May 31, 2008

The Moore House



The Moore House, near Yorktown, Virginia. May, 1862 Photographed by John Wood & James F. Gibson and Photo (I took) of how it looks today



The Moore House is another of Yorktown's haunted houses. Located on the battlefields along the river it was built by Lawrence Smith II and sitting on a 500 acre plantation this home was called” Temple Farm." In 1754, Lawrence Smith’s son, Robert, who was the third generation of Smiths to work this farm, inherited this farm. In 1760, due to financial reasons he was forced to sell the family's 500-acre estate to his brother-in-law, Augustine Moore.

During the Revolutionary War, The Moore House and farm was the spot picked by British Commander Cornwallis to sign The Articles of Capitulation to end the Revolutionary War on October 19th, 1781.

During the Revolutionary War. a stray bullet shot and killed Augustine Moore Jr. while he was working the family fields.

Also a local merchant by the name of John Turner, came to watch the shelling of the British Army in Yorktown just days before they surrendered. He was wounded as a result of the shelling and died in his wife's arms. There was nothing she could do to save him. John Turner's remains are buried in the Moore House family graveyard, which is near the Moore House. The dates on the graves are from 1730 - 1800's, the final resting place of the families who lived here.





The manifestations of the entities started making their appearance after the Park Service fully restored the home to its 18th century decor and style.


Sheets on the bed in the master bedroom have been found with indentations as if someone had been sleeping in this bed.
Tour guides showing groups around the home felt that an unseen, friendly presence was overseeing their tour.
Sheets on the beds in the bedrooms on the second floor look like others had slept in them.
In the parlor, there was a depression in a red velvet chair, like someone was sitting there.




I have made two trips to this house this week. The first one was with my daughter and grandson. (Yes, he did tell us he saw something there. He said there was a lady on the porch with my daughter when she posed for a photo, and no, nothing showed up)
I also took a photo on the porch and just as soon as it was snapped I heard a noise. I jumped and got off that porch in a hurry.
The second trip I made was today to take photos of the graves. It was to late the first day to get good photos. I was not as impressed with this home as I was the Nelson House, but it was on my list of places to visit



Me sitting on the steps of the Moore House

*Footnote
Want to buy this beautiful home. You can for only $1,200,000
*est. monthly payment: $5755.69
I found a listing for it while I was doing reasearch on the house...

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The Nelson House



Front of house from street


Back of house from the yard


(Part One)
As I mentioned yesterday I took a quick tour of Yorktown VA. I've been several times, but had not really looked into the haunted history other than to read the stories. This time I went with the intent to explore. My first stop was the Nelson House. Home of Thomas Nelson, Jr. (1738-89) Most of the Nelson House is original, including the bricks and most of the mortar in the outer walls. It is a beautiful home with some lovely gardens and is reputed to be haunted. Reports include a young male entity of a British soldier who was killed in the Siege of Yorktown. His apparition has been seen on occasion in various spots around the house. Footsteps and cold spots, are also reported. The sobbing of a woman was heard coming from an empty third floor room.
We did not go inside, but spent several minutes wandering around the property.
Part Two Coming Soon

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May 30, 2008

Check This Out

I ran across this article today while searching for paranormal information. It was posted today so check it out!
Ghost Boy

Also I did some snooping ( I mean investigating) around in Yorktown Va. yesterday. I will be posting about it soon.

Enjoy your day..

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May 27, 2008

My Personal Experience

Warning, this is a slightly long post, but please read it all you won’t be sorry.


Have you ever noticed when you talk to other people that you either believe in ghost or you don’t? According to a 2003 Harris Report (sorry I couldn’t find a current one) 51 % of all adults believe in them.
Out of those numbers I am not sure how many people have actually had a paranormal experience, but it got me to thinking
Why do some people see things and others don’t.

I would love to see a ghost. Yet I can’t seem to see a darn thing. I visit all the local haunts. I ramble through the graveyards. I always have my little voice recorder and my courage (ha ha) I rarely go out of the house without my camera in case “something” is there. Yes I know I took that really awesome photo of the lady and man at the tree but if my grandson hadn’t told me he “saw her” I wouldn’t have the photo. But I want to see something. Feel something. Hear a noise anything. Darn the luck I can’t even get a breeze half the time. As for EVP’s if I’m lucky I might get a slight whisper on a recording that might or might not be something. Yet I can watch shows like Ghost Hunters (Yes I know that is on TV and they have a zillion dollar budget with all the best equipment) and they get awesome stuff.
Sigh!
I never have any luck…….
Well, hmmm there is that “one time” that something happened to me. I suppose I should tell you about……Do you want to hear it? You do? Ok, clap your hands together really fast and say. I DO BELIEVE I DO BELIEVE I DO I DO (oh wait that is for fairies, oh well use your imagination, it might work for both)


My one and only experience with a “ghost” came when I was working at the information booth at a large mall in a near by city.
You see the mall I was working at is haunted. I even knew it was haunted. I had talked to some people who had worked there for years, and I had heard all the stories. I just didn’t believe them, until “something” convinced me other wise. Before I tell you what happened to me let me give you a little background.
When this mall being built back in the 1980’s one of the workers fell off the roof and died before he reached the hospital. Also a former security guard died while working there (I am not sure if he died in the mall or not, so the person in the food court might have been him not clear on this part) but someone had a heart attack in the food court and died. The food court is on the second floor so the mall and is built in the shape of a square so there are several hallways.
Also the mall had been remodeled several times taking away a theater that had been on the second floor leaving storage rooms. This left a lot of hallways open.
For years the security guards had talked about strange things happening.
Noises in the back halls. Smells of pipe tobacco late at night when the stores were closed. Feelings of being watched.
Even the mall office workers reported things.
Papers would be moved. Staplers and tape dispenser would not be where they left them; just little things that make you go hmmm.
They all told me it was haunted..
Yeah right I said.

So what happened to change my mind?
Well…..

One of the security guards and I had got to be pretty good friends. She would stop by everyday to visit when she did her rounds, and as we got to know each other better she told me that she “felt” the ghost. I just brushed her off, and then she told me the same thing again and again. She confessed that she was frightened to go in the back halls by herself.
At the time I really didn’t believe in ghost, but there was that side of me that is the little kid in all of us and I got brave and said…Ok…Show me this “ghost”
So she lead me up the back way behind the food court and into “the halls” We were chatting about other things just walking along when suddenly I just stopped. To this day I don’t know why I stopped, I just did, I looked down at my arms and had chill bumps on them. I think I said something like, oh creepy indicating to my arms, when I noticed hers were the same way. I brushed it off as my imagination and kept walking. We got to the part of the hall where she said she “felt” something. I looked around, Nope, nothing. No chills, no weird feeling, nothing, nada, just a hall. So we started back, and as we turned a corner something really strange happened. All at once I felt hot and cold at the same time. My skin was like ice, yet it felt like my blood was rushing through my body and it was really hot.
I am not sure If that makes sense, but I don’t know how else to explain it. I looked at my arms again and I had chill bumps. The feeling only lasted a few seconds, but I knew something had happened. Something besides us was in that hall. I don’t mind admitting that it frightened me. I got out of there as fast as I could. I worked there for several years after that and it took me a long long time before I would go back into those halls. I never denied that the mall was haunted after that happened and that one experience set me off on the path I am one today….To find the ghost!

*Footnote
I never saw it but I was told there was a photo taken by the mall personnel (It was one of those old fashioned Polaroid's that develop on there own) It was of a child and the Easter bunny. A "man" showed up in the photo and no one else was standing there. The claim is that it was the worker who fell off the roof.
Also I heard about how two female employees of a small store had "seen" an older man in the store one night. They were between him and the door and no one else was in the store. When they turned back around to asked if he needed help he was gone.

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May 26, 2008

The Old Mill



The Robertson Windmill
Williamsburg's first serial killer stashed his young victim's bodies here, and it is said to be haunted by them.

I have not been able to document this information, but thought I would post it anyway

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May 25, 2008

Visiting with Aunt Pratt


We had a wonderful time today at the Shirley Plantation and the highlight of course was seeing the portrait of Aunt Pratt. She sat in her place of honor in the first floor bedroom overlooking the beautiful James River.
I have to admit the picture gave me the creeps. There was just something about it that kept me from starting at it for more than a few seconds at a time. Maybe it was the stories I had read, or maybe it was her eyes. All I know was I didn't like her and neither did my grandson. The entire time we were in the room he seemed very uneasy and while the guide was telling us the story of the portrait I walked him over to the window to look out. When we got ready to leave the room my daughter and I both asked him if he liked her (Aunt Pratt) and he said no. I asked him if he saw her and he said yes. I then asked him where he saw her at and he pointed into the foyer way. I took him out there and asked him where, and he pointed to the stairs. We had not gone up there at all during the tour. Once we got outside he was very clingy for a few minutes and he sat on the bench on the porch. I rubbed his back for a few minutes and before long he was ok again and ready to get down and play. He loved walking around the ground but definitely did not like the inside of that house.

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Sherwood Forest Plantation

On the way home from the Shirley Plantation we stopped at the Sherwood Forest Plantation. It was a beautiful old home that had been owned by our 10th President John Tyler. I didn't know much about the history of this plantation so when I got home I did a bit of research and found that the house has a ghost. Known as the Gray Lady she has been seen by several people over the years. I'm kind of glad I didn't know she was there because we were the only ones visiting the grounds this afternoon. The house itself was not open for tours so we really didn't pay much attention to it other than to peek in the door and two of the windows when we first got there. I don't remember seeing a rocking chair, and my grandson did not seem to have any kind of experiences while we were on the property. I did find out while doing research on the plantations in the area that there is at lest one other one that has some haunting, so I will be going back soon. In the meantime here is the information on this gray lady.

Below is information from the plantation website about her.



*For more photos of the house and grounds visit my Other blog


The Gray Lady is called that because she apparently wore gray. This leads to the assumption that she was in the service of the family that owned the house when she lived there, because servants then wore gray when cleaning at Sherwood Forest.

"It is thought that she was a governess, who had charge of a small child at one time here," Payne says. "She would take the child from a first floor bedroom (which is now known, appropriately, as the Gray Room) and walk her up through the hidden staircase to a second floor nursery. There, she would rock the child on her lap in a rocking chair."


Unfortunately, the child was ill and died soon after. This presents a speculative motive for the Gray Lady's ghost to remain in the house. It could have been that the Gray Lady was not nearby when the child passed away, or she might have perceived that had she been more attentive the tragedy would not have occurred. No one knows for sure.
What is known is that ever since, the sounds of the Gray Lady have been heard in the house - always in the same forms. Her footsteps are heard going up or down the hidden stairway, and the sound of her rocking is heard in the second floor nursery and in the Gray Room.

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May 23, 2008

Aunt Pratt

Look where I am going on Sunday!
(They won't let you photograph in the house, but you know I will be back with loads of photos of the grounds)

PLEASE NOTE I STOLE THIS INFOMRATION FROM THE SHADOWLANDS WEBSITE AND IN NO WAY TAKE ANY CREDIT FOR IT, IT WAS WRITTEN ENTIRELY BY
Stacey Graham (WyntersMoon@theshadowlands.net)


Gracing the southern Virginian colony and commanding a view of the James River, Shirley Plantation began building in 1723 by Edward Hill III for his daughter, Elizabeth. Hill’s sister, Martha, had left for England to study, leaving behind an unsigned portrait of herself. A strong mouth and deep eyes dominated the painting, almost daring one to ignore its presence in the room. Martha later married an Englishman, Hugh Griffith, and remained in England. Though the portrait is known by the family as “Aunt Pratt,” no one seems to know the source of the name Pratt.

In 1858, long after Martha’s death, the family noticed the painting rocking violently against the wall above the mantel in a third story bedroom. Moving the noisy portrait to the attic only intensified its turbulent actions. Knocking was heard around the house and word got out that the plantation was infected with a rather boisterous picture. The Civil War soon surrounded the plantation and the residents of Shirley were caught up in the turmoil of having their home turned into a field hospital as General McClellan transported over 8,000 injured and dying men out of Virginia. With their access to the James River close by, injured men were transferred onto Union ships and the dead were buried in the family cemetery. There is no mention of Pratt’s activity during this time, they probably had more pressing matters to worry about.

After peace ensued, the portrait was taken out of storage in the attic and placed on the first floor in a place of honor for the old gal. Though happy for a while, it soon began its rocking and the hunt was on for someplace that the picture would remain quiet. Finally placing the picture in Martha’s second floor bedroom, it remained relatively quiet for the next few years.

In 1974, the Virginia Travel Council loaned the portrait with other items associated with psychic phenomena to an exhibit at Rockefeller Plaza in New York. Once placed in a display window, the picture began to rock so vigorously that the seal of Virginia, which was placed beside it, began to swing from side to side in front of spectators. Aunt Pratt made her national television debut on NBC-TV as a reporter on his way to lunch stopped by to see what all the ruckus was about and caught the rocking on tape. It caused such a disturbance that it was removed from the exhibit and crated up. The night shift reported hearing crying and rocking in the storage room. One morning it was found on the floor outside the storage locker, some thought she was making a break for the exit…

After being returned to Virginia, the portrait was taken to Linden Galleries in Richmond, Virginia to help repair the damage to the frame. While there, workers would tell of bells ringing, though there were no bells on the property. The portrait was finally placed back at Shirley Plantation and is seemingly happy in it’s second floor bedroom. Tours are available of the mansion though you may have to pay more to see the rocking… ;)

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May 22, 2008

Review of tour at Williamsburg

If you’re planning on going on the Legends, Myths, Mysteries and Ghosts walking tour in Williamsburg expect it to be a waste of time. They say you get what you pay for and we paid 12.00 a ticket. It was worth about $5.00. On a scale of 1-10 this tour was a 4. The only reason I gave it that high is the first story was told in the Wythe House and that is one of the ones I had hoped to get inside of so that excited me. I did like the storyteller in this house, but it had nothing to do with the house. She told a story about a house in Gloucester VA. I plan on looking into it more and won’t spoil it by mentioning yet what it was. Anyway while I was the house I didn’t see or feel anything usual. Nor did hear Lady Ann running up the stairs. (See story on Wythe house)

The next stop was the Governors Mansion where we listened to, two stories. We simply changed rooms and new interpreters told the next story. I thought that sucked because they advertised that we would go to THREE places. The stories they told here again had nothing to do with the house or any house in Williamsburg. These last two were pretty lame and I had a hard time paying attention.. Also they did not allow any photos to be taken inside, and as you can see from the ones below, photos are a waste of time at night.
On the bright side I did get to carry the lantern. No one volunteered when the guide asked for someone so I spoke up. What the heck at lest that was cool. Our tour guide was funny so we did enjoy him and he was real sweet and walked my daughter and I back to the starting point. Along the way he pointed out a house that is suppose to be haunted. I had not heard any stories about it, so I took a photo of it and will do a bit of research on what he told me, so be looking for that later in the week. I understand there is at lest one other walking tour in Colonial Williamsburg. I think it is based on the books Ghost of Williamsburg by L B Taylor Jr. I suspect that will be more to my likening and the only reason I didn't asked for it this time is I thought we would do more walking and get in the homes. Live and learn as they say.
Oh also some weird guy latched on to my daughter. I guess he thought she was cute because he was like a puppy and kept right on her heels. He even jumped in the photo of her that I took. Just goes to show you live people are stranger than the dead ones. Ha Ha.


Me carrying the lantern

Outside the George Wythe house. (daughter with strange guy)

Our group outside the governors mansion
Notice the orbs (or dust depending on what you believe about orbs)

My daughter and I with the guide after the tour.

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May 21, 2008

Haunted Maze



One of the most beautiful buildings in Colonial Williamsburg is the Governor’s Palace.
My ex-husband use to be a master gardener there in the kitchen gardens and although I have never been inside the palace itself I have spent time on the grounds.

Home of seven royal governors including Lord Dunmore, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. In 1780 the capital was moved to Richmond and in 1781 during the siege of Yorktown the palace was used as a hospital.. In 1781 the palace was burned to the ground killing one patient. In 1930 restoration of the palace began. While rummaging through the gardens archaeologists discovered a human skeleton. They continued to dig and found 156 men and two women. They also found musket balls with teeth marks on them indicating that they were bodies from the hospital. Because there was little anesthesia during the Revolutionary war the wounded suffered great agony. Most died from blood loss, shock, or infection. Theories of the women identity include that they are either family members who had followed the soldiers or more than likely nurses.

It is reported that a strange light appears in the palace at night when no one is there. When investigated it disappears.



The maze behind the building is supposed to be haunted by soldiers from the civil war and revolutionary war. The wall in front of the mansion is supposed to be haunted by the ghost of a criminally insane escapee of Eastern State Mental Institution, who in the 1920s slit a woman's throat.

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Read It

If your a fan of TAPS and the Ghost Hunters you have to read this book.




I checked it out from the library yesterday and I am almost finished with it..
Great stories!

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Blandford Church

I LOVE, and I repeat. LOVE old cemeteries. One of the best I have ever been to is Blandford church in Petersburg VA.

Listed as one of the top ten most haunted cemeteries in the country. There are reports of running pursuits through the grave lots, soldiers shooting from behind the cover of the headstones and other creepy stuff. My daughter and I took my grandson there last July (he had just turned two in May) and while walking around he told us he saw a "Papa". When asked where the man came from he walked over to a grave stone and laid his hands on it. Right there he said. This would be the first of many sightings that my grandson tells us about. Later that same day we were looking at some deer that were grazing in the back area. We had taken my grandson out of his car seat and let him stand next to us in the car (We were the only ones there and we were going about 3 miles an hour) He suddenly gasp and told us he saw a man. When asked where he all most crawled out the car window trying to point to the front bumper of the car. It really spooked my daughter and I. It was almost dark and we decided we better get out of there. It was just getting to creepy.

Later that night my grandson woke her up (he was sleeping in her bed at the time) and told her there was a papa in the room with them. She was really alarmed. She said she was afraid to look and told him to put the covers over his head and go to sleep. The next day we burned some sage and she didn't have any more problems with him sleeping. Could the ghost from the cemetary have followed her home?

Anyway I plan on taking a trip back there again soon. In the mean time enjoy the photos.





(The following information came from the Internet)



The cemetery adjacent to Blandford Church has been used as a burial ground since the early eighteenth century. The oldest marked grave dates from 1702. Among the more noted individuals buried within the cemetery is one foreigner, Major General William Phillips, British citizen and commander of the British troops during the April 25, 1781 "Battle of Petersburg." Phillips died on May 13, 1781 in Petersburg following a fever that was most likely malaria or typhus. A memorial stone, erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1914, stands adjacent to Blandford Church, marking the general location of Phillips' secret burial, done at the direction of his deputy commander, Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. For more information on Petersburg's Revolutionary War history, follow the link on the left.



In June 1866, the first Memorial Day was celebrated in honor of the 30,000 Confederate soldiers buried on Memorial Hill inside the burial ground. For more information about Petersburg's Civil War history follow the link on the left.



The cemetery's gravestones, sculptures, and tombs represent a diverse array of eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century styles of funerary art. In addition, some plots feature exquisite examples of nineteenth century decorative iron fences. A walking tour, highlighting some of the monuments and burial sites in close vicinity of the Church is incorporated into the Church tour, weather permitting. More extensive cemetery tours are offered throughout the year, including a Halloween evening tour on October 31. Check the Calendar for additional information.



Begin your tour of Historic Blandford Church and Cemetery at the Blandford Visitors' Reception Center, 111 Rochelle Lane, Petersburg, VA 23803, (804) 733-2396. The reception center features a display of artifacts associated with the history of the Cemetery and Church as well as a gift shop.

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May 20, 2008

A Ghostly Tale

In 1984, my husband and his now ex-wife lived at an old farmhouse that was on an acre of land in Oakhurst, NJ. They lived in the upstairs of the house along with her son and two daughters from a previous marriage.
They shared the home with friends who lived downstairs with their two children.
They shared the kitchen and both used the living room by dividing it with a blanket.

One time while they were living there the friends went out of town for a few days.
One of the nights while the friends were gone my hubby and the ex were upstairs in their bedroom watching TV. The kids were suppose to be asleep but one of them keep making noise and acting up so. They both dashed out the door, to the girl's room to scold her.

My husband glanced out of the corner of his eye, and saw what he thought was the downstairs roommates wife coming up the stairs, dressed in her white nightgown. When they got back from the daughters bedroom he asked his(ex)wife if the couple was back from their trip. She said, no, but she thought she saw her, too. When they looked downstairs, all the lights were off.

When the friends got back, they asked them if they had ever saw any ghosts in the house. The Male said that he saw ghosts through the blanket that separated his side of the downstairs from the living room, but only through shadows of what appeared to be people in the living room, partying. He just passed it off as him smoking too much pot.

Now for a bit of history on the house.
It seems when they moved in there was a large stain on the wall at the bottom of the stairs.
The wall was made of horsehair instead of sheet rock and no matter how many times they washed the stain it would always come back.

They eventually found out about the house. It had been built before 1900, and at some point a woman fell down the stairs, smashing her head against the wall at the bottom. After discovering what happened, they addressed the spirits in the house and told them there was no need to bother them because they weren't going anywhere. It must have worked because for the rest of the time they lived in the house, they weren't bothered anymore, but that stain stayed.

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May 19, 2008

A Haunting We Will Go

Ok, So you know how I've been talking about all these haunted buildings in Colonial Williamsburg? Well guess what? I am finally going to get a chance to get inside some of them!!
Yep it's true. Come this Thursday night at 8:30 yours truly along with my brave daughter who I drag everywhere (when hubby doesn't go) and I are going on the Legends, Ghosts, Mysteries, and Myths tour (for some reason that sounds like it should be a Beatles song). Anyway I am sure it will be lame, and I will probably come back disappointed, but hey it is only $12.00 for the ticket so I thought what the heck.
Just to buy a day pass to go up there is something like $40.00 so this is cheap entertainment. I think there are several "ghost" tours up there but this is the only one that you can go into the building. So cross your fingers that there will be activity that night (There are reports that people do see things on these tours).
I have my camera ready and I will be reporting back to you on the evening ASAP.
In the mean time enjoy some more of my stories.

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May 17, 2008

Do You Hear What I hear?

Hi Everyone
If you have a few minutes would you listen to this. I did a EVP today out at the farm where I took the photo of my ghost lady
I made a wave file out of the section I think I hear something in and wonder if anyone else hears it.
You can hear me ask the question.
Were you killed here.
At the end I hear what sounds like a whisper saying YES
I may be my imagination. I wanted an opinion
The second one is silence with what sounds like a whisper about half way though saying HIDE ME
This is a reverse of the original file.
Thanks for giving this a listen

http://www.badongo.com/file/9429933
HIDE ME

http://www.badongo.com/file/9429961

YES

Go to the link..Then open by downloading it, you then have the option to save or open..Just open and it will bring up what ever media player you use to listen to music

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May 16, 2008

A Sad Love Story


Public Records office

Is the oldest archival building in North America. It once housed important documents. In 1784 it was converted into a grammar school. From 1789-1824 was rental property. In 1824 it was the office for the clerk of Chancery Court. In 1855 was acquired by the neighboring female Academy, which was located on the grounds of the Capital building. And in 1862 southern troops took refuge inside.
Near the turn of the century David Roland Jones and family owned it. They had seven children, and none of the girls married or left home. One of the daughters Edna became restless and when she met a man named John Mince she fell in love. Her father forbids the relationship. They made plans to run away together and meet at the Governors Place, which had burned over a century earlier. . Edna waited until dark and hurried to the meeting. One the way she was struck and killed by a speeding couch. It is thought that her spirit rushed home so that her father would not discover her deception.
Since that night she has been seen roaming the property.. She has also been seen at the Jones family cemetery. Her ghost has been photographed indeed the graveyard where her body rest. Strangers have heard her calling out as they make there way through the property.

The Public Records Office stands the Eastern end of Duke of Gloucester Street in Colonial Williamsburg. It is located to the north of the Capitol Building.

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Boxwood Inn


The Boxwood Inn, Newport News, VA
10 Elmhurst Street, Lee Hall Village, Newport News, VA (757) 888-8854
The gentle spirit here is said to be one of Nannie Curtis. Harmless activity is the norm, such as doors opening and closing on their own. She is also said to enjoy knocking on doors in the morning. Sleeping in is apparently not her idea of fun for this world. There is also an elderly gentleman, holding a cane, who appears on occasion.


This place is about 10 mintues from me. I have pased by it dozens of times and have never been inside. It is open as a bed and breakfast amd the rooms run around a hundred dollars a night. Maybe I will save some money so I can spend a night there sometime....But then again, I like to sleep late.

*Note This photo came off the web. I have never stopped to take one.

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May 13, 2008

Looney Lucy Haunts Her Old Home


Front of the house from the street


Side of the house looking at it from the street


Looking at back door of the house


A well that is in the backyard



Some of the backyard

Ludwell-Paradise House built around 1755
Midway on Duke of Gloucester Street between Queen and Colonial Street in Colonial Williamsburg (Next to Prentis Store)

Haunted by Lucy Ludwell.
Lucy was a member of one of Williamsburg’s most prominent families. Her grandfather was a member of the House of Burgesses and one of the city’s orginial trustees. Her father was a member of the governor’s council. Lucy was never liked by the townspeople and was considered unkind. She met John Paradise in London and they settled there. After the revolutionarily war the state of VA. confiscated Lucy’s house in Williamsburg.
When John died in 1795 it took Lucy until 1805 to get permission to return to Virginia and claim her home.
It was clear when Lucy returned that she was in a deluded state of mind and thought that the people of Williamsburg should treat her as royalty.
She paraded up and down Duke of Gloucester street waving with her servant following behind. She would dress herself with two or three dresses and walk for hours down the street. She would also take make-believe carriage rides by having her slaves push and rock her horseless couch in her stable.
In 1816 the townspeople had her committed to the public hospital, a mental institute
on Frances Street
As they carried her away screaming and shouting she vowed she would return home someday. With in two years of her incarceration she went completely insane and died in the asylum.
Her home was sold several times before the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg and it was five years after it was purchased by CW that restoration began on the home.
Workers would report tools missing papers thrown about documents missing, water turning on and off by itself, and noises from empty rooms. Some are convinced that Lucy has come home to stay.

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Wagon Of Death/Public Gaol (Jail) Colonial Williamsburg
If found guilty of a heinous crime a person was placed in the Public Gaol (Jail) to await hanging.

Cells were small, unheated, no glass in the windows, which were barred. Prisoners slept on insect ridden straw, shackles were found during excavations, Prisoners were shacked to the floor.
The “Wagon of Death” came to escort them to the gallows. The condemned man could hear the creaking of the carts wheels as it rolled down Nicholson Street. The prisoner then had to sit on there own coffin for the mile long ride to Hangman’s Road. No physical evidence is left of the gallows but the Gaol is still standing and is one of the oldest buildings in Colonial Williamsburg. It housed murders, pirates, Indians, run-away slaves and common debtors until 1780. It continued to house offenders until 1910.
Stories have been told for over a century of hearing the sounds of a horse and wagon going down Nicholson Street in pre-dawn hours. When those hearing the sound would rush to the windows, nothing was there.

The public Goal is located on the eastern end of Nicholson Street. Nicholson Street runs parallel to Duke of Gloucester Street. Look for the Capital. The jail is to the left (north) side of the Capital

*Footnote

The Orginial brick building was 20 by 20 feet with an adjoining walled exercise yard. Presently the gaol has three rooms on the first floor, a larger one for the gaoler and two smaller ones for male and female prisoners. Attic chambers were used to confine petty offenders.
Hanging was often the penalty for arson, piracy, horse stealing, forgery and stealing. The gaol served the colony until 1780 and used as a jail by the city of Williamsburg until 1910.

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May 11, 2008

Visiting a local haunt

In all the excitement of the talking about the meeting with the paranormal group, I forgot to mention that I have been working on my stories for the houses in Williamsburg that are suppose to be haunted. My husband and I were up there on Saturday to take some photos. I was able to get shots of about half the houses on my list. Here is my first one.I hope you enjoy hearing about

The George Wythe House



Resembling a small plantation estate the George Wythe House has a laundry, a lumber house, a well, a stable and a kitchen. It also has a kitchen garden and an orchard.
The house was given to George Wythe as a wedding gift from his father in law. George was a lawyer, judge, teacher, and speaker of the House of Delegates. He also signed the declaration of Independence. He died in 1806 after a lingering death due to being poisoned by his grandnephew who wanted to gain his inheritance.
George Washington used the home as his temporary headquarters just prior to the siege of Yorktown. After the siege the home accommodated men wounded during the battle. One of these was a Colonel named Oscar LaBlance. A local woman named Katherine Anderson watched over him day and night. When he was out of danger of dying they made plans to marry. Unfortunately he contacted malaria from one of the other patients and died within a week. Soon after Katherine died from “natural causes”. Rumors said she died of a broken heart.
For decades there have been reports of voices, and shadows of a man in the hall. Also a woman has been seen in one of the bedrooms.
We do not know if George Wythe himself haunts the house, or if it is one of the many soliders who died. Could the lady that has been seen be poor Katherine searching for her true love? Maybe soon I will get a pass and visit the inside

Update
I found the following information about the ghost that haunt this house

The many ghost of the Wythe House

Judge George Wythe- Murdered in Richmond by his grandnephew, George Sweeney. If you sit in the study, you might feel a cold hand feel your brow.
George Washington- Said to stayed there during the time of the Revolutionary War. He is seen in the windows from time to time. In powdered wig and all.
Lady Ann Skipwith- Her ghost is seen on the stairwell on the house. Said to be outraged at a party held at the Governor's Palace. She ran home and broke her shoe. She is said to be seen hobbling on the stairs in a fit of rage.
Governor John Page- He jilted Lady Ann for the company of her sister instead. His ghost is the more revendant of the group. He's the most quite of the group and is rarely seen. He bought the house from the Wythes.

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Lady Ann

While reading a book n the Ghost of Williamsburg I ran across another story about the George Wythe house which I talked about in the previous post.
Here it is for your entertainment


When George Wythe was still living he often had house-guest by the name of Peyton Skipwith and his wife Ann.
She was born near Petersburg about 1741 and was known for her temper. She married Sir Peyton Skipwith and they lived in Mecklenburg Co. Virginia. Back in the days when the governor lived in Williamsburg they were invited to attend a ball at the Governor's Place. That night she wore a cream satin dress and tiny high heeled red slippers.
Her temper flared when saw her husband dancing with her sister Jean. She bolted from the Palace unescorted and dashed across the Palace Green toward the Wythe House. En-route she either broke the strap or heel of one of her slippers and arrived at the house hobbling on one shoe, the other foot clad only in her silk stocking.
As she went up the stairs she sounded like someone with a peg leg.
Many years went by and Lady Ann died in childbirth. Her husband then married her sister.

Does Lady Ann haunt the house? I'm not sure but: Around midnight, some report a clicking going up the main staircase. Many think it is Ann Skipwith, running up the staircase in anger, after having a fight with her husband.
She also has been seen combing her hair at her dressing table. Also there are cold spots at the top of the stairs.

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May 10, 2008

Meeting with the ghostbusters

I have this song running through my head tonight!

Ghostbusters!

Something strange, in your neighbourhood
Who you going to call?
Ghostbusters!
Something Weird and it don't look good
Who you going to call
Ghostbusters!

And I am totally psyched. As you know I was invited to meet with one of our local paranormal groups. I won't name them here to protect privacy but they are a great bunch of folks and I learned a lot. We talked about experiences and ghost hunting, equipment and what to do and not do, and of course we talked about my grandson and the ghost lady.
They all agreed they see an outline of a woman and man in the photo, but said that it appears to be matrix. I had heard of this before and expected that this might be what they told me, but because of my grandson seeing her before the photo was taken they can not rule out that something may be going on at the farm.
They are very interested in him, and asked me if I could get permission from my daughter to let him go along on an investigation. Actually more of an observation. They want us to go to an area that has been sited in the past for activity (probably the Yorktown battlefield) and let him walk around. They will bring all of there equipment and possibly let him hold the EMF meter. We will probably take bubbles or a kite, a ball or something fun like that and just let him play and see what happens. If he is the little magnet that they hope he will be then they will get some evidence of a spirit which is what all of us who love the paranormal are hoping for.
I am not sure when this outing will happen but I will let you all know.

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May 8, 2008

I want to check this out

Last night I watched the most amazing show on ghost children Called
Children Of The Grave
It was a two hour documentary. Check out the link for the trailer above. I don't know if it will be back on TV, but I jotted down some notes and plan on searching the web for some more information about that area.

Update
It came on the sci-fi channel and I checked out the listing there. It is coming back on May 28 at 2 pm.
Don't miss it.

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Chit Chat

Well it seems my little Ghost Photo is making it's way around the web. Not only has it been published by two other sites. I now have a professional paranormal photographer taking a look at it. I wrote him a letter and asked if he was interested in viewing a photo and he wrote back this morning and said yes, so it is on the way to him.
Here is his website if you want to check out his other stuff
The Ghost Guy
I'm excited that the photo is getting recognized, because to me it validates that what happened is real and not just the imagination of my grandson.

I want to do some more investigation of the farm and graves, but now with it being summer a lot of people visit the farm, and it will be hard to be alone at the graves and woods near them.
I am going to try getting up really early one morning or either go just before closing one night. I will go during the week and see if that will work out to take some EVP's. It will probably be another week or so before I get to go alone. We are going next week for my grandson's birthday party, but more than likely won't visit the graves that day.

In the mean time I still plan on attending the meeting I have been invited to with one of our local paranormal groups. Hopefully they will decide to do another investigation out there and I can wiggle out an invitation to tag along.

Also I also got a very nice email from Haunted San Diego They have been by this blog and wanted to let me know they had visited. Way cool huh.
Here is some information on them.
Haunted San Diego is an informational web site about ghosts, the paranormal and supernatural. It is not a tour group or paranormal research group. They run a website where people can share stories and have a forum and stuff. Also photo's can be submitted there so I will probably send the photo and story to them.
It's amazing when you start looking around just how many people are interested in the paranormal. I love it. I wish I had started this interest 20 years ago. Just think of all the stuff I have missed out on. Oh well, I am into it now. So look out world!(Spirit World that is)

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May 7, 2008

Types of Hauntings

Residual:

The most common style of a human haunting is a residual haunting. A residual haunting is like having an impression made in time. The entity may seem to be lost in a time warp. The spirit really isn't even there, only the energy is.

In most cases people may here screaming or crying due to the violence factor that may have caused this traumatic event to happen. People may also hear the sounds of footsteps walking on the stairs or through hallways.

Typically the repeated event is whatever the person who left the energy behind did often or an significant event that they remember happening to them. It is almost like it the energy has become part of the dwelling that they once occupied on an every day basis. These haunting styles always seem to happen in the same place every time.

There is usually very little you can do on this style of a haunting except make the family who is having these problems understand what is going on and explain to them that they are in no danger due to the energy not being controlled by the person who left it behind.

There is no actual entity present in this style of haunting, and the energy that was left behind is just like a video playing the same scene over and over again. Eventhough it is not aware that people are there, it can still be a scary and emotional situation to the people who have to deal with it happening in their home.

It may happen every night or every week or even every year. It is the most frequent haunting investigators will come across in their cases. An investigator will tell you there is nothing they can do about this style haunting and they are correct. People need to either except what happens and learn to deal with it, or move on.

-Jason (TAPS)


Negative entity / Demonic:

Demons are one of the known inhuman entities out there. Fortunately, they are a rare occurrence.

They are usually very easy to identify as long as they are not hiding. When it is a demonic haunting you typically notice a revolting stench similar to rotted flesh or sulfuric acid. They often let loose a growl that sounds like it is coming from everywhere at once. They like to make contact by pushing, shoving, hitting, and even scratching. The whole air in the affected area will feel thick like fog and the temperature will drastically change, typically becoming warmer.

These creatures are very strong, unlike human spirits, and they don't mind showing it. There have been cases where people have been thrown through the air and even attacked. Apparently, their main goal is to break down a person's free will in order to make way for possession. This can take days, months or years, but time is of no concern to them.

They have a hatred for mankind that dates back to the days of God and Lucifer. They have lived for millennia and will be here long after we are gone. So, you must understand that though you may be able to get these creatures to leave a dwelling with religious provocation you will never destroy them. They could go to the next place down the road if they choose, most likely they won't because distance is not a problem for these creatures. They could go from Maine to California on a thought.

They can take on any form they wish, but mostly commonly it is a half man, half animal form. They will have the head of an animal, the torso of a man, and the hairy legs of an animal. When they are approached by an investigating paranormal team they may feel threatened and appear in a human form to keep the home from being blessed and stop the use of religious provocation.

During an investigation you need assess the situation more by what happened before you arrived than what is actually going on during the time you are there. Demons are capable of changing form right in front of you from a human form to an inhuman form. They neither male nor female, but then can change that to meet their needs. People mostly see demons as black masses standing in doorways or near rooms. Sometimes they are called shadow devils.

If you feel like you have a demon in your home I would recommend getting help from a well known paranormal group as quickly as possible. Time is of the essence when dealing with these creatures.


-Jason (TAPS)



Intelligent:

In this style of haunting the entity or entities are aware of their surroundings. Most of the time you will find that these spirits are not confined to one spot, they can move around freely. Also, they will acknowledge the existence of human beings and even try to communicate in certain ways.

They are limited in what they can do. Most of the time they only move very light objects but they have been known to move objects up to around 10lbs. They are looking for people to notice them but they end up scaring people a great deal instead.

Usually, between the hours of 11pm and 4am are the times that the entities can more efficiently manifest themselves, due to this time period being the darkest hours of the night. Most of the time are not strong enough to show themselves during the daylight because it takes too much energy to make themselves visible. Think of it like this, if you were to turn on a flashlight during the daytime you would hardly notice the light, but if you were to turn it on in the dead of night, the light would be clearly visible. This is how spirits work as well. If they use too much energy during the day they will be too weak to show themselves at night.

These spirits can be benevolent or mischievous, depending on the reason that they are haunting a location, and there are several reasons. They may be haunting it because it was once their home and they want you to leave. They may be there because they've found that a child is able to see them so they feel noticed and are willing to stay around for this fact. There may be some kind of artifact that they are staying with and following due to some emotional bond with it. They also may be looking for something or someone. They may even not be willing to except that they have died. Whatever the reason may be, they are there and they do not want to leave.

Now comes the hard part, ridding a house of them. They are not inhuman entities which we will get to, so religious provocation will not be effective to rid the area they are in. You are, as they are, limited to what you can do.

-Jason (TAPS)

Poltergeist:

Poltergeist is from a German word meaning noisy spirits. Reports of poltergeists date back to Ancient Roman times.

The activity that takes place will start of with knocks and bangs, furniture starting to move around by itself. Then, the activity will become more intense, manifesting itself through voices and even the appearance of full apparitions. Furniture may slide across the room and beds may shake. Many shows are based on this is a style of haunting because it tends to be the most terrifying and rarest type of haunting that occurs.

Most of the time, in the case of a poltergeist, the haunting circles around a female in her teen years. Some of these cases seem to be caused by the female unknowingly controlling the energy around herself. Some cases happen around people that are stable and in the right mind space.

This haunting is hard to classify due to certain situations. No two are ever really the same. Most of the time you will find that one person in the household seems to be more affected by the haunting than anyone else. It may seem that most of the activity doesn't happen unless that certain person is present. Usually, the activity appears to stop when that person leaves the home. The majority of the time poltergeists are experienced by several people, but again they seem to center around one certain person. This person may be highly stressed as of late or maybe this person has gone through some type of extreme emotional situation. If this is the case, see that the individual involved gets some medical care, and soon afterwards the poltergeist will subside.

When it is not the teenager that is manifesting activity there are usually several spirits in the area. The spirits appear to pool their energy together in order to become strong enough to move larger objects and make more noises. In order to remedy the situation, you need to find the root of their anger so that they can pass over and leave you in peace. On most poltergeist cases they will disappear with out any warning, just as they appeared. Certain times it may stop within a few days, other times it may take years. You may never know the reason that it happened. Most people are just happy to see it go and that's enough for them.

By understanding why it was there in the first place helps you to understand how to keep it from ever coming back again. Knowledge is the key in protecting yourself in this world.


-Jason (TAPS)



Haunted Q and A____________________________________________
There may be simple, ordinary reasons for the happenings in your home. Try to look for logical reasons behind knocking, banging, hot spots, cold spots, voices etc.

Q: Can spirits follow you?
A: It is blieved that they can, they may be attached to you or something that you have ie:an object.

Q: Can children see spirits?
A: Children are more open minded; therefore, they might not know if what they are seeing is a spirit. They are not preconditioned to ignore the unexplainable and really don't understand the statement ?there are no such thing as ghosts?. Also keep in mind that fact and fiction are blurred in a child's mind, so use your best judgement when trying to decide if your child has had a legitmate paranormal experience.

Q: What is so bad about the ouija board?
A: You are giving something beyond our realm control of your motor functions. You are allowing yourself to be manipulated by something you don?t know. It?s not the board itself, you can make a spirit board out of anything, it?s the practice of using it as a vehicle to lower your will.

Q: I was sleeping and I couldn?t move, something was pushing on me what was it?
A: Could have been sleep paralysis. What happens is your body temporarily paralyzes itself during sleep to preventyou from enacting everything that you are dreaming about. Sometimes your body is awake but your mind is asleep and you end up sleepwalking. Other times it works the other way around, your mind is awake but your body is sleeping and you cannot move. This can leave you delusional as, while you panic, your breathing and heart rate does not increase to compensate, so eventually you fallback asleep and all is well.
Common side effects are feelings of being held down, shortness of breath, inability to speak.

Q: How do I start my own group?
A: This requires a group of like-minded individuals, a good sense of safety and responsibility, and common sense. Some people start with a group of friends, some look on the internet for other groups that are already up and running. On our main page there is a link to all our TAPS family members. The TAPS Family consists of established, affiliated groups that you may want to learn from. Click on the ?investigators? link to find one near you.

Q:What is the best equipment to use?
A: We do have extensive equipment, however it has been years in the making, and these things were not purchased all at once. It may take time and saving up a bit to get a good equipment base. However, excellent results can be obtained with the most basic of equipment such as a video camera with nightshot and an audio recorder, either analog or digital. Other equipment you might look to buy are; an EMF meter, thermometer, and cameras, 35mm and digital. Some of these are obviously expensive equipment, so to buy them one by one is ok too. These tools are an investment and need to be treated as such. Be sure to handle your equipment carefully and to store it properly?You want to be sure it will be useful to you for a long time. Always keep a checklist of your equipment, and inventory it before and after an investigation. When deciding on equipment, don't forget to factor in the cost of media (tapes, film, etc.) Many people choose digital to overcome this, while other swear the results are better with the non-digital variety.

Q: How do I get rid of an unwanted spirit?
A: Well, hopefully, with the right knowledge, you won't feel threatened by its presence, but if you are truly uncomfortable with the fact you may have a spirit, and it is the right type of spirit, you can ask it to leave. As a family you need to tell it to leave, to move on. This may take several tries, however it is your home and you need to take charge. Simply say ?we do not want you here, it is time you moved on?.

Q: Why do spirits move things?
A: We cannot interview a spirit to find out for sure, but we guess that they may want to let you know they are there. Simple daily tasks that we perform without even a thought may take a spirit some time to accomplish. You may wake up to a cup being a few feet from where you left it. That may be their way of telling you ?hey I?m here?. The important thing to do is to try and find the sense in the activity in an attempt to figure out what they are trying to accomplish.

Q: How much weight can a spirit move?
A: Iin our experience we've found that what we label as an intelligent spirit doesn't seem to move objecs more than around 10 pounds in weight. This can actually work out to be quite a shove or a grab. A demonic or inhuman entity, appears to be able to move much more than that.

Q: What is a demonic or inhuman?
A: A demonic or inhuman is a classification we use to describe an entity that has never walked the earth in a human corporeal form. Ther are many different types; demons, elementals, angels,etc.

Q: How come I keep seeing a shadow figure out of the corner of my eye, but when I look at it it?s gone?
A: Basically, light entering from the corner of the eye is distorted more than the light that enters the eye from straight on. What you see out of the corner of your eye is simply your mind's best guess at what you would see if you were to look straight at it. Therefore, you cannot be too sure of what you see through the corner of your eye.

Q: Why do you investigate at night?
A: One theory is that if an entity, while manifesting itself, causes any light at all, you will see it better at night with infrared cameras. Yet, if an entity, while manifesting itself, does not cause light, then you will see it at night with infrared cameras. If you were to do this during the day, you wouldn't catch that bit of light, should there be one. For example: if you turn on a flashlight outside on a sunny day it's not going to be discernable at all. But if you turn on the dimmest of all flashlight in the darkness, you will see it very clearly. Also, sound travels further at night do to a phenomenon called sound refraction. Most of all, that is when the reported activity almost always is reported to happen. And, that is when we aren't all working at our jobs, lol.



Q: I see on the show "Ghost hunters" that they are only there a short time. Why not stay longer?
A: Ah, the miracle of editing. TAPS is typically at a location for 12 hours or longer. There have been episodes that they have investigated for two nights but the show was edited to make it look like one night. It takes roughly two and a half weeks to film one forty-three minute show.
Q: Can spirits travel from place to place?
A:We don't see why not. They seem to have the ability to move at their will.

Q: Why can spirits travel through walls?
A: One theory is that they are made up of energy and as you know energy is not solid, giving them the ability to travel through a wall.



From
www.theatlanticparanormalsociety.com

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Top Ten Ghost Hunting Tools Of The Trade

1. EMF Meter - Used to detect fluctuations in the electro magnectic field. Many believe that these fluctuations could be the result of paranormal activity. The Northern Kentucky Paranormal Group uses two types of these; the Tri-Field meter, which is one of the more popular models. And the K2 which uses LED lights and is very sensitive.

2. Thermal Scanner - Uses an IR laser to detect the air temperature. Used to detect "cold spots" which are believed to be spirits drawing the energy of their surroundings in order to manifest.

3. Digital Recorder with Microphone - Used to pick up EVP's, disembodied vocies heard on the recording that were not heard during an investigation.

4. Camera - Both 35mm, digital and camcorders are used. Helps document the area of an investigation and to try and provide proof of the paranorma.

5. Pen and paper - Used to document everything that happens in the investigation, from the research to the actual on site hunting.

6. Dowsing Rods - Used like the EMF meter

7. Motion Dector - Used to detect motion that we wouldn't be able to see otherwise.

8. Flashlight- A team from University College London finds that when we gaze around in a poorly-lit context, it can fool our brains into seeing things that are not really there.

9. Two Way Radios - Two Way Radios are recommended if the investigation involves splitting in to teams. This way you can easily communicate with the other team. Check that all radios are communicating on the same channel.

10. Batteries - Often batteries mysteriously lose their charge at an investigation. We recommend you bring at least one extra set of batteries for each piece of equipment that requires them.

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I got published again

How cool is this!!


My photo is at Haunted America Tours

I submited this last night and they published it today

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May 2, 2008

Spooky Link

While visiting Encounters With The Unexplained
I found this video on Shadow People of Waverly Hills
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZqw6_EMm34&hl=en]
It is really freaky so I followed the link Here
For more information on The Waverly Hills Sanatorium.
Check it out. This is one place I am not sure I would want to visit.

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