Category Archives: Haunted Houses

Haunted Plank from the Amityville House Makes Travel Channel Debut

02 Sunday Apr 2017

Posted by in Architecture, Curiosities, Famous Locations, Haunted Houses, Hoaxes, Museums, Paranormal, Reality TV, Travel Channel, Uncategorized

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Amityville

Haunted Plank from the Amityville House Makes Travel Channel Debut

Travel Channel’s Mysteries at the Museum returned last month with new episodes. The February 9th episode titled “Amityville Haunting, Ghost Army, and Fugitive Golfer” highlighted a piece of wood from the infamous Amityville Horror house. The demonic possession story was a hoax (see previous 2014 article at https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2014/03/19/amityville-horror-hoax/); however, it doesn’t mean that this piece of wood doesn’t give off bad vibes. It means there may be another story, based on facts, that should be considered.

Interest in Amityville has not ebbed since the 1977 publication of the book, The Amityville Horror. The movie franchise alone has grossed over $170 million dollars. Add TV adaptations and books, and that’s one healthy moneymaker. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the book’s publication. Expect more media coverage.

TheAmityvilleHorrorCover

Given the interest in Amityville, the house makes the requisite rounds on paranormal shows. This is not the first, probably not the last either, time that Travel Channel has showcased the Amityville house. Paranormal Paparazzi (2012) incorporated the house in 3 segments in 2 episodes. One was particularly insightful. Kathy Lutz’s son and George’s step-son Christopher Quaratino claimed that George practiced black witchcraft in the home, causing the paranormal activity to spike. Needless to say, expect more books and versions to emerge.

Greg Newkirk, director of the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and Occult, appeared on the Mysteries at the Museum episode discussing the plank. Greg and Dana Matthews co-founded the website Week in Weird, www.weekinweird.com, in 2007. Both Greg and Dana contribute articles, and postings are weekly. The articles are thought-provoking and quirky, while remaining true to the blog format: concise. The site has advertisements, a source of revenue; however, they don’t disrupt the reading of the articles. They’ve segued their site into 3 entities: Week in Weird (@WeekinWeird), Planet Weird (@WeirdHQ), and The Traveling Museum of the Paranormal & Occult (@theparamuseum). In 2013, they created the traveling museum to take their stories and artifacts on the road. They’ve collected artifacts from past paranormal investigations and allow the public to handle them. The museum is the modern-day version of curiosity cabinets which featured oddities and bizarre items and peaked in interest during the Victorian era. Visit http://paramuseum.com/ for 2017 dates and more information.

While it is easy to fall back on popular tales, the paranormal world has so much more to be explored. The Amityville plank is a reminder that the original story was made-up and exaggerated for profit. Instead of focusing on the heinous murders and concocting reasons for a demonic possession, readers should question whether George exploited the murders while practicing black magic. He didn’t move into a haunted house; however, he may have created the negative energy by dabbling in something beyond his comprehension.

Amityville: The Awakening—Release Date Postponed. Again

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Demonic Possession, Famous Locations, Haunted Houses, Horror Movies, Movie Reviews, Movies, Paranormal, Paranormal History, Real Estate, Residences, Uncategorized

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amityville-awakening

Amityville: The Awakening—Release Date Postponed. Again

Originally announced to debut in 2012, Amityville: The Awakening (ATA) has been postponed. Again. This does not bode well for the film, part of the Amityville franchise. Production completed nearly 3 years ago and has endured 7 release date changes. Seven! If this movie does hit the theaters, save your money. The drama surrounding post-production is an indicator that this movie is a dud.

ATA comes 38 years after The Amityville Horror (1979) jolted theater-goers by claiming it was “based on a true story.” With a production budget of $4.7 million dollars, the movie made $86 million in the US alone. As a staple on cable TV stations, the movie continues to generate income. The 1970s ushered in a new form of horror movie: those loosely based on potentially true events. The budget for the 1973 The Exorcist was $12 million dollars. It raked in over $204 million in the United States alone. Likewise, it continues to generate income through cable TV revenue. Arguably, both movies were cutting edge and advanced the horror genre. Most importantly they came from incredibly popular books. Both films successfully bridged the text to celluloid. Although both stories claimed to be based on true events, the stories continue to unravel—more so with Amityville.

The Amityville franchise is successful. By keeping production budgets low, companies can produce a profitable film. This, in turn, leads to more sequels. Not all of them are as successful. This is the case with Amityville. Three motion picture sequels were not as successful. One barely broke even. But the “legend” surrounding the house endures. Unfortunately, it is time to shutter the house and move to a new location.

Initially titled Amityville: The Lost Tapes, this reboot occurs in the infamous Long Island home. The most alert viewer will notice some discrepancies, though. The house is a private residence located at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville. After the film’s release throngs of tourists would linger in the yard. The owners successfully petitioned to change the address to 108 Ocean Avenue in the hopes of confusing tourists. The owners also made extensive renovations to the house so it would not resemble the house at 18 Brooks Road, Toms River, New Jersey, which was used to for filming. Most notably removed were the quarter pie-shaped windows, pretty much the most haunting feature.

amityville

The official movie trailer opens with the old house and lots of land around it. The real house sits on a densely populated street with a canal in the back. There is very little similarities between the two.

The story-line could stand on its own. The mental thoughts of “Kill, kill, kill” is the only visible link to the original movie. The producers should have created a new, fresh horror film franchise. I’ll have to wait until June to see it. That’s if 7 release date changes are the charm! Stay tuned!

Historic—and Possibly Haunted—Garden District Mansion for Sale

13 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by in Architecture, Breaking the News, Famous Locations, Ghost Hunting, Ghost Stories, Ghost Tours, Haunted Houses, In the News, New Orleans, Real Estate, The Haunted Librarian, Uncategorized

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Historic—and Possibly Haunted—Garden District Mansion for Sale

Located in the Garden District in New Orleans, the former Harris-Maginnis Mansion has hit the real estate market. Again. Currently operating as a bed and breakfast (B&B), the home can revert back to a private home and can be yours for the discounted price of $4.9 million.

Designed by the famous architect James H. Calrow in 1857, the house was built for the cotton broker Alexander Harris. Harris and his child bride, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Thompson, moved into the sprawling home in 1858. On July 19, 1896, Harris died from yellow fever. The young widow remarried and sold the home in 1879.

The next owners were John Henry Maginnis and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Tweed. [Note: Both women were called “Lizzie.”] Maginnis was a cotton baron. While vacationing at another residence, Maginnis was struck and killed by lightning on July 4, 1889—only 10 years after purchasing the home. Tweed held onto the property and willed it to her only daughter, Josephine, in 1921. Josephine and her husband split their time between New York City and Europe; therefore, Josephine gifted the 13,000 square foot home to the New Orleans chapter of the American Red Cross in 1939.

The American Red Cross used the home as a headquarters from 1939-1954. Dr. Clyde E. Crassons purchased the building and converted it back into a private residence.

The home has changed hands several times. Mr. and Mrs. Schreiber remodeled the home and converted it into a bed and breakfast. Hollie Vest, a Tina Turner impersonator, purchased the home in 2001.

Even more noteworthy is that the home has been listed for sale a lot. Like, a lot. It was listed in 2012 for $2.85 million. It sold in 2013 for $1.6 million. And now it is for sale again. Originally listed for $5.475 million, the sale price has been reduced to $4.9 million. The new owners can leave the home as an operating B&B or convert it back into a private home. I would not be surprised if the beautiful home reverts back. That seems to be the trend with historic properties.

Now known as the Magnolia Mansion, the home is not marketed as haunted. However, the B&B Website does provide some interesting stories and photographs of possible hauntings. Activity seemed to commence during the renovations. Another Website proffers that the ghosts are friendly. One tucks guests into bed at night while another child “plays” in the hallways. I don’t know if the home is haunted. I would love to investigate, though. Who knows? Maybe the next time I’m in the Crescent City!

Investigate with Me on January 24th

09 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by in Haunted Houses, Investigations, Special Events

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Haunted Dalton, GA

Haunted Dalton, GA

The API Gals are investigating a haunted location in Dalton, Georgia on Saturday, January 24th. Currently a secret, the location is ripe with activity and possibly mentioned in Connie Hall-Scott’s book. (Hint. Hint.)

Space is limited and will be reasonably priced. Dalton has lots of haunted locations and this one is sure to please. More details soon.

Missing: A Haunted House or 2 or 3 or …

15 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by in Books, Breaking the News, Ghost Hunting, Haunted Houses, In the News, Reviews

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Nova House

Nova House

Missing: A Haunted House or 2 or 3 or …

Self-proclaimed “Artivist” Seph Lawless, a pseudonym, has pulled the wool over the paranormal community’s eyes this month. Surprisingly, mainstream media took the bait and fell for it too. Most of the “haunted” houses Lawless photographed and published in his recent book 13: An American Horror Story (Artivist Publishing) are made up. False. Non-existent. “Take that, all you American paranormal suckers!” Seems the joke’s on us, my friends.

  1. Nova House, Youngstown, Ohio.

“Nova House Mystery” posted on Friday, November 7th, https://thehauntedlibrarian.com/2014/11/07/nova-house-mystery/, discusses the made-up story about a house in Youngstown, Ohio. Lawless claims that Benjamin Albright accidently shot and killed his son. Bereft with grief, Albright supposedly turned the gun on his wife and then himself. This tragic murder/suicide supposedly occurred in 1958. Problem is no one named Benjamin Albright died in Ohio in 1958. Nor was this person the father of a boy dying in 1958. Research pays off!

Since posting this blog, I received numerous comments and emails from people from the area who had never heard this story. Some even did some legwork and visited archives only to leave empty handed.

  1. Cater House Estates, Buffalo, New York.

Lawless penned a brief blurb for this photograph claiming that Sheriff Donald Caters shot himself to death in this house. In 1968 the home went into foreclosure and has been vacant since.

Several people have called this story false. Further, I cannot locate any information substantiating this story. Another piece of fiction.

  1. Oliver Family Mansion, Chester, Pennsylvania.

Lawless claims that the Oliver family went missing in 1898 and was never heard from again.

Nothing turned up on this story. Zilch.

  1. Milan Mansion, Milan, Ohio.

Lawless states that a known witch lived in this house and is possibly buried underneath the front door.

Again, I cannot locate any information supporting this story. Further, it is easy to prove with radar. However, the address for this home, like the others, is not available.

  1. Hooley Haunted Mansion, Texas.

Again, I located an electronic bulletin board asking for any information since no one has ever heard of this. My, my, my.

By now, I’m exhausted and disgusted at this juvenile attempt to fool the paranormal community.

I did not pay $99 for the book to see whether Lawless has a tightly drafted clause stating that the stories are for entertainment purposes only. However, he has portrayed these stories as true, when in fact, they are not. This is false advertising. Lawless is attempting to deceive readers and the media. This must stop. Poking fun at the paranormal community is abhorrent. Taking advantage of believers by misrepresenting the truth in order for financial gain is unlawful. The paranormal community should stand up and boycott this interloper. We should also ask those who regurgitated his press release if they actually viewed the book and conducted a little research. Just a little research would have caused a journalist to pause.

Shame on you, all you copy-and-paste “writers”! Do some research next time.

Why the Paranormal Community Should Worry about the Stabbing at the Ax Murder House

09 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by in Breaking the News, Ghost Hunting, Haunted Houses, In the News

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Victims Ax Murder House

Victims of the Ax Murder House

Why the Paranormal Community Should Worry about the Stabbing at the Ax Murder House

Shortly after midnight on Friday, November 8, 2014, police were summoned to the infamous Ax Murder House in Villisca, Iowa. Upon arrival police found Steven Laursen, Jr. of Wisconsin suffering from a self-inflicted stab wound. He was transported to a local hospital and then airlifted to Omaha. Laursen was attending an overnight recreational investigation at the sinister location. Reports claim that he brought a real knife to use as a trigger object. No criminal charges are expected since there wasn’t any foul play. Laursen is expected to recover.

This story elicited little paranormal chatter. Some discussed; many ignored. This is very concerning. The entire paranormal community needs to wake up and to take notice. This small story has long-lasting implications in the paranormal field.

The obvious issue is Laursen’s using a real knife as a trigger object. Really? Who brings a knife sharp enough to cause severe bodily harm to an investigation? Shoot, why not bring a gun? [I’m joking] There should be a rule against this. Common sense should tell you that this is not a good idea.

The next issue is provocation. Was he planning on using the knife as provocation instead of as a trigger object? Provocation should be avoided. There is a definite difference between talking to the spirits and yelling at them. Yelling is hostile. Don’t provoke! Certainly don’t point a weapon.

Laursen experienced severe stab wounds, so severe, that he was airlifted to another hospital for care. This begs the question: Was this an attempted suicide? Even if he was using the knife as a trigger object and fell on the knife, his wound would not be that severe. Same goes for provocation. Early speculation revolves around attempted suicide.

The paranormal field attracts mentally unstable people. There has been a long discussion regarding mental health instability and exorcisms. Skeptics purport that most, if not all, people who have an exorcism would have benefitted from mental health evaluations. Paranormal experts caution groups to eliminate mental health instability before even suggesting or performing exorcisms.

Coordinators of public investigations need to be careful about attendees’ ulterior motives. They should warn against bringing weapons, flammables, and other potentially dangerous items. Evidence can be gathered safely without any of these amateur tactics.

Ax Murder House

Ax Murder House

Nova House Mystery

07 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by in Haunted Houses, In the News, Urban Legends

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Nova House

Nova House

Nova House Mystery

The Internet was abuzz prior to Halloween. Photographer Seph Lawless, a pseudonym, visited several abandoned houses across America and published a coffee table book 13: An American Horror Story. The various websites offered a preview of the houses with brief teasers written by the photographer. One house was especially sinister: The Nova House.

According to Lawless, the Nova House was the site of a horrible accident. In 1958, Benjamin Albright accidently shot and killed his son. Stricken with grief he killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself. Since then the house sits abandoned—shuttered. Moreover, personal items remain inside. What a great story!

The problem is I cannot find any online stories related to this house. Further, I cannot locate any death certificates for a young son dying in Ohio in 1958. No death certificate for “Benjamin Albright” in 1958 either. Nor can I find any articles related to this murder/suicide. This troubles me.

If in fact this house is haunted, there should be at least one story available. At least one paranormal investigation team would have explored this house and posted their evidence. Someone should have written about this tragedy and the fate of this boarded up building. One of the dozens of websites listing haunted houses would have this house on it—with directions.

Urban legends are based on truth. Even a smidgen of truth fuels a tale. However, so many people get caught up in the tale that they don’t question the facts. I would love to read the facts of this story. As it stands now, this is merely a fictitious story about an abandoned and spooky-looking house. Nothing more.

“Haunted” House Sells for $1

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Haunted Houses, In the News, Real Estate

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Ouerbacker-Clement House

Ouerbacker-Clement House

Historic “Haunted” Mansion Sells for $1.00

Anyone in the market to buy a house missed a golden opportunity in Louisville, Kentucky. The Ouerbacker-Clement House went up for tax sale and sold for the unbelievably bargain price of one dollar. Remarkably this is not the first time the mansion sold for a buck.

The Ouerbacker-Clement House was built in the 1860s for coffee merchant Samuel Ouerbacker (1841-1922). Built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the mansion sits in the Russell neighborhood. Ouerbacker resided in the mansion until his death in 1922.

The next resident was Reverend George Clement, a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The house was rezoned and a tax preparation business set up shop afterwards. Ironically, the house went for auction for unpaid taxes. An architect purchased the home with the intent to restore the abandoned, dilapidated home; however, he was unable to see his vision through to fruition.

Reportedly haunted, the mansion sits across from a cemetery. Oracle Design purchased the home. The company has acquired several properties in this neighborhood. Plans include restoration and division of the mansion into apartments. Sorry I missed this bargain!

“Portal to Hell” Claims another Victim

04 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Catholic Church, Demonic Possession, Famous Locations, Ghost Adventurers, Haunted Houses, Travel Channel

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Supposed "Portal to Hell" House

Supposed “Portal to Hell” House

Demon House Claims Another Victim

Earlier this year, Ghost Adventurer’s Zak Bagans purchased a supposed demonic house nicknamed the “Portal to Hell” with the intent to document his experiences. The home in Gary, Indiana went for a bargain price of $35,000. [See prior post “Buying a ‘Haunted House’: A New Trend”] Now a family claims a girl visited the highly publicized home and became possessed.

Zak Bagans, Lead Investigator, Ghost Adventurers

Zak Bagans, Lead Investigator, Ghost Adventurers

Zak convinced the former renters to return for the production. Shortly after her arrival, the girl suffered violent outbursts. Zak and company took the girl to a Catholic priest who preformed an exorcism. Reportedly the entire exorcism was filmed and will presumably appear on Zak’s new shoe about the house. Filming finishes in December.

Traditionally the Catholic Church does not permit filming of exorcisms; nor does the Church release information about reported exorcisms. Viewers will have to see whether or not the Catholic Church actually participates and releases a comment.

 

 

Chad’s the “Man” for Ghost Stalker Premiere

18 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by in Famous Locations, Ghost Hunting, Haunted Houses, In the News, Media, Paranormal, Real Estate, Reality TV, Reviews, Scarefest

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Ghost Stalkers

Ghost Stalkers

Chad’s the “Man” for Ghost Stalker Premiere

Scarefest 2014 attendees screened the pilot episode of Ghost Stalkers, starring Chad Lindberg and John E.L. Tenney. Produced by Ghost Adventurer’s Nick Groff, Ghost Stalkers follows Chad and John as they tool around in a Coachman RV and investigate six highly active haunted locations. The “Whispers Estate” was profiled in the first episode.

Built around 1894, the “Whispers Estate” was originally owned by Dr. George and Sarah White. They sold the 3-story Victorian house to Dr. John and Jessie Gibbons, who adopted orphaned children. One child was Rachael. At age 10, Rachael started a fire in the first-floor parlor. Badly burned, she died within a few days. Other family members died in the house. Paranormal investigators believe some are still attached and haunt the house.

The current owner, Vann, rents the house out for paranormal investigations. The caretaker, Gwen Zeigler, has a profound attachment to the property. Both believe that a vortex exists in the parlor.

The 30 minute preview consisted of Chad’s lockdown in the house. Both Chad and John spend a night at the location while the other monitors the cameras from inside the RV. Although neither stated how each episode concludes, I would image that there is some sort of evidence review incorporated into the show.

At this location, Chad experiences strange anomalies prior to his lockdown and during. He hears disembodied voices and footsteps. He even captures an EVP recording. At one point Chad begins to breakdown and to question his ability to complete the lockdown. Chad replays the digital voice recorder and hears “Chad…Be a man.” With that challenge, Chad finds his courage and proceeds.

Chad’s compromised emotional state is refreshing. His fear is real. Yes, I know he is a paid actor; however, his inability to control his voice and shaking hand earns my respect. When the “shit got real,” Chad reacted. [Note: See “Chip Coffey is not the Western Union of the Dead” for context.]

Equally real is the bat that appears out of nowhere. After filming, both inquired about the bat. According to Vann, no one has ever witnessed a bat in the house before. [Teaser: Seems a bat appears in all 6 episodes AND Chad’s favorite superhero is Batman. Interesting.]

Chad was respectful during his lockdown announcing, “I come out of love and respect.” I look forward to screening the entire episode. My early assessment is positive. I hope Chad and John break new ground. The 6 episode season highlights locations that have not been overexposed by other TV shows. This remains to be seen. Although John remained tightlipped, he did offer a teaser: former Maryland mental facility. Tune in, set your TiVo or DVR, or watch On Demand on October 19th at 10 pm EST for Ghost Stalkers, Destination America’s latest paranormal offering.