister called me hysterical. Evidently, something was crawling in her bed and smothering her! I felt really bad because it somehow seemed my fault; like I provoked this activity. afer all, the house was calm before I attempted communication. Upon coming home the second time on leave, nothing happened until the night before I returned to the Navy. I was watching a community television program on ghosts in the local area and I began to hear foot steps in the attic. There was no floor in the attic, but the foot steps continued. Every area I walked to, the foot steps followed. It lasted for a good 30 minutes or so. The final time I would ever experience the paranormal at the old house occurred during my last year in the Navy. Reportedly, the computer in the bedroom, where I experienced the lights and the phantom, caught fire. My sister claims the computer was unplugged from the wall and the Fire Marshall said the fire started inside the monitor. Saddly, half the house was lost due to the incident. My mother was hospitalized for third degree burns and smoke inhalation. I was sent home on emergency leave, or what was left of it. I never personally witnessed anything of supernatural worth, however, my mom had. She reports she was driven out of the house by shouting voices of unknown origin while salvaging one night after the fire. She described it as an entity that gave off a sense of  'get the hell out.'  It is also noteworthy to mention that while stationed at Fort Meade, ghostly activity took place in my barraks. One girl would not sleep in her room because she said the furniture would move around by its self. Another girl said while standing a late night watch on the female berthing deck, all the door knobs in the P-way(hallway) began to jiggle. A male was asleep during his watch only to be awoken by invisble hands dropping on his shoulders. I was sleeping one night in my room at the barraks, when I awoke to find the glowing face of a woman staring into my eyes. She had dirty blonde hair that ran down past her shoulders. Her face seemed blue and her eyes never blinked. Fort Meade is reputed to be haunted by German Prisoners Of War.

Point Lookout Lighthouse

A square lighthouse, formerly owned by the Navy, reported to be the most haunted lighthouse in America; our team had the opportunity to make several visits to this historical monument. Unknown by any of us, this would be the last time the Naval Directorate of Ghostly Affairs would work together as a team. Several things happened on different occasions. Invisble feet walked upstairs as we investigated the basement. Flashes of light were seen. EVPs were obtained and pictures were shot. Our first visit was so eventful that I knew we had to return. Subsequent visits yielded exciting results. In one instance, our team was in the belly of the light house, the middle hallway on the second floor. We were investigating this area because of its reputed hot-bed of activity, suddenly on all four sides of the lighthouse pounding ensued. This went on for a good 20 minutes. We all left because most in our group were quite frightend. In the past, the light house was used as a Civil War hospital, where over 1500 souls died.

Oak Hill

Situated between Fort Meade and Laurel, MD, this abandoned youth center complex reputedly houses many spirits from the past. Reportedly, the staff and residents of this small community were evacuated due to a rampant outbreak of tuberculoses. While the restless souls of TB victims might roam the area, others have died before the outbreak incident. According to files found, some of the residents passed away from natural causes and/or suicides. While the information is vauge, something or someone haunts the empty buildings of Oak Hill. When our team visited this location we were greeted by a security guard. Normally visitors are not allowed, but in our case he made an exception. Wandering from building to building we were overwhelmed by the stench of decay that the crumbling buildings gave off. The last building we investigated, a hospital, yielded paranormal activity experienced by all. Objects were thrown against walls and pounding was heard throughout the building. One of our investigators was grabbed at a window while the blinds moved up and down by themselves. As we made it back to the car disembodied muffled voices were heard. Usually only people that live in houses outside of Oak Hill are allowed inside the gate. We do not recommend visiting this location due to the strict regulation of no public allowed.

Gettysburg

This town is reputed to be the most haunted in all of America and with good reason! Many brave soldiers lost their lives in the bloody battle of the Civil War. Our team spent the entire day exploring the battlefields and trying to document any ghostly evidence we could find. The end results were two pictures that clearly displayed ghostly images that could not be easily explained away. The first was a stone cottage that serves as a restroom,  located in The Slaughter Pen area of the Valley of Death below Little Round Top and across the parking lot of Devil's Den. I had Sarah Holm take a picture of me looking into the window. In the middle pane there clearly shows a man looking out over me into the camera. The next spot where we captured ghosts on film was Spangler Springs. Three images were recorded on film by PHAN Patrica Karchner. The first was what looked to be a woman in white,(the woman in white is known to be seen in and around this area). The second was a transparent image of a figure on their knees looking to the right. The third image was what appeared to be a transparent union soldier standing in the water.

Brua Hall

Located on the Gettysburg College campus, this theater is allegedly haunted by the spirit of a Civil War-era man. Our team was able to spend forty minutes in this spooky theater alone and unhindered by anyone, well anyone living that is. It was pitch black inside and with only Seaman David Parkhurst's small flashlight to guide us, we carefully made our way to the stage. The atmosphere seemed charged with energy and our nerves gritty and on edge. Perhaps this was caused by the darkness surrounding us. SN Holm's camera malfunctioned the entire time we were in the theater, but when we went outside the camera worked fine. In any event, we were able to record some EVPs and they can be heard on our EVP page.

Spangler Springs

In the north-eastern section of the Gettysburg National Military Park there is a place that is known for its hot-bed of supernatural activity. It is known as Spangler Springs and is located in the area known as Culp's Hill. It's said that the lady in white haunts this area along with many Civil War soldiers. Our team began investigating near dusk and on through the night. During this time, SN Holm witnessed an apparition of someone in white running into the local brush, then disappearing. We also recorded unexplained voices in the area. We decided to visit the section of the spring where the three spirits were photographed. As we sat at the water's edge, we all reflected on the many lives that were lost in the battle more than a century ago. Dead silence hung in the air like some proverbial red flag that we were not alone.

Soldier's National Museum of the Civil War

Formerly known as the National Orphan's Homestead, this museum housed many children orphaned during and after the Civil War. During this period in history, the children suffered severe mental, emotional, and physical abuse by the cruel practices of a Mrs. Rosa J. Carmichael, a disciplinarian and teacher. She and a nineteen-year-old brutal taskmaster mistreated and tortured these helpless children. Orphans would be shackled in an underground dungeon or thrown in an 8-foot pit to starve. The cries of these helpless victims and the remorse of their cruel headmaster can still be heard today. One remarkable paranormal instance occurred when I asked the spirit of Mrs.Carmichael why she was still here. On EVP we got a reply, "Oh, that's purgatory." Check out the EVP page to hear this and the sad cry of an orphan. Tragically, many spirits still remain trapped within this 18th-century building.

Jenny Wade House

Located on Baltimore St. near the Holiday Inn, this bullet riddled house serves as a reminder of the bloody past. It's said that this house holds many spirits, one of them being Jenny Wade herself who was shot by a stray bullet while baking bread in the kitchen of her sister's home during the Civil War. Our team paid the price of admission to go on the tour of the house. While the tour guide was talking about the bullet that killed Jenny Wade, on tape we recorded an EVP with someone saying ,"Rumor...into the house."

Fort Mchenry

This historic fort is located near Baltimore, MD. When our team had arrived there we learned that the History Channel had done a haunted documentry on the fort the day before. This turtle shaped fort is reputed to be haunted by many soilders who died in the Revoluntionary War and Civil War. We befriended one of the park rangers that worked there who was more than happy to tell us of her own account. Apparently, one morning she was doing her rounds by the bomb shelters when some unseen force knocked her hat off. She said it was not windy and thought nothing of it, until the force knocked her hat off again when she tried to put it back on. Many eye witnesses report hearing sounds of men crying out in pain and on more than one occasion white misty apparitions have been seen. The park ranger then took us to a building that was not generally opened to the public. It was only used for school children as a classroom setting whenever they would tour the fort. The building was where she got the creepiest feeling, the park ranger said. As we were leaving, PHAN Karchner took a pic' of the window, (where I instructed to because of my last success at Poe's house with windows). When the photo was developed, there in the window was an almost clear image of a man looking out at us. The room was empty when the photo was shot.

Edgar Allen Poe's House

This house is located in the poverty stricken section of Baltimore, MD on the other side of Martin Luther King Blvd: nothing but slums and apparent high crime. (Of course, Edgar was not known for his riches.) The house was closed due to renovations the day that SN Parkhurst and I went. So it wasn't a total lost trip, we decided to take some photos of the exterior. When the photos were developed we found the image of a sad woman looking back at us from a barred up basement window. Witness accounts have reported seeing an apparation of a grey lady, supposedly Ed's mother-in-law.

Stone House

This historic house is located in Georgetown of Washington D.C. It is reputed to be haunted by a former slave who hated and raped women. Also, the children of the former owner have been sighted. Upon arrival at the site, we spoke with the park ranger who managed the house. While she said she was not allowed to talk about the subject,(the national parks and wildlife service are not allowed to speak of ghosts if the place they are at is reputed to be haunted), she did mention that one time she had glanced at the stairs from her desk and saw an apparition of a black man in tattered clothing who soon vanished. We took photos inside the house, but nothing of any paranormal significance occurred. However, EVPs(electronic voice phenomena) were recorded. Several voices were heard on tape that were unexplained. The most dominant was that of a male. At first he whispered ,"Dead Girl", as one of our female investigators was speaking with the park ranger. Next, he whispered it again during thier conversation. Finally, he shouted it outloud in a sing-song voice ,"DEAD GIRL!", then spelled out ,"D-E-A-D". Could this have been the spirit of the slave who hated women? When one of our female investigators was dared to spend five minutes alone on the third floor, she said, "The clock is ticking", and a child's voice came back on the tape in response, "tick-tock ... clock goes the beat." A second trip yielded no evidence of paranormal activity.

Red Rose Inn

This quaint little bed and breakfast is located in Jennersville, PA. Reputed to be haunted by two spirits, a woman and a man. While the identity of these two spirits is unknown, they have been seen in clothing from that of the Civil War era. Our team stayed two nights in four rooms on the second floor. Several unexplained incidents occurred. During the night, phantom footsteps were heard creaking on the old hardwood floors of the hallway. An alarm clock radio came on twice by itself while the alarm button was off. A toilet seat slamming up was heard, followed by its flushing while no one was near. Rumor has it that the Red Rose Inn adorns all its tables with freshly cut roses to appease the female spirit. On the last night of our stay a funny thing happened. SN Parkhurst and I heard party noises late during the night. We went downstairs noticing everything was locked up. There didn't seem to be anyone around. However, the muffled sounds of people laughing and talking was still heard. Perplexed we went outside to see if we could find the source of the noises. At first, we thought these sounds were coming from upstairs in a section that was unused. We grew to be very excited and a little nervous. We soon discovered that the sounds we heard were coming from beneath the floor. Listening intently, we heard country music and people playing pool. Light was seeping through the cracks of the floor. Relieved and a little disappointed we figured it was some type of late night party some guests were having in the basement. The funny thing was, I don't recall there being any cars at the inn except ours in the parking lot.

U.S.S. Constellation

Anchored in the Inner Harbour of Baltimore, MD, this old vessel stands as a historical reminder of our nation's glorious past. Reputed to be haunted by a few enlisted sailors and some officers. Our team scoured each level of the ship that was open to the public. During our investigation we experinced no paranormal activity except for the occansional feeling of being watched. We did manage to get one EVP near the bow,"Thats the forecastle", muttered by the deep voice of a man.

Hampton Mansion

Within the small sleepy town of Towson, MD wraiths from the past glide along the walls of this once inhabited house. Our team arrived on the scene only to be taken back by the elegance and decadent nature of the mansion. We had to do our investigation with the tour guide because no one is allowed to be unaccompanied in the house. As we toured the mansion, nothing of any paranormal significance occurred. Perhaps the spirits were gone or inactive. Perhaps the only thing haunting the mansion is a few old ghost stories.

Return to Stone House

Our team arrived at Stone House for the third time. We were able to capture some EVPs. During our investigation, we tested out an idea of mine. Would it be possible to communicate with these unknown voices that are recorded? Using a pair of headphones we were able to make out some voices while they were recording in real time. However, evidence is still inconclusive at this time wether or not communication actually took place.

Fort Howard

When our team arrived at the old fort located in PA there was a re-enactment of World War II being performed. Flooded out tunnels and old bunkers did not stand in our way of investigating. Nothing of any paranormal significance was recorded. Although, we were able to get a bunch of photos with smoky white vapors that appeared to be ghosts. However, I'm from the school of thought that unless you get a full blown appariton, who wants to look at orbs, vortexes, and mist?--I sure don't. It was a spooky place and I'm sure a movie producer would think this location ideal for a horror movie,. Perhaps the spirits that are said to haunt the area were too busy watching the show.

Up and Coming Investigations

I'm moving to Kentucky! 
Looks like it's back to the East Coast for me! I hope to finally be reunited with Sarah and pick up on investigating where we left off. There might even be a couple of new members in the works. Stay tuned for more details yet to come.