Author Archives: The Haunted Librarian

Hawkinsville State Hospital Public Investigation

28 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by in Ghost Hunting, Historic Places, Hospitals, Investigations

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Hawkinsville State Hospital

Hawkinsville State Hospital, Georgia Archives.

The API Gals, from Archer Paranormal Investigations, are conducting a public investigation at the Hawkinsville State Hospital, Hawkinsville, Georgia on Friday, April 17th, 2015. The event is limited to 10 people. Cost is $40.

The closed facility was featured on Destination America’s Ghost Stalkers. Join the API Gals as we discuss how to properly conduct an investigation, equipment, and all things paranormal. Hurry. Spaces are going fast!

Andrew P. Jones LIVE March 5th

28 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by in Horror Movies, Movies, Radio Show

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Haunting of Cellblock 11

Haunting of Cellblock 11

Writer/Director Andrew P. Jones is dropping in on the API Gals Thursday, March 5th, 2015 at 7 pm EST to discuss the DVD release of Haunting of Cellblock 11. Purchase the movie and join the discussion at http://www.liveparanormal.com.

Hampton Court Palace “Ghost” Is Great Trickery

27 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by in Breaking the News, Castles, Ghost Stories, In the News, Photography, Urban Legends

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Hampton Court Ghost

Hampton Court “Ghost”

Hampton Court Palace “Ghost” Is Great Trickery

The Internet was abuzz this week and not just with renegade llamas. Twelve-year-old schoolgirl Holly Hampsheir was touring Hampton Court Palace with her cousin Brook McGee. With her smartphone, Holly snapped a picture of her cousin’s backside and low and behold a ghost appeared. The girls claim that they did not immediately notice the ghost until they reviewed the pictures. News of a possible image of the Dame Sybil Penn, a.k.a. The Grey Lady, quickly spread. Unfortunately, the picture is a fake.

Hampton Court Palace is plagued with sadness. Anne Boleyn resided at the palace before her beheading in 1536. Another wife of King Henry VIII Jane Seymour died weeks after childbirth at the palace in 1537. Another wife Catherine Howard was imprisoned at the palace prior to her beheading in 1542. All three supposedly haunt the palace. Hampton Court has a lot of reasons for activity.

The latest claim involves Dame Sybil Penn. Dame Sybil was a servant to four Tudor monarchs. She lived at Hampton Court. She died in the late 1500s from smallpox. Rumors of her haunting began shortly after her tomb was disturbed around 1829. However, no one has ever taken a picture of Dame Sybil, or any of King Henry VIII’s former wives, until now.

The image is a fake. Although a “photography expert” was consulted and claimed not to find tampering, the image has several tale-tell signs. First, the image is too colorful. The “ghost” appears in the center of the image. Noticeably, the spirit looks elongated. Further, the figure is either hovering or incredibly tall. Finally, there is simply too much hair. Never has a piece of evidence been so clear. Nor has there been any evidence of this type found at Hampton Court. This is just too good to be true.

See for yourself  and feel free to comment.

Update: Seems another true expert on photography Mick West debunked this image as a panorama glitch in the iPhone. Please read his incredibly interesting article Debunked: Hampton Court Ghost Photo [iPhone Panorama Glitch]. Huge thanks to Mick for clarifying!

And the Winner Is …

13 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by in Architecture, Contests, Horror Movies, Hotels & Motels, In the News

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Stanley Hotel Hedge Maze Winning Design

Winning design for the hedge maze at the Stanley Hotel.

And the Winner Is…

The Stanley Hotel gets a hedge maze. New York architect Mairim Dallaryan Standing’s hedge maze design was selected over 300+ entries. The hedge maze will be installed this spring to coincide with the annual Stanley Film Festival, April 30-May 3.

A hedge maze was a prominent feature in the 1980 movie The Shining. However, one never existed at the Stanley Hotel, inspiration for the fictional Overlook Hotel. Tourists repeatedly inquired on the location of the fictional hedge.

After 20 years of requests, the Grand Heritage Hotel Group announced the contest last November. Entries totaled 329 from 40 states and 32 countries. A 7-member panel selected the winner last week. The contest was a huge hit!

Standing wins 2 airline tickets, accommodations, and 2 all-access passes for the film festival. Book your tickets and experience the thrill of a large-scale maze.

Zaffis May Purchase Former Funeral Home for Museum

09 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in Architecture, Breaking the News, Funeral Homes, In the News, Museums, Reality TV

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John Zaffis outside former McBride Funeral Home

John Zaffis outside former McBride Funeral Home (Scott Stafford)

Zaffis May Purchase Former Funeral Home for Museum

Last year at Scarefest, John Zaffis told me that he might purchase a former funeral home and relocate his museum of all things haunted. Seems Zaffis may have identified the perfect location: the former McBride Funeral Home. Zaffis claims the building has the proper “creepy edge” required to draw in visitors.

According to an article in The Berkshire Eagle Newspaper (Adams, Massachusetts), Zaffis toured the vacant building with an architect and the town building inspector. But don’t plan a visit anytime soon. If Zaffis does make an offer, it will be several months before the museum would be operational.

Offered at $79,000, the funeral home consists of two separate buildings connected by a common entryway. Both buildings feature a large meeting room on the first floor. An apartment is on the second floor of one building. Zoning has already been changed from residential to commercial. Zaffis doesn’t anticipate a large-scale renovation. In fact, he states that the buildings are almost ideal for what he has envisioned.

Zaffis’ plans include utilizing one meeting room for paranormal lectures. The other large meeting room would house 20 of his largest items with a rotating exhibit of smaller pieces. He would stay in the apartment while in town. The additional upstairs space would be used for storage.

Zaffis started the Paranormal and Demonology Research Society of New England in 1998. He starred in the paranormal hit TV show The Haunted Collector. In addition, Zaffis appears at paranormal conferences throughout the year.

Zaffis spotted the abandoned funeral home and felt it was creepy enough to house a paranormal collection. If realized, the museum would be open on Fridays and Saturdays by appointment only. Zaffis’ collection is extensive and large. A collection fit for a funeral home!

Tonight on Archer Paranormal Radio: Ouija Board Arson & Sloss Furnace Re-Enactment

05 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in Ouija Boards

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Margaret Carroll

Margaret Carroll

Tonight week on the Archer Paranormal Radio:

  1. Ouija Board “predicts” eminent death. Arson charges filed after police investigation shows foul play. When will people learn?
  2. Public investigation at the Sloss Furnaces in Alabama. A man is setting himself on fire as part of a re-enactment. Is this a good idea?

Tune in to Archer Paranormal Radio every Thursday evening at 7 pm EST on www.liveparanormal.com. Follow us on Twitter: @JMSpear, @HauntedLib, and @MagnoliaPsychic. Check out The Haunted Librarian, www.thehauntedlibrarian.com.

Ouija Board “Predicts” Fire: Arson Charges Filed

04 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by in Breaking the News, Crimes, In the News, Ouija Boards

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Katrina Livingston

Katrina Livingston

Ouija Board “Predicts” Fire: Arson Charges Filed

Ouija boards are not toys. Here’s another glowing example.

Dateline Leadgate, Consett, County Durham, England where Margaret Carroll (age 60) and Katrina Livingston (age 37) are suspected of setting fire to their home stemming from a Ouija board session. The mother and daughter were attempting to communicate with their dead Bedlington terrier. The dog was savagely killed and dismembered on Christmas Eve by Margaret’s current husband, Paul Carroll (age 51), after a similar Ouija board session.

Paul Carroll dog killer

Paul Carroll dog killer

Paul Carroll asserts that the December 24th session was spurned by black magic. Paul admits to playing with the Ouija board. He further stated that the dog became possessed. Afterward he killed and dismembered the innocent dog. Foolishly, Paul attempted to flush the parts down the sewer drain. The resulting clog alerted local police to the crime. Paul was arrest for the unnecessary suffering of an animal; he awaits sentencing.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, RSPCA, removed the remaining dogs from the residence. The family has lived there for less than a year. However, they appear to be frequent Ouija board enthusiasts.

Margaret Carroll

Margaret Carroll

Last weekend, Margaret and Katrina toyed with the Ouija board. Katrina told a neighbor that the board predicted their imminent deaths. The following day, Saturday, January 31st, the attached bungalow was engulfed in flames; mother and daughter were found unconscious in the garden.

Neighbors are mad. The bungalow destroyed. Police skeptical.

According to the Northern Echo newspaper, Margaret and Katrina were hospitalized following the fire. Katrina was arrested shortly after her release and charged with suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. She was remanded into police custody and will appear in court on February 18th. Presumably, Margaret will face similar charges once released.

Destroyed Bungalow

Destroyed Bungalow

Credits: Images from the Northern Echo newspaper.

The Stanley Hotel Hedge Maze Winner Announced Tomorrow

02 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in Architecture, Books, Breaking the News, Horror Movies, In the News, Movies

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The Shining (1980) movie poster

The Shining (1980) movie poster

The Stanley Hotel Hedge Maze Winner Announced Tomorrow

In celebration of 20 years of ownership of the Stanley Hotel, Stephen King’s inspiration for his spine chilling novel The Shining, the Grand Heritage Hotel Group held a contest: design a hedge maze. Tomorrow at 5:30 MST the winner will be announced.

A hedge maze was a key feature in The Shining (1980) movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. However, a hedge maze did not exist at the hotel. The movie was not filmed at the hotel but instead in England. Hedge mazes are incredibly popular. This maze will be constructed with 1,600-2,000 Alpine Currant bushes. It will be installed on the front lawn and will remain a permanent fixture on the grounds.

The contest generated nearly 400 entries from 40 odd countries. Originally set to unveil the winner today, the panel had to postpone the vote due to inclement weather. Stay tuned for an announcement.

Paranormal Activity’s “Haunted” Home For Sale (Maybe)

02 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in Horror Movies, Real Estate, Residences

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Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity House

Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity House

Paranormal Activity’s “Haunted” Home For Sale (Maybe)

Paranormal Real Estate

The home used as the set for Paranormal Activity is for sale. The 4 bedroom 2 ½ bath home is listed for $749,000. The home is not haunted; however, it was the set for the first two movies in the popular franchise. Neighbors say that the home is really nice and assure reporters that there is nothing extraordinary paranormal about the house.

Nestled in the Ranchos Penasquitos neighborhood, the home features a pool and landscaped backyard. Owner Oren Peli, writer/director, filmed the first two installments of the PA franchise at the home. He specifically remodeled the home for the first movie.

With a deep discount budget of $15,000, the original Paranormal Activity grossed over $100 million dollars. The franchise remains popular. For those looking to buy a piece of horror movie history, look up this property. Buyer Beware: Ask the realtor for confirmation on paranormal history—or the lack thereof.