Haunted place of your choosing

HAUNTED PLACE OF YOUR CHOOSING




10 House points will be awarded to Just Ginny for this class idea when the class is graded. Excellent idea Ginny and you may still participate in this class!

For this lesson. I would like you to choose any haunted location that has documented evidence and write about it. Do it in an essay form and include all information which you think is important. Location and name of the place is definitely required. There are many famous locations to choose from. Just pick your favorite! I will accept no less than 350 words on this assignment!

I will award up to 50 points for this assignment and will throw in an extra 5 points if there is a picture of the place included!

Please site any sources you used for aiding you in this class! Points will be awarded periodically.

Once of the most famous haunted homes in America is none other then The Bell Witch Cave at Adams, Tennessee in 1817. This story was so popular and fascinating that it was made into a Muggle movie (images that move on a Muggle screen) called The American Haunting. The hauntings started as John Bell, the father of the household, found a strange mutant creature on his farm, which resembled a half dog, half rabbit. After firing his gun at the strange animal, spiritual occurrences started to happen on his home. At first, the incidents started off small such as knocking and creaky noises. However, they started to become more drastic with blankets getting pulled off the bed to moaning in the walls. The youngest daughter Betsy Bell received most of the abuse as she was constantly slapped and her hair was harshly tugged.

It was later believed that the spirit was actually their neighbor named Kate Batts, who died a few days earlier. She was seen having a very heated argument with the father right before her death. It was also speculated that the old witch crawled and hid in a cave on the edge of the Bell’s property. Soon after, the witch’s voice started to fill the household with threats and tauntings. John Bell soon became deathly ill, as the spirit continued taunting him, causing him to never get rest. One night, he was found on his bedside with a strange empty bottle on the floor. As the neighbors let a cat taste the liquid, it immediately kneeled over and died. John Bell soon followed it and also died.

Many people came to view the presence if the Bell witch, including President Andrew Jackson himself. As soon as he appeared at the farm’s property, an invisible force caused his carriage to block the road unable to proceed on. It wasn’t until he admitted out loud of the witch’s presence when the invisible barrier disappeared. He then proclaimed that he would never come near the Bell’s farm again.

Although the spirit continued to plague the Bell family, causing little Betsy unable to wed, Kate also made some remarkable predictions, from the Civil War, the Great Depression, and the two World Wars. After a moment, the witch proclaimed that she would leave the family in peace yet would return in seven years time. At that time, John Bell Jr. was residing at the home. After terrorizing the family for three weeks’ time, she announced that she would return in 107 years. However, when that moment finally came, there was no sign of her.



Sources: Yahoo images, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Witch, http://www.prairieghosts.com/b-cave.html

The Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

The Eastern State Penitentiary, open 1829 – 1913, created a nondescript prototype hundreds of other prisons in America. However, this prison stands out for its unique treatment of its prisoners who suffered fates worse than death. The solitude these prisoners suffered because the Quakers forced prisoners to succumb to in order to help them find God. However, these Quakers just caused insanity and desperation. The torment these prisoners received thus spawned the long tradition of the presence of ghosts and chilling tales.

These inmates suffered some of the worst and brutal punishments if they attempted to communicate with other inmates. Some received an icy water bath followed by being hung on the wall overnight, thus leaving a coating of ice on their skin. Others would be strapped into a chair without food or circulation to force them to stop moving. Even worse, the iron gag clamped an iron collar to a prisoner’s tongue, and any movement would cause severe bleeding, enough to cause death sometimes. Finally, the hole under Block #14 trapped soldiers in a pit with little air, no light, and food if they could eat it before the rats did. Even worse, the prisoner, originally intended to house 250 prisoners, held 1700 prisoners in divided cells with less light and space than before. Soon enough, by 1913, the state took action to reform the prison but finally closed it down in 1971.

Many employees have suspected the haunting of this prison and paranormal researchers who claim to hear uncanny and unexplained noises in the prison. One story revolves around the locksmith restoring Cell Block #4. In his attempt to remove a lock over a centennial old, an unexplained force prevented his movement. The only explanation determined that his unlocking of the door allowed for the spirits of dead inmates to leave the locked cells, as the locksmith described his out of body experience when in contact with the energy field. His vivid memory includes images of distorted faces swirling around the cellblock and appearing on the cell walls.

The penitentiary, now open to the public, receives around two dozens paranormal inspections, all of which determine paranormal activity. Still today, tourists and employees alike hear noises similar to weeping, giggling, and whispering throughout the prison’s walls.




Works Cited
Montaldo, Charles. "Haunting Ghost Stories of Eastern State Penitentiary." Eastern State Penitentiary. 2007. 25 Aug. 2007 <http://crime.about.com/od/prison/a/easternstate.htm>.

Chillingham Castle, located in Chillingham Village, Northumberland, England lays claim to the status of England's "Most Haunted" - a bold claim for a country peppered with structures ancient long before America was a twinkle in her founding fathers' eyes. However, the ghostly roster and "tortured" history of the Chillingham seem to make it a formidable adversary for any contenders to the title. Even its name seems to give it a competitive edge.
Located in northern england along the Scottish border, Chillingham was built as a single watch tower in the 1100's C.E. A sentinel to many a bloody conflicts as Scots vied for their independence from an English rule. The imposing fortress was already over 100 years old when "Longshanks" King Edward I spent the night on his way to do battle with Scottish hero William Wallace. After a brief period of Scottich independence under Robert the Bruce, the structure was again recognized as an asset to English conquest and rule of Scotland. Battlements were added by lease of Edward III in 1348 C.E. and Chillingham became a fully fortified castle. It was used as a British Army barracks during World War II and fell into disrepair during and after the war. It was restored to former glory in 1980 by the only family to ever claim ownership of the castle, the "Earl Greys", the same family that lends its name to the famous strain of tea.

Instances of the paranormal abound even outside the castle walls. The approach to the castle known infamously as the "Devil's Walk" more than sets the scene for the numerous hauntings ascribed to Chillingham. The main path is lined with trees still bearing the pins upon which accused witches were impaled. Even the gravel on the path lends to the area's macabre atmosphere. It is mingled with all too visible bone fragments, likely peices of the hundreds of anonymous prisoners, mostly Scots, tortured and executed in the castle dungeon. Upon entering the castle, on can view another very real and ghastly testimony to it's dark past. The skeleton of a young girl, said to be the last prisoner to suffer here, casts her skeletal gaze upward from the Oubliette into which she was cast to spend her final hours.
Chillingham's most famous and most often spectre is known as the "blue boy" or "radiant boy", so called because of the blue Regency period clothing he appears in and the blue auroa that often accompanies his ghost. He has most often been seen in the pink room, usually emanating from a particular part of the wall. Shrieks of pain and fear usually precede his appearence, most often just after midnight. "Blue Boy" is believed to be the spirit of a boy whose body was found in the wall alongside an adult male body by workers in the 1920's. Fragments of blue cloth were found as well as documents suggesting the boy was walled up alive as punishment for discovering a Scottich aristocrat's collusion with Spain against England. The next most often spirit is that of Lady Mary Berkely, or the Lady Grey, poignantly seeking her unfaithful husband. Her husband, Lord Grey of Walk, deserted his wife and child and ran off with the Lady Henrietta, Lady Mary's sister. Lady Mary's spirit has been seen stepping from her portrait in the castle nursery. Her presence is most often felt as a chill breeze and a rustling skirt. The pantry is home to a frail presence in white. This sad creature asks for water, then disappears before her request is granted.
Other phenomenon at Chillingham is sensed rather than seen. The voices of two men gripped in conversation can be heard in the library. The voices stop the instant anyone stops to try and eavsedrop. Cameras and other equipment often malfunction in the chapel. Bones were discovered there during a recent renovation. The Minstrel's Gallery is said to provoke feelings of anxiety, nausea, and headache. Some people have reported feeling the urge to hurl themselves over the balcony onto the concrete floor below.

The Edward Room, also known as the "Killing Room", is said to be the castle's most active, possibly due to the grisly murder of Scottish children. After battle wounds ended his military carrer, John Sage, one of Longshanks most trusted men, has awarded the role of Castle Torturer. Sage rounded up his cast of Scottish prisoners and burned them alive in the courtyard. The children of the burning prisoners watched in horror from the Edward Room. Still thristy for blood, Sage then ascended to the room and hacked each of the children to death. The youngest victim was just one year old. Sage's axe still hands in the hall. The room almost always carry a foul smell that has been likened to burning flesh. The room's chandelier swings without the aid of a breeze. Childish screams can be heard coming from the room at night.
In an ironic twist of ghostly fate, Sage himself became a prominent part of Chillingham's ghostly cast. While in the throes of heightening his girlfriend's sexual pleasure thrill via auto-erotic asphyxia, Sage accidentally killed his lover. This tragic accident might have gone unnoticed had the dead woman not have been Elizabeth Charlton, daughter of a prominent family of Border Reivers, mercenaries in Edward's conflicts with the Scots. The Charlton's threatened to join the side of the Scots and assault Chillingham unless Sage was killed. Longshanks, rendered penniless from the wars, had little choice but to comply. Sage was hung along the "Devil's Walk". While he was still very much alive, members of the huge audience began taking souvenirs from the infamously cruel Sage. The tokens included his fingers, toes, nose, and testicles - no doubt a fitting end to one so vile and wretched. Today, the ghost of John Sage walks about the castle grounds, recognized by the odd gait caused by his career-ending battle wound.
Last, but far from least, is the castle's famous lake. Despite its serene appearence, it too holds the dark secrets of Chillingham's bloody history. The remians of thousands of Scots killed in nearby battles were loaded into carts and tossed into a watery grave. Legend says that anyone who allows their hands to break the surface of the water may be pulled down by the souls of Scottich warriors who fail to rest in peace.

Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England is considered one of the most haunted places in the world. It has been the seat of the Townshend family for 300 years. It’s most famous ghost is the Brown Lady, who is thought to be Dorothy Walpole, the sister of Britain’s first Prime Minister, who died in 1726. She was the wife of Charles Townshend and died at the age of 40. Their marriage was said to be unhappy and he apparently took away her children and treated her badly.
There are many reported versions of her death: starvation, falling, and being pushed down the staircase (which is the most popular place to see her ghost), however, the documented version says she died of smallpox. It was only a short few weeks later that servants first started reporting seeing her ghost. There is a second belief that her funeral in 1726 was a hoax, and that Charles kept her locked up in the house after the funeral. She is reported to be wearing a brown dress and look exactly the same as the picture of her hanging in one of the bedrooms, except that people have reported seeing empty eye sockets. One of the most famous sightings was reported by King George IV (who was Prince Regent at the time). He was staying in the state bedroom and woke up the whole house in the middle of the night saying that a little lady who was dressed in brown had been standing by his bed. He immediately refused to stay in the hall any longer and left.
In the 1930s reporters for Country Life Magazine were photographing the Hall and the photographer’s assistant, Indra Shira, saw something on the stairs and bade the photographer, Captain Provand, to take a picture. Captain Provand saw nothing himself, and didn’t believe anything would appear in the picture. When they developed the photograph there was a figure on the staircase. This photograph is supposedly one of the most authentic ghost photographs ever taken, and the most famous, however, her ghost has not been sighted since the picture was taken.

Sources:
http://www.ghostdatabase.co.uk/articles/raynham/
http://inventorspot.com/13_real_haunted_places?page=0%2C1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynham_Hall

The haunted place of my choosing is the castle of Elizabeth Bathory, the blood countess. Europe in the 1500’ s was a time of superstition and fear. Many of the most haunting stories are made with the insanity of a noble, or sometimes even a peasant, but all that is known is that whether it was insanity or truly witchcraft, these women and men were cold blooded murders to their own people. Born in1560 to a noble Hungarian family, Elizabeth was said to be of great beauty and grace. Her family flaunted these attributes and were very proud of their daughter, even in her cruelty. The Bathory family was notorious for dabbling in the black arts and diabolism, among many other things that were not ever concealed from the young Elizabeth. At the age 11, her great beauty had a taker she was betrothed. Elizabeth’s fiancé, Count Ferencz Nadasdy and she were married just as she reached the age of 16. The Count was a fierce Hungarian warrior and was cited as the “The Black Hero of Hungary”. As soon as the two were married, the Count whisked the young Elizabeth to his castle, Castle Csejthe. Isolated deep in the Carpathian Mountains, the castle had almost no contact with the outside world. The only people around for many miles were the superstitious peasants that tended to the rich fields at the village below the castle, Csejthe.
But Elizabeth’s time with her new husband was short lived. Only staying long enough to find out that he was to be succeeded in his bloodline, he shortly left afterward to return to the battles that were his calling, leaving his new countess all alone. Elizabeth, as you might notice, was not in the least satisfied or interested in her married life. The Count returned periodically and gave Elizabeth 4 children, but other than that Elizabeth was left to her own devices. When her husband was gone, and Elizabeth the only ruler of the house, she made it known to all who lived near that she was a abusive mistress and showed no mercy to her people. In her free time, Elizabeth was known to have taken many lovers. One such lover, the villagers believed, was a vampire, due to his chalky white complexion, his slim body, and his extraordinarily sharp teeth. After this lover, the villagers of Csejthe made sure to avoid the Baroness more than ever. Elizabeth’s extracurricular activities included beating and torturing her young female servants using first, methods learned from her aunt and then various devices of torture found in the castle’s dungeon. Gathering a group of trusted servant’s and even her own personal nurse, Elizabeth created a conclave whose sole purpose was to delve deep into the heart of witchcraft. Always a vain and spoiled as a child, Elizabeth’s greatest gift, she thought, was her beauty. Entering her 20’s though, she came to realize that her beauty was coming to fade. Elizabeth’s temper skyrocketed and her beating of her female servants became more and more brutal. Many feared for the girls’ lives, but were even more afraid of the countess’s actions if she were to find out who had stopped her fun. In 1600, Elizabeth was sent word that her husband had died and at once became the sole mistress of her isolated home. At that point, Elizabeth gave her children to her relatives and mother in law, the Countess was even freer to do as she liked to the villagers. Angered that her witchcraft was having no effect on her quickly aging body, she struck one of her newest maid across the face. Blood gushed out of the poor girl’s nose as the Countess mercilessly wiped the blood away from her hand. After wiping the blood away, the Countess became convinced the skin looked smoother. Not a moment of hesitation passed before the Countess called her manservant o kill and maid and drain her blood for her to take a bath in it. Soon more and more maidens from the villages and places around it were lured into the castles by Elizabeth’s faithful servants and killed. When the steady of young girls ran out, Elizabeth’s obsession did not waver for a moment. As she began to think up new plans to lure girls in, she hit upon her downfall. Many noble, aristocratic families were searching for tutors for their girls, and the Countess with her noble bloodline was the perfect choice. But the when the Countess’s charges began to disappear, immediate action was taken. The Countess’s methods had begun to get sloppy. Instead of properly disposing of the bodies, now, she simply threw them out to the wolves. One of the Countess’s close relatives was sent for a visit. Count Gyorgy Thurzo was sent with 100 soldiers to investigate and what they encountered was beyond their wildest fears. While walking through the woods, the Count stumbled upon the bodies of 6 young maidens, some still alive and dying.
All but one of Elizabeth’s followers were executed, some in a manor that befitted those who had tortured and killed as they had. At the time, Hungarian law did not allow nobles to be tried or executed, but Parliament was not going to let Elizabeth get away with the murder of over 600 young girls. Condemned to be locked in the highest tower of the castle, she had no outside contact except for the slipping of food through a slot in the door, the Countess never spoke a word of remorse for the women she had killed. For the villagers still living in Csejthe, the castle is an eyesore reminding them of the heinous crimes that were committed there. Many villagers claim to have heard the screaming of the young girls begging mercy from the blood thirsty countess, and even more, the howling of wolves feasting on human flesh.

Sources:
http://mdmd.essortment.com/elizabethbathor_rmpp.htm
The Discover Channel: Dangerous Women

I chose the
Glensheen Mansion

as one of the most interesting 'haunted mansions' I have herd of. Origonally, I was going to do the Winchester Mystery House, but that has been taken.


The Glensheen Mansion is located on the
shores of Lake Superior at the eastern edge of Duluth, Minnesota .
The mansion's construction began in 1905 and ended in 1908 (it took
three years to build). It was a combination of late Victorian and
Art Nouveau styling, with 39 rooms. Mr. Chester Adgate Congdon, the
owner of Glensheen Mansion, was a school teacher. He originally
lived in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin, and moved to Duluth in 1892 with
his family. Chester Congdon, unfortunately, was only able to enjoy
his new home for a little over ten years. He died November 21, 1916.
His family did not move, but kept living in the mansion. His
youngest daughter, Elisabeth Mannering Congdon, born on April 22
1894, inherited the forty million dollars from her father.
Elizabeth was never married. In 1932 she adopted a girl and named
her Marjorie Mannering Congdon. But Marjorie was not all that
healthy, and was diagnosed as a sociopath at an early age. She
married twice. In 1977, Elizabeth and her nurse, Velma Pietila,
where killed. There bodies where found in the mansion. Ron
Caldwell, Marjorie's second husband, was convicted of murdering them.
Marjorie was acquitted of all charges. Years later, she was
convicted of fraud and arson. She has served her sentence and is
still alive today. The Minnesota Supreme Court ended up over turning
Ron's sentence. Yet six years later, he confessed that he did indeed
murder Elizabeth and Velma. He committed suicide to end his
miserable life (He was also diagnosed with mental illnesses). In
1979, the mansion was opened for tourists year round. The Glensheen
Mansion has been kept in tip top shape. The garden still grows, the
inside is still beautiful. In 1992, the third floor, where Elizabeth
and her nurse where murdered, was reopened to the public. In 1972
the movie "You'll Like My Mother" starring Patty Duke was
filmed at the mansion giving some Hollywood celebrity to the
structure as well. So even though a murder was once lose in this
beautiful house, it still stands tall and welcomes visitors. Oh, how
I wish I could go there! The beauty, the flowers, the Lake! Oh,
sorry, I get a little carried away. ^_^ So, yeah, that was my
report. Thanks for reading!

oh, I forgot to add where I got my source from! Well, here it is:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/381286/history_of_glensheen_mansion_chester.html

Haunted place of your choosing


Alcatraz


https://2img.net/r/ihimizer/img229/4048/alcatraz1xk7.jpg


Alcatraz was the American prison where people like Al Capone, Alvin Karpis and Machine-Gun Kelly spent. It was known as the rock as it was in the middle of nowhere with no way of escape making it very lonely. Alcatraz closed down in 1963. Those who had survived often went mad and lost their minds and even their souls.

Many people tried to escape, many through the vast water, drowning in their tries. Many people died through influenza in 1918 and this also made more people try to escape, many being killed on capture. The guards were known to be as nasty as some of the prisoners, making Alcatraz a nasty place to be, which may explain why it is haunted today.

During the day, Alcatraz is filled with visitors, but at night, the building is said to be filled with the energy of those who came to serve time there haunting the very buildng they were imprisoned in.

There have been strange, clanging sounds behind a locked steel door where many prisoners died and a night watchman once opened the door and peered down the dark corridor, but saw nothing and there were no sounds. When he closed the door, the noises started again. Other night watchmen say that they have heard the sounds of what appear to be men running coming the from the upper parts of the prison. Other people have reported screms and footsteps but no one to be seen. Many of the guides have also said there is a strangeness about one of the "hole" cells, both noises, an intense feeling and an extreme coldness. When the prison was actually used as a prison a prisoner was locked in a cell and began screaming saying he saw some creature with glowing eyes though no one at the time believed him and left him there. The following morning he was dead with a horrible frozen expression on his face and clear marks of hands around his throat. Later the face of the man was seen before vanishing into thin air.

Location: nr Sunderland

Origin: 17th Century



Background: The present castle was built, by Sir William Hilton, between 1374 and 1420. There is nothing left of the original castle built in 1072. Towards the end of the 18th Century the castle was abandoned and much of it was demolished in 1862. This is the Cauld Lad's story.


Story: I'm Robert Skelton and I was a bit of a lazy boy. I didn't mean any harm but if the master didn't keep me busy I got into mischief. I was a stable boy and one of my jobs was to get the master's horse ready. One day I fell asleep and when the master came to get his horse it wasn't ready. He flew into a terrible rage. He threw a pitchfork at me and killed me.

He threw my naked body into the pond; it was cold even for a ghost. I used to wander round the grounds shivering. Then one day some servants left a cloak for me which kept me warm. Eventually my bones were found in the pond and I was given a proper burial. Nobody has seen me since. I am at peace and have no reason to haunt anymore - but who knows?

Awesome job everyone!! Here are your scores!

jennifer Williams - Hufflepuff - 43

Kendra_McKie - Hufflepuff - 42

dragonweaver - Hufflepuff - 40

Fairywingz21 - Hufflepuff - 45

WytchKitty - Slytherin - 43

PrincessPotter - Ravenclaw - 44

Samantha Granger - Gryffindor - 42

Vulcan/Blackjack - Hufflepuff - 40

Snape_Luffer - Hufflepuff - 38

Sage and Onion - Hufflepuff - 42

Just_Ginny - Hufflepuff - 44 + 10 for a 54 total

geordie_lass43 - Hufflepuff - 38

Stephy - Ravenclaw - 39

Of all the places in the world which are reputed to be, and are actually documented to be, haunted, perhaps one of the most famous of these is the Waverly Hills Sanitarium, which is located in Louisville, Kentucky. From disembodied voices to cold spots to ghosts roaming in its halls, Waverly Hills has a reputation for being one of the most active haunted buildings in the world.

Waverly Hills Sanitarium started life in 1910 as a two-story wooden hospital, when tuberculosis was rampant in the area. Not having enough room to house all of the patients, a new building was constructed in 1924, and in 1926, the Waverly Hills Sanitarium was opened.

Tuberculosis treatments at Waverly Hills ranged from the natural--fresh air and sunlight--to actual medical procedures, such as removing ribs, to a pneumothorax, in which a patient's lung was collapsed so that it would heal (neither this nor the removal of ribs was successful). It is estimated that 64,000 people died at Waverly Hills before it was closed and eventually reopened as a geriatric facility--Woodhaven Geriatrics Sanitarium. In 1982, it was closed because of patient abuse.

The now-abandoned building is said to have been host to satanic rituals, while it is reported that on the third-floor solarium, a little girl likes to play hide-and-seek with visitors. Other mysterious instances include hearing a little boy named Bobby playing with a leather ball, the sound of doors slamming, rooms lighting up despite the fact that there is no electricity, and even the sound of a hearse driving up and dropping off coffins. One of the more frightening occurrences is the appearance of an old lady running out of the front door, her wrists and ankles in chains, and bleeding. She is said to yell out "Help me! Somebody save me!" just before she disappears.

As eerie as these events are, there are yet more that are probably the most infamous of them all--the events surrounding room 502. It was in this room, in 1928, that the head nurse was found hanging from the light fixture. Nobody really knows why she hanged herself, but it is rumored that she was unmarried and pregnant. In 1932, another nurse who was working in room 502 was also said to have committed suicide, only this time it was by jumping from the balcony of the roof. Visitors to Waverly Hills have also reported hearing a voice yell "Get out!"

There are countless other instances of the paranormal which surround Waverly Hills Sanitarium; indeed, these only scratch the surface. Perhaps someday we will know all of the facts surrounding the mysterious events of Waverly Hills, but even if that happens, there will still remain the need to recognize that there is still an invisible reality which surrounds us, and that we would do well to respect the space of those who have not yet left their familiar surroundings.


Source:http://www.underworldtales.com/waverly.htm

Elisabetta: 50