Community House #2 Investigation 10-23-21

Posted on November 22, 2021 by jonimayhan

Community House #2 is one of my favorite historic locations in the town of New Harmony, Indiana. It was built in circa 1820 by a group called the Harmonists, who were led by Father Georg Rapp. The building served as a meeting house, as well as a dormitory for the single members of their group.

While they were prosperous, the Harmonists only remained in the town they named Harmonie for ten years. Before they relocated back to Pennsylvania to start their third and final Utopian Society, they sold the town to a man named Robert Owen. His version of Utopia was vastly different from the hard-working, religious Harmonists. His vision for the town was to turn it into a “New Moral World,” focusing on education, social reform and scientific studies.

While Owen’s utopia only lasted for two years, the strides they made planted seeds which would continue to flourish decades, if not centuries, after the group disbanded. Wanting education to be readily available, Community House #2 became a school for children of all ages. Years later, the building was used for a variety of purposes, including a cigar factory, a tea room, boarding house and furniture store. As we’ve found from previous investigations, many of the occupants never left the building.

After a brief presentation on the history of the building, we divided into three groups. I led the investigation on the first floor, while Rosie Benton took the second floor, and Traci Hoehn held court on the third floor.

First Floor

I had planned on utilizing a variety of equipment during my sessions, but the Spirit Box was so active, I ended up sticking with it. A Spirit Box is basically a modified radio that scans rapidly through the channels, only landing on each station for a fraction of a second. The ghosts in the area are able to speak through the white noise, allowing us to communicate with them in real time.

It’s been several years since we’ve investigated the building, so I believe it took them a while to warm up to our equipment. During my first group, we heard a variety of responses, but many of them were too muddled to fully understand. Finally, towards the end of the session, someone asked, “Did you work here?” The response was clear. “We did,” they said.

One guest asked if they had any children. A female responded with, “He didn’t.” This was curious because the male didn’t answer for himself.

Another guest asked if they liked to cook. A female voice came through loud and clear. “So close to me.” Was she referring to her love of cooking, or was someone close to her? We didn’t get any clarification.

The second group came in after a quick break, ready to investigate. They had a bit more success with the Spirit Box. The ghosts were getting warmed up.

During a large portion of the second session, there was a strange humming sound recorded on the digital recorder. We didn’t hear it at the time, which makes it a true EVP. An EVP is a ghost voice spoken at a different frequency than what our ears can pick up, but is recorded on the digital recorder.

Someone asked if they enjoyed cooking and a female responded with, “It was sustenance.” This was something that resonated deeply with me. She might have spent hours slaving over a hot pot or stove, depending on the era, to make sure everyone had enough to eat. It wouldn’t be remotely similar to our modern cooking routines.

Another guest asked if they ever look out the windows. A somber male voice came across with a touch of sarcasm in his voice and said, “Yeah.” There was a slight question to his tone, as if implying that everyone looks out windows. Sometimes I think they get annoyed by our questions.

I don’t recall my group being overly tense, but the ghosts were picking up on this. One of them exclaimed, “What a tense group!” Then later, another said, “A little tense,” when asked about his favorite time of the year.

Someone asked if the little boy was with us and a female voice said, “Florence Penny.” I was unable to find any information on this name, but it may come up at a later date.

The best experience the second group had was when one of the guests asked if they could play the game “Hot and Cold.” If the ghost was close, she asked him/her to say, “Hot,” but if they were far away, they were to say, “Cold.” We got an immediate response. “Little hot,” a male voice said. It sounded like the same man who told us he liked to look out the window.

Normally, in investigations like this, the ghosts are worn out by the third session and the responses are few and far between. This wasn’t the case for Community House #2. They were only getting warmed up.

My third group had quite a bit of activity too. Someone asked if there had ever been a fire there. A male voice responded with, “You’re a teenager!”

Someone else asked if the ghosts were in front of them or behind them. A female voice surprised us all by telling us, “Above you.”

Knowing the town newspaper was once printed in the building, one of our guests told them she was waiting for a newspaper. “It’s coming,” a female voice told her.

It’s possible they were beginning to tire of our questions. When one of the guests asked if we were talking to a child, a male voice said, “Stop your asking!”

Someone asked if anyone was there with him, and a male voice told her, “Cody.”

(Above) One of the breakout sessions on the first floor

Second Floor

Rosie Benton led the groups in dowsing rod sessions. As we’ve seen in previous investigations, some people are instantly good at using the rods, while others just can’t seem to make them work.

Over the course of the night, groups filtered into the second floor room that was once one used for lodging, both during the Harmonist period and later, when it was a boarding house. We used another adjoining room for “breakout sessions,” putting two or three people alone in the room with a pendulum.

Many people connected with the little boy who roams the hallways and several others connected with a woman whose timeline there was unspecified. Several people connected with departed loved ones, while others learned about the history of the building. One curious thing happened during one of the breakout sessions. Two men and a woman went into the other room. As they were finishing, one of them saw a dark shadow sweep across the wall beside him. It caused his EMF meter to flash red. He then felt something sit on the old straw mattress beside him. It was enough to cause him to jump up, startled.

All in all, everyone enjoyed their dowsing rod session with Rosie Benton.

Third Floor – written by Traci Hoehn

This third floor of Community House 2 is always active for our investigations, and this investigation was no exception. Throughout the night we experienced what seems to be an intelligent haunting, meaning a ghost who is aware of us and can communicate with us, through the dowsing rods and the spirit box. While using the spirit box, Traci utilized the Estes Method. This means that the spirit box was run through earbuds, then noise blocking headphones are put on, and finally an eye mask is put on. This means the listener has no awareness of the questions being asked. Instead, the listener just says what they hear out loud to the group. This method cuts out incorrect interpretations due to expected answers.

With the dowsing rods, all three groups had some activity. In the first session, group three was speaking with a man who lived in the building on the second floor. He came with the Owen group and was a teacher. He came to New Harmony with a wife and children. He also denied that the children were well behaved. He loved teaching and reading. Interestingly, only women had success with the dowsing rods in this group. During the second session, group two spoke with a female Harmonist. She came from Germany on a boat and had family and children here. This ghost also affirmed she was here when the support beam broke during a previous investigation. The third session with group one was the least productive dowsing session. They had very few responses, but the ghost did affirm that they ran the printing press and printed a lot of newspapers.

The ghosts seemed to become more comfortable with the Estes method as the night progressed. The first session may have been talking to a ghost named Nick. When they asked if they were still talking to Nick, the ghost proclaimed “My friends!” There was also some communication with a teacher from the Owen period. The funniest interaction for this session came at the very end. Joni came upstairs to announce break time. When she came into view of the group, the ghost shouted, “It appears!” By the time the second session rolled around, the ghosts had gotten the hang of spirit box communication with several intelligent exchanges taking place.

Four distinct voices came through the spirit box during the second session. One of them worked for the newspaper and another spoke French. Yet another left us stumped by talking about a fire saying: “We left it burning. Hours ago.” That voice also spoke about girls being in the room going back and forth. Three of the ghosts introduced themselves during this session saying “I’m Jackson,” “I’m Nick,” and “I’m Allan.” One of the ghosts had quite a sarcastic attitude. After a lull the following exchange took place:

Guest: Do you still want to speak with us?

Ghost: You

Guest: Do you live here?

Ghost: This is a place.

Guest: Did you live on this floor?

Ghost: When it’s time. And it’s moving.

Guest: Did you work on this floor?

Ghost: I’m done. The last one. It’s time.

Guest: Time for what?

Ghost: Over there. Drowned.

Guest: Who drowned?

Ghost: Well, look at you.

The exchange was fast paced, and the ghost seemed to be challenging the more direct questions with sarcasm. The most surprising responses during this second session had to do with the movements of those sitting in the circle. At one point two people adjusted in their seats, to which the ghosts said, “Move more.” A later exchange via the spirit box proved to be more interesting:

Ghost: Go down.

Guest: Go down to what?

Ghost: You go down.

Guest: Do you want me to go downstairs?

Ghost: See.

The guest then got out of his seat and walked towards the stairs, pretending he was going to go down. When he returned to his seat, the ghost seemed unhappy.

Ghost: Do it!

The third session was just as fruitful as the second session. The name Jack came through and he told the group that he was sick and died of the flu. He seemed more forlorn than the previous ghosts and expressed that he felt regret during his death. Jack wasn’t without humor though. One guest asked if Jack liked Rock and Roll which was met with a swift ‘No.” They followed up by asking if Jack even knew what Rock and Roll was. The spirit box replied, “This is it,” which was followed by a loud bang of the elevator, causing quite a startle in the group. Perhaps the alarm was warranted as the voices through the spirit box kept warning of a man standing behind them, asserted they were armed, and kept saying “Watch out!” The ghosts tried to keep the last group on track during the session. While the group was discussing the warnings, the ghost said, “Of course it’s Nick.” Someone then asked the ghost to describe Nick, to which the replay was, “Hey! Nobody cares now.” During a later lull in the conversation and questions the ghost also encouraged the group to “keep going.”

Overall, the use of the Estes method was quite successful for the night. While the names, Jackson (Jack), Nick, and Allan came up throughout the night, we will need to do further research on two of those names. The third, Nick, may be associated with one of the formed printers, Harry “Nick” Slater.

Overview

(Above) one of the breakout sessions in the old print shop

Community House #2 never disappoints us. The souls who linger there are always eager to communicate with us and share small details of their lives. We are grateful for the experience.

Thank you to everyone who came out! And thanks to my amazing team for making it happen!

Haunted New Harmony Investigation Review 10-26-18

Posted on November 6, 2018 by jonimayhan

(Above) Our investigation on the stage of Thralls Opera House. Photo courtesy of Traci Hoehn.

Every paranormal investigation is different, even if you explore the same haunted buildings. As we’ve found in New Harmony, Indiana, we can count on the souls from the town’s past to make an appearance, but we’re often visited by others we’ve never met before.

This has been the case in a number of our investigations. Several times, we’ve wondered if someone brought their own ghost to the ghost hunt. Other times, we just have to scratch our heads and wonder, with no easy explanation available.

For our third investigation of the season, we switched up our line-up. Instead of investigating Community House #2 and then moving onto the Fauntleroy Home, we investigated Thralls Opera House for our second half of the night.

We had a small group of eight people, with Traci Hoehn and Rick Schlegelmilch assisting me with the investigation. Due to illness, State Museum Sites Collections Manager, Amanda Bryden was unable to attend. It seemed very strange not to have Amanda there, but we made due.

(Above) Our investigation on the first floor of Community House #2. Photo courtesy of Traci Hoehn.

We settled in on the first floor of Community House #2 and did a quick evp session before moving onto the Spirit Box. Several people asked questions without getting any responses until a woman named Nina asked a question that inspired a response. She asked if they were Democrats or Republicans. Several of us giggled after she asked it, knowing it was a hot topic among the living. Apparently, it was a provocative question for the dead as well. A male voice said, “You call?” Throughout the night, Nina would continue to ask great questions, ones I will be remembering for my next investigations.

We stopped getting responses so I decided to lighten up the mood. Instead of pelting them with one question after another, which might sound like an interrogation to them, we decided to go around the group and share our favorite meals. There wasn’t a response until it was Rick’s turn. “I’d like some blueberry pancakes,” he said. A female voice came across the Spirit Box and said, “Me too!”

(Above) Our investigation on the second floor of Community House #2. Photo courtesy of Traci Hoehn.

The discussion on foods continued. When someone asked if they liked cornbread with their ham and beans, an older raspy female voice said, “potatoes.” Someone else asked if they liked ice cream and a different female voice said, “Blueberry.”

After a few more questions, we moved onto the second floor.

I decided to use the Spirit Box right away to see what we would get. As soon as I turned it on, a female voice asked, “Are you here?” and a male voice answered, “No.” It gave us all a laugh.

Traci shared some interesting information with us. Before we started the investigation, she walked around and took several photos, including ones of the room we were currently in. When our group came upstairs, we found the door to that room locked. Traci said it had been unlocked when she came upstairs earlier.

We began asking questions. Traci asked if there were any children there and the same raspy older woman’s voice came through again and said something that sounded like, “Can I hurt her?” We didn’t catch that at the time, so no one responded.

Someone asked if they were born in New Harmony and a male voice said, “Kind of missed me.” After a few minutes of no responses, I turned the Spirit Box off and we moved to dowsing rods.

During the session, I was putting two people out in the hallway at a time to see if they could see any shadows move, which happens frequently there. The first group saw nothing but the second group heard footsteps behind them.

(Above) The second floor of Community House #2. Photo courtesy of Traci Hoehn.

Dowsing Rod session responses:

There were more than three women with us.
They were having a women’s meeting.
They told the men they couldn’t come in there – this was interesting because men and women were separated during the Harmonist period. Women would have been on one side of the hallway and men on the other. Other sessions have produced the same responses with different people in attendance. We’ve always communicated with women in the room, never men.
Rick asked if he was going to be in trouble being on the women’s side of the hallway and the rods went to yes.
They haven’t been in the house all day
They aren’t dressing up for Halloween
They haven’t had dinner tonight
They were married (flashlight came on)
Christmas is their favorite holiday
There was a child with us. It was the same child that was responded to her in Key West on a recent vacation.
The child never lived there.
There was more than one child there.
They know someone there.
She asked for the rods to point to the person they knew and they pointed straight ahead to one of the men in our group.
They stay there all the time
A male came into the room
There are often disagreements in the house

As we’ve discovered over time, some people have better responses with the dowsing rods than others. Some people tend to be better vessels than others. Several people in the group didn’t have any luck with the rods, while others were really good with them.

I was curious about the male that came into the room because we’ve never felt males in that room before, so I turned on the Spirit Box to see if he’d talk to us. I asked him if he was supposed to be on that side or if he was from a different time period when it was okay for women and men to be on either side. A male voice that we’ve heard before said, “It hasn’t been a problem,” which clarified the situation for us. Had we been talking to Harmonists, they would have told us differently.

I tried to pin down the time period he was there by asking relevant questions, but didn’t get any further responses. I asked him if he had anything he wanted to ask us and the same voice said, “What are you up for?” We didn’t get any further responses and moved onto the third floor.

The third floor has always provided us with the most reactions, especially on the Spirit Box. We turned it on and asked a few questions before finally getting an answer. Someone asked if they went to school there and a raspy male voice said, “My girlfriend.”

The third floor was used primarily for dormitory housing but was also the site of New Harmony’s print shop for their newspaper. We’ve communicated with three of the printers who worked there, two of whom fought in the Civil War.

Sometimes the responses aren’t clear. We will think we hear a specific answer but upon review later, it’s clearly not what we thought it was. And sometimes the responses make no sense. Someone asked if they had pets and a male voice said, “That lady.” Someone else asked if they liked the pinwheel and the same male voice said, “A way to go.” Rick Schlegelmilch, who is a New Harmony resident, asked if they see him walk past with his dog, Clutch, but didn’t get a response. Traci asked if they liked to play tricks on Amanda, who works there, and a different male voice said, “Have a smoke.” I have to wonder if they have issues hearing us clearly just like we often have problems hearing them.

After a few more rounds with no responses, we moved into the print shop.

45583896_168905954061797_5957838698681729024_n (Above) Our investigation in Community House #2. Photo courtesy of Traci Hoehn.

The print shop is a small room on the third floor that is filled with the old printing presses from the 1800’s. We’ve always gotten a lot of evps in that room, even though we have to pack ourselves in there, sitting shoulder to shoulder. As soon as we turned the Spirit Box on, we began getting responses. Some asked if they liked music and someone said something we couldn’t understand so she asked what kind of music they liked. “That’s a little rough,” was the answer. Too many to pick from, perhaps?

Nina continued to ask great questions, like “Did you carry a gun?” and “Did you ever kill anyone?” but didn’t collect any responses. Finally, someone asked a question that got an answer. She asked if they were alive when Lincoln was president. Shortly after, a young female voice said, “I miss you,” which was followed by an older woman saying, “He had a bow tie.”

Someone else commented that the flashlight came on and a male voice said, “Walking it.” We went around the group again and got a few responses that we couldn’t make out. I was feeling a very strong male in the room but weren’t getting any clear answers. I asked if anyone in the group was feeling anything different and they were. Several people said they felt sudden headaches come on in the last few minutes. Several days after the investigation, Rick Schlegelmilch reported finding strange scratches on his hip. He had to wonder if something followed him home.

I explained to the group that the ghosts aren’t always who we expect. Sometimes people come to the events with something attached to them and essentially bring their own ghost to the ghost hunt. We will hear different voices that we’ve never heard before and then don’t hear again in consecutive investigations. While we always expect to communicate with known people who lived or worked in the buildings we investigate, it’s often not the case. Ghosts come and go and don’t have to die in the building in order to haunt it.

We wound up the session and took a break before venturing down the street to investigate Thrall’s Opera House. My friend, Crystal Folz, who is a psychic medium, joined us for the second part of our evening.

DSCN6217 (Above) Thralls Opera House. Photo by the author.

Thrall’s Opera House has an interesting history. Built in 1824, it was originally intended to be used as a dormitory building. After it was built, it looked very similar to Community House #2, but was transformed over the years. After the Harmonists left the town and sold it to Robert Owen, the building was used as a theater for plays and musicals. In 1888, it was turned into an opera house and was given the name Thralls Opera house after one of the main benefactors of the program. It continued on this way until the early 1900’s when it was sold and turned into a gas station and garage. Sixty-four years later, the state purchased the building and turned it back into an Opera House.

Over the years, tour guides and visitors have reported hearing strange sounds in areas that are known to be vacant. Two tour guides once left a note near the door, asking for a sign of their presence. They returned the next day only to discover the note wadded into a ball. The checked the alarm records, only to discover that no one had been in the building after they left the previous evening.

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(Above) Our investigation on the stage of Thralls Opera House. Photo #2: Crystal Folz with the other investigators. Photos courtesy of Traci Hoehn.

We started our first session on the stage. It was decisively spooky as we sat there in the shadows. We could feel them swarming around us. We started with an evp session and quickly began hearing a strange tapping sound at the edge of the stage. It almost sounded like someone tapping a cane against a metal pole.

Crystal Folz, who is a psychic medium, joined us for our Thralls portion of the investigation and began feeling a choking sensation in her throat. She wondered if someone there had suffered throat issues. It got so bad, she needed to leave the building for a moment. The sensation abated instantly as soon as she walked outside, but continued again when she walked back in the door. During the session, several other people also began feeling a burning sensation.

We moved onto a dowsing rod session:

There was someone there who wanted to talk to us
Someone there was a member of the Golden Family who performed there for years
Francis Golden was there with us (she was the youngest of the family)
They don’t always enjoy the performances
She sometimes visits the Civic Theater in Evansville (Francis founded it and it’s insanely haunted)
She likes that they still have plays at the Civic Theater

At that moment, I heard the sound of men talking in the front of the building. Several other people caught it too and it was recorded on my digital recorder. We couldn’t’ make out what they said, but the voices were spoken in a conversational tone.

We continued on with the dowsing rod session:

There was someone up front
They like the people up front (rods moved slowly to yes)
They wished they would go away
They liked us being there

Several members of the group reported seeing shadows moving on the balcony.

Something was wrong with her throat (KII meter flashed and dowsing rods moved)
Some of the outfits in the display cases were hers

We stopped getting responses on the dowsing rods, so we moved onto the Spirit Box. I asked if Francis was with us and got a response that I couldn’t make out. I began asking questions about the afterlife. I asked if they’ve ever seen Heaven and didn’t get a response, so I asked if they see a white light when they die and a faint voice said, “I haven’t.”

Someone asked if she liked it there and a female voice said, “We’re meant to be.”

We went around the room for a while. Any responses we got were faint and difficult to hear. I asked if they considered themselves Yankees and a voice said, “Kind of.”

Suddenly, several people began smelling a woman’s perfume. It came on very strong. At the same time, Rick felt someone nudge him. The smell wafted around the stage area and several people smelled it before it abruptly disappeared.

I asked the group what they were feeling and almost everyone had the sensation of being watched. While the vibe at the opera house is usually light, it had a decisively edgy aura about it. We felt as though a group of people were watching us from the balcony.

We decided to move to the balcony. As soon as we sat down, we began hearing the same tapping sound we heard on the stage. It sounded like it was to the right of us, near the stairs. Crystal mentioned that it was interesting because it wasn’t repetitive. It would happen a few times and then stop, only to tap again a few minutes later.

We turned on the spirit box and immediately heard a young girl say, “Evil!” Then, without warning, we began smelling the woman’s perfume again. I jumped up from my seat and ran over to see if I could smell it too. I caught it for several seconds before it disappeared again. It was strong and floral, reminding me of old-fashioned perfume.

Rick asked if anyone could talk to us, that we came up to the cheap seats to see them. A male voice said “You’re a mere presence.” It was spoken quickly and none of us caught it at the time. Even on audio review, I had to listen to it several times to make it out.

Someone asked if we could come back to visit and a voice said, “Evil!” again. It was apparent they didn’t understand why we were there. Perhaps if they were from an earlier time period and weren’t comfortable with our electronic equipment. Or, maybe they were talking about something else. Not long afterwards, someone asked if they were of German descent and a voice said, “I’m evil.”

The vibe on the balcony was so intense; it was almost difficult to remain up there for long. It felt as though we weren’t welcomed and were being surrounded by angry eyes. Everyone in the group felt it and commented on it from time to time during the session. In hindsight, I had to wonder if the intensity had something to do with Amanda’s absence. Were they worried that we weren’t allowed to be there since Amanda wasn’t with us? Also, we were in the balcony area, which is normally off-limits to visitors.

Nina asked if they could make the pinwheel spin and a male answered, “Pretty blond.” There were several pretty blonds in our group so we aren’t certain who he was referring to, but we all laughed when we heard it. Considering the vibe though, it was an uneasy laugh. No one wanted to be the target of his interests.

I often like to lighten up the session by having “the pie conversation.” I go around the room and have everyone tell us their favorite kind of pie. Sometimes this will generate a response from the other side, but not this time. There was one quick “You’re a stick” in the middle of our conversation, which didn’t make much sense. This seemed to be the trend of the night. It was as though we weren’t clearly communicating with one another.

We moved onto dowsing rods, but didn’t get anything after several rounds. Rick suggested we try an experiment and give them a standing ovation. We certainly raised the vibration and the dowsing rods finally moved to a “yes” response when we asked if they enjoyed it.

We decided to move to the basement of the building where the orchestra pit used to reside.

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(Above) Our investigation at Thralls Opera House. Photo #2: Nina. Photo #2: Rick Schlegelmilch. Photos courtesy of Traci Hoehn.

As we sat down and I began talking into my recorder to document the location, the flashlight came on. They apparently knew we were down there. We went completely lights out for this session and sat in perfect darkness.

The only light we could see came from the cracks in the floorboards above us on the stage. I asked them if they could walk across the stage above us and block out some of the lights, which caused a protest in the group. “Or not!” someone said, which resulted in a group laugh.

Crystal asked if they could make the same tapping noise we had been hearing before. After a few minutes, we began hearing them in the basement too. I felt someone very strong drift into the room and used the opportunity to ask the group what they felt. Most people felt a male, but several people felt a female. It was possible there were both, but I was feeling a female directly behind us.

I decided to try the Spirit Box to see if they would talk to us. Someone asked if they like the way the Opera House looks today and a voice came through and said, “I like it.” Unfortunately, the response came in the middle of her next question so it’s difficult to hear and not sharable. While we were listening for answers, we heard footsteps directly above us. I turned off the Spirit Box and we just sat and listened for a while, hoping to hear it again. We sat for about ten minutes but didn’t hear it again so I turned the Spirit Box back on.

I was curious if someone from the group brought a ghost with them, so I asked if someone could ask a few questions about it. As soon as I said that, a male voice asked, “Can you hear us?” This really drove home the nagging feeling I’d had all night. We were having communication issues. We couldn’t always hear them and they couldn’t hear us either.

We got a few responses that we couldn’t make out so we turned the box off and just sat and chatted. Someone in the group felt that whoever we were talking to was from the building and hadn’t followed up. She said when I was asking if someone followed us, she could hear “here, here, here” in her ear.

We ended the night soon afterwards, feeling as though we’d truly experienced something amazing. Our communication with the souls residing in the two buildings was sometimes clear and other times confusing, but always intriguing.

Thank you to everyone who came out. Thanks to Rick Schlegelmilch, Traci Hoehn and Crystal Folz for helping me with this investigation.

Haunted New Harmony Investigation Review 10-19-18

Posted on November 3, 2018 by jonimayhan

(Above) Community House #2. Photo by Joni Mayhan

We returned to Community House #2 for the second time this month, hoping to connect with the souls who still linger there. We know there are many of them because we’ve communicated with them on previous investigations. We just didn’t know if they would be willing to talk to us or not.

During our first investigation of the season, we were treated to the sound of footsteps above us, but it wasn’t to be the case for this investigation. As we settled in for an EVP session on the first floor, the second floor hallways were quiet.

Amanda Bryden, who is in charge of the state buildings and is a well-versed historian, began telling the group about the supposed demise of Frenchman George Gerard. During the early 1800’s Mr. Gerard moved to town, but was having money issues. Money that was promised to him hadn’t arrived yet and his financial situation was growing bleaker by the day. In despair, he resorted to suicide, hanging himself from a ceiling rafter on the second floor of the dormitory building. Days later, the envelope containing the money he was awaiting was discovered on the floor of the post office, accidentally misplaced. Many feel that George Gerard still haunts the hallways.

One member of our group was fluent in French, so we asked her to ask a few questions, hoping Mr. Gerard would respond. We didn’t receive any responses, so we moved on with the investigation.

(Above) Several members of the group during an EVP session. Photo courtesy of Traci Hoehn

One of the craziest things that happened during that session was a response to a question. Someone asked how they got there. “Forty-three,” was the answer. In many areas, the Spirit Box will pick up random radio stations, but New Harmony is too far away for that to happen. The box went through the stations several times without making a peep. When it blurted out, “Forty-three,” it was as loud and clear as though someone standing in the room said it. Was it in reference to a year? Or miles traveled? We weren’t certain and couldn’t get the man to expand further. Then, moments later, someone asked if there was someone there besides George Gerard and the same male voice said, “The first half.” Sometimes the responses don’t make sense to us. The first half of what? We asked but didn’t get an answer.

Our time was up on the first floor, so we moved up to the second floor, setting up our session in a room that was formerly used as a dormitory room. I decided to give the Spirit Box a break and broke out my dowsing rods. Nineteenth century ghosts are often apprehensive of our modern electronic devices, but will speak freely through the rods. We’ve always had great responses with them at Community House #2. I had the group pass them around so they could experience them firsthand. Some people are better with the dowsing rods than others. I think it’s because some people tend to overthink them. They will feel them begin to move and will adjust them, thinking they are moving them themselves.

Dowsing rod responses:

There was a woman and a girl there – no men
They weren’t young
They were happy there
They don’t want to stay there
It was confirmed that there weren’t any men there (we were probably on the women’s side of the hallway. Women and men would have been separated.)
They didn’t live there, nor did they work there or were customers there.
They like playing pranks on people
They didn’t have any pets

Our time was up on the second floor, so we moved to the third floor.

We started in the large main room and continued with our dowsing rod session.

There was someone with us
It wasn’t Nick Slater, Charles Slater or Albert, the three printers who we often talk to
(I was feeling a female, which Traci confirmed) They asked if it was Mrs. Murphy but didn’t get a response, so we moved onto Spirit Box

I asked if they knew any of our names and didn’t get a response, so I asked if they liked to mess with Amanda when she was working there. Immediately, someone said, “Amanda.”

Amanda then asked, “What about Meagan?” and they responded with, “Not a thing.” Amanda asked if his/her name was included on the exhibit panels and a male voice responded, “Not all of them.” Seconds later, another male voice said, “Maybe.”

Another male voice said, what sounded like, “Carol Duval.”

After another minute or two of no answers, I suggested that we move into the print shop. At that moment, a male voice said, “We’re in a trial.” I found this interesting. Did he feel he was on trial with all our questions?

We got settled in and began asking questions. I asked if they could tell us their names and a male responded with, “Ain’t sure.”

We continued with the session, picking up the same male voice over and over again, although we couldn’t always make out what he was saying. At one point, it sounded like he said, “I’m beautiful,” which didn’t make any sense. Then without warning, I began hearing male voices outside the room. The digital recorder caught it, but it’s hard to hear over the sound of the choppy Spirit Box.

Someone asked if they moved here for the Utopia. A male voice said, “I did.” She couldn’t understand what he said, so she asked if he could say it again. The same male voice said, “Hear the voice.” I’m not sure what that meant. Was he telling her to listen to the voice or was he talking to one of them, asking if they heard the voice? At the time, we thought he said something about a book.

When asked how many years they worked there, a male voice said “Quite a few.” It was very faint though. Directly after that, a child’s voice came through with the most heartbreaking question I’ve ever heard. We didn’t hear it at the time because it happened so fast, but she said, “Can I go home?”

We’ve known there were children there, but seldom hear from them during our sessions. Was she trapped and needed permission to go home? Someone asked if this was their favorite room and in the middle of it, you can hear a woman saying, “Go into the light.” This was astounding to me and really validated what I’ve always thought. If she was telling the child to go into the light, which is the pathway to Heaven. I hope she listened to the woman.

Amanda followed up on an earlier response that we thought we heard about a book. She asked if the book was in the building right now and the same male voice with the slight southern twang said, “That’s kind a tough.” Someone else asked what the last date they remembered printing on a newspaper. “I didn’t,” was the response, which makes sense if the person wasn’t a part of the printing offices.

Our time was up at Community House #2, so we moved on to the Fauntleroy Home.

(Above) The Fauntleroy Home. Photo by Joni Mayhan

The Fauntleroy Home was built in 1820 and was the fifty-third house built by the Harmonists. It is best known as the birthplace of the Minerva Society, one of the first women’s groups in the nation. The house is named after Robert Henry Fauntleroy and his wife, Jane Dale Owen Fauntleroy who lived there in the early to mid-1800’s. The house has been prone to ghost stories since 1848, when the first ghost was reported being seen on the staircase. By my estimation, it is the most haunted house in New Harmony.

(Above) An old photo of Mary Emily Fauntleroy sitting in the same area we investigated

As we sat in the entry room by the stairs, I explained to the group about the primary ghost who haunts the house. Mary Emily Fauntleroy purchased the house in the early 1900’s and turned it into New Harmony’s first tour site. She put her blood, sweat and tears into the house but couldn’t make ends meet during the Great Depression. The house ended up in possession of the state with the promise that she could continue to live in the house until she died. She lived there for many years, but when WWII broke out, the state ceased operations and booted her out, despite the promises. She moved next door to live with her brother Homer until she died.

The haunting accelerated about ten years ago when the house underwent a major renovation. The state wanted to return the house to a specific period and all of Mary Emily’s modifications and collection didn’t fit the 1850’s time period they were shooting for. They ended up removing most of her collection and tore down the additions she had made to the house. The haunting became angry after that and for good reason. Mary Emily was angry.

Amanda Bryden, who is in charge of the buildings, was one of the people who made the decision to restore and renovate the house.

I asked Amanda if there was anything she wanted to add and as she started to speak, the pinwheel that we placed in the middle of the floor suddenly was crushed to the ground. It didn’t merely fall over; it was pushed so hard that the plastic cup that was holding it became dented. “I’ll just shut up now,” Amanda said with a chuckle. She’s always felt that Mary Emily doesn’t like her because of the renovations and this might have been confirmation.

As I listened to the audio we recorded during this session, there was a strange crackly voice that came through just after she said that. We did a Spirit Box session for twenty minutes and got a few responses that weren’t clear, but nothing from Mary Emily. We moved up to the second floor.

Everyone agreed that the second floor feels far different from the first floor. It feels heavy and not necessarily welcoming. We always feel as though we’re being watched and possibly judged. It’s not a friendly space. As soon as we turned on the Spirit Box, a male voice asked, “Who you talking to?” I just went with the flow and answered him. “We’re talking to you,” I said.

I told them that I was doing a presentation at Workingmen’s Institute, New Harmony’s library, and asked if they wanted me to tell the people anything. “Go home,” the male voice said.

I followed up my question by asking if they’ve ever been there before. “Do I do everything?” he responded in a sarcastic tone. The man was very vocal during the session. Someone asked, “Were you happy in life?” He responded with, “This says buy me.” I’m not sure what it meant.

Someone asked who the president was and there was no response until a full minute later when someone asked if there were more than one ghost in the room. “Johnson!” a male voice blurted out, which was followed by another male voice that said, “You didn’t!”

Sometimes I wonder if they can hear us clearly or not. This was apparent when Mary Emily’s voice came through and answered a question. Someone asked, “Are you male?” and she said, “I am healthy.”

Then, the investigation got very interesting. Elizabeth Stowers attended the investigation and offered to take a few photos. As she took a photo, we heard a very loud “hello!” come across the Spirit Box. It was so loud, I thought it came from inside the room instead of across the box.
When Elizabeth looked at the photo, the lights streamed up from the Spirit Box to the ceiling.

I asked who said hi to us and a voice clearly said, “Edith.”

She took another photo and asked if they’d jump into it and the same female voice said, “Again?” In this photo, the lights were absolutely crazy. They buzzed out from all the devices and spun around the room. There has been some discussion about the photos. Several people feel they’re due to slow shutter speeds, but Elizabeth was using a flash. I don’t know enough about photography in low light situations to know if this can be explainable or not, but she took an additional dozen photos and couldn’t duplicate what she captured in the strange two.

(Above) The room was completely dark when Elizabeth Stowers took this photo. Several people have stated that a slow shutter speed will produce these results, but I find it interesting because a flash was used for the shot. Is it paranormal or just a slow shutter speed? You be the judge.

As she was attempting to duplicate the photos, we caught a male voice on the Spirit Box attempting to help her. He said, “Don’t move it.”

We finally gave up on the photos and sat back down to continue our session. Amanda asked if they used to live next door. The same female voice said, “No.”

We went around the room for several more turns and didn’t get anything, so we moved to dowsing rods.

Dowsing rods:

He was a male
As I asked if he used to live next door, I heard a disembodied voice. Upon play back, it is very faint, but sounds like it says, “Joni.” Most of the group heard it and we went to the windows to see if someone was walking past, but the streets were empty.
He didn’t live at the Chadwick House next door
He lived in New Harmony
He lived across the street in the Neef-Lesseur house
He lived there in the 1800’s
He didn’t come over on the Boatload of Knowledge
He didn’t know any of the Owens, Fretageots
He worked in New Harmony
I passed the rods and as I did, I felt a female behind me. We asked the rods.
It was a female
She was behind me
She enjoys the company
She wasn’t the one who manipulated the photo

I began feeling a very strong female behind me. We tried to communicate with her with the rods, but no one responded. Then, out of the blue, the house alarm went off. It goes off without fail every single investigation. We tried to find out who turned it on, but no one would take the credit.

Traci Hoehn, who often helps me with investigations, took over the dowsing rods. She explained to the group how she locks her elbows in tight and a ghost seemed to be listening too. We caught a female voice on the recorder saying, “Look.”

Continuing on with the dowsing rods:

This room was her favorite place
She didn’t have children
She often travels to other buildings
We were talking to Mary Emily
She wished she could have had children
We had a discussion about how Mary Emily was really married to her house and someone asked if she had suitors. No response on the rods.
She was the one who knocked the pinwheel over earlier.

I suddenly saw the shape of a man appear in the doorway across from me. It stood there for two to three seconds and then disappeared. We asked the dowsing rods, but didn’t get a response. We continue for a few more minutes but didn’t get any further responses, so we moved onto the basement.

We settled in for an evp session. As we went around the room, I heard a humming sound, but no one else heard it. I heard it a second time and several others heard it too, but it wasn’t caught on the digital recorder. After we’d gone around the room several times, we moved onto Spirit Box. Someone asked what their names were and there was a faint response. It said, “Edward.” That was the only response we got. I could feel them in the basement, but they weren’t interested in communicating with us. We ended the session and walked back, taking our time to talk about the Harmonist Cemetery and the Scholars Retreat, which is the house Mary Emily moved to after being evicted from her home.

On the surface, it seemed like a fairly quiet night. We didn’t hear the loud door slamming or footsteps that we sometimes witness. Once I dived into the audio review, I quickly realized that this investigation was one of the most monumental encounters in my years of investigating the paranormal.

Some of the ghosts in New Harmony are eager to talk to us and we’re equally happy to listen. Thank you to everyone who attended and to Amanda Bryden, the State Historic Site Collections Manager, for hosting this event. Much appreciation to Traci Hoehn for her assistance and photographs and to Crystal Folz for joining us after her Ghost Walk. Thank you Elizabeth Stowers for sharing your amazing photos with us too!

Haunted New Harmony Investigation Review – 10-12-18

Posted on October 22, 2018 by jonimayhan

(Above: Community House #2 at dusk)

It’s always such an honor to investigate historic buildings. As we move through the rooms, we always keep that history in our minds, knowing that many others passed through this space before us. We also hope to learn something from the souls that still reside there, giving us a glimpse into the lives they once led.

We had a small group for our first investigation, which meant we could all stay together and not have to separate into two groups. It also gives us greater opportunity to communicate with the souls of the building. They are often less intimidated by smaller groups so we were hopeful to make contact with them.

We started in Community House #2, which was built in 1822 by the Harmonists, the Utopian society who founded the town. The building was originally used as a dormitory building for the younger members of the group, but over time has been used as a furniture store, school, print shop for the local newspaper and a rooming house. Many lives have passed through those doors, so we weren’t sure who we’d be talking to.

As we settled into our first EVP session on the first floor, we all began hearing footsteps and noises upstairs. We turned on the Spirit Box soon after and immediately began getting responses to our questions. We asked if they could talk to us and a male voice said, “Speak your tone.”

Someone else asked if that was his favorite room and the same male voice said, “It was mine.”

After thirty minutes, we moved to the second floor to a room that had once been used as a dormitory room. The room had a second room that branched off of it. I put my Mel Meter in the doorway and turned on the REM mode. If anything came close to it, it would light up. I’ve only had this go off several times over the five years that I’ve owned it, so I was surprised when it immediately began flashing.

Not long afterwards, we heard a door slam down at the end of the hallway, even though all the doors are closed and locked.

We then brought out the dowsing rods for everyone to try. Here’s what we learned:

There were four of them with us
They weren’t all women
When asked if they could make the pinwheel turn, they responded with “no”

Fleeing shadows are often seen in the hallway, so we put two people in the hallway at a time. I turned on my laser grid so they could watch for shadows. If something broke the grid, they would clearly see it.

(Above: The laser grid set up in the second floor hallway in Community House #2 )

The first two people didn’t hear or see anything, but the second two heard what sounded like a broom sweep right behind them

(Above: Amanda Bryden talking to the group on the third floor of Community House #2)

After a half hour, we moved to the third floor.

Because we’ve always had good luck with the Spirit Box up there, we turned it on immediately.

Say hi to us? “I do not.”
Any Civil War soldiers who want to say hi to us? “Hi.”
Do you like it that the floor hasn’t changed? “Down here.”

Did you have any actual furniture? “The chimney.”
Did you move back to PA? “Go home.”
Where is home? “Careful.”

What is your name? “Alfred Owen” (at the time, we thought it sounded like “Al Gore”, which caused a laugh)
What is your name? “Christina Werk”

The responses were interesting because two Civil War soldiers worked on the third floor in the printing office. The other responses were curious, but might make more sense later. Amanda Bryden, who is in charge of the buildings is going to research the names to see if they fit into the town’s history.

(Above: The Fauntleroy Home)

After a short break, we walked down the street to the Fauntleroy Home.

I’ve always said the Fauntleroy Home is the most haunted house in New Harmony. Many people have had terrifying experiences there, something we’ve witnessed firsthand. While no one in any of our groups has been pushed or scratched, several people have been touched and we’ve had many personal experiences we can’t explain.

The Fauntleroy Home was built by the Harmonists in 1820. It was the 53^rd house built in town and has had a long history of people residing there. One of the primary ghosts that we’ve frequently interacted with is Mary Emily Fauntleroy. She purchased the home in the early 1900’s and turned it into New Harmony’s first tour site. The home was her entire life and she dedicated her life to preserving it and telling it’s history. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t get to live our her life there. After owning her home for a number of years, she had a difficult time making ends meet. The house eventually was turned over to the state and they promised her she could remain there until she died. When WWII broke out, the state ceased operations and kicked her out. She moved next door to live with her brother and his wife until she died. I’m fairly certain she returned to her beloved home as soon as she died.

(Above: Amanda Bryden talking to the group on the first floor of The Fauntleroy Home)

We usually communicate with Mary Emily on the first floor, but it was unnaturally quiet. Amanda was talking about the renovations that were done there years ago and without warning, the pinwheel in the middle of the floor slammed to the ground. It didn’t fall over. It was thrust over to the point where the cup that was holding it was bent. We all jumped when it happened because there was no logical explanation for it. It was as though someone slammed it down in anger.(Above: A historic photo of Mary Emily Fauntleroy sitting in the same spot where we did our first EVP session at The Fauntleroy Home)

After a few minutes, we moved up to the second floor.

43952014_10219037769314581_5306829864014184448_n (Above: Our group on the second floor of The Fauntleroy Home with the pinwheel in the middle of the group. The red light is from a flashlight)

The second floor bedroom is always active and it didn’t disappoint us this time either. We used a variety of equipment, including a Spirit Box, the Mel Meter, a KII meter and a flashlight. During our first session, we employed the flashlight. If it is set in between the on and off position, the ghosts can easily utilize it to respond to our questions.

Flashlight responses:

Do you miss your kitchen. Yes
Do you still have family here? Yes
Did you come here voluntarily? Yes
Are there two spirits here? Yes

We turned on the Spirit Box and got a few interesting responses:

Randomly, someone said, “The Ghost Walk” on the Spirit Box. This was interesting because I do Ghost Walks past the house weekly and stop to talk about the house and it’s hauntings. Have they been listening?

We also heard it say “Amanda” but it’s not as clear across speakers as it is on headphones.
I asked if anyone wanted to tell us anything and a male voice said “hey”.

In August, we investigated the Culbertson Mansion in New Albany, Indiana, which is two hours away from New Harmony. During one of our sessions, I asked them what town they lived in. One of the ghosts responded, “New Harmony,” which intrigued me. Had a ghost from New Harmony followed us to New Albany? During this investigation at the Fauntleroy Home, I asked if any of them followed us to the Culbertson Mansion. The response to my question this time was, “I couldn’t walk.”

Someone asked if this was home and a male voice said, “No.”

I can’t handle listening to the Spirit Box for long periods of time, so I turned it off. I asked if it annoyed them too and the flashlight immediately came on.

Shortly after that, the alarm started blaring. It was apparent they were done with us. I always find it astounding when the ghosts turn on the house alarm. It has an on and off button. Someone has to switch it over manually. Apparently one of the ghosts in the house is fairly high tech. When Amanda went downstairs to turn off the alarm, one of the ghosts followed her. I could feel it, but also asked and the flashlight came on immediately, giving us confirmation.

Crystal and I both felt like there was a new ghost there. We identified him as a young male who died recently. Crystal thought he died from drugs. I felt he died from a car accident. As it turns out, we were either both wrong or we were picking up on different ghosts.

(Above: Joni and Crystal Folz)

Crystal felt that he was pacing, agitated and anxious. At that moment, we recorded an EVP that said, “Kill.” It’s very faint and you can only hear it with headphones, so I didn’t upload it. Still though, hearing it gave me chills. What did this mean?

We began using the dowsing rods to attempt to get more information, but I’m not certain we were getting the right story:

He just came there recently
He was in a car crash
He was driving the car.
Drugs were not involved. I received a faint EVP that said “No,” at the same time
He lived in the Chadwick house next door.

This was interesting to us because Crystal and I visited the Chadwick house last year. While we were there, Crystal picked up on a young man who hung himself, which was something I later confirmed. We began wondering if that was who we were talking to. I began talking to him about crossing over. As if in confirmation, the light came on. At that moment, I immediately began feeling a tingle in my ankles that is a sign that someone wants to cross over. I felt it move through me and out the crown of my head. Someone crossed over. I wasn’t sure if it was him or someone else, but one of them moved on.

(Above: Crystal Folz and Duanne Wittmayer sitting in the small bedroom at The Fauntleroy Home)

We moved to the basement. It was the first time we’ve actively investigated the basement. I kept feeling a strong sense of slaves in the basement, something that Crystal had picked up on last year when we visited the basement. We then began talking about how New Harmony was formerly a sundown community. People of color weren’t always welcome in town. Amanda shared a story from the turn of the previous century when a group of African-American musicians were in town to perform and missed their train out of town due to weather. Fearful for their safety, some kind people locked them inside Thralls Opera House for the night to keep them safe. The fact that Crystal was feeling slaves in the basement wasn’t completely out of context. Robert Henry Fauntleroy, who moved into the house in 1839 formerly owned a plantation in Virginia and sold/freed his slaves in order to come to New Harmony. At least one of the freed slaves came with him because she’s referenced in the book The Old Fauntleroy Home. It was possible they roomed in the basement.

The night’s investigation was interesting, but it left us with more questions than answers. Who had we been talking to all night?

We will continue to investigate these historic buildings and will hopefully learn more about their history as time progresses. I was thankful, as always, for the opportunity.

Thank you to Amanda Bryden for your tireless hours, to Crystal Folz for stopping by after conducting a rainy Ghost Walk, and for everyone who attended.

Investigation Review 10-28-17

Posted on October 30, 2017 by jonimayhan

22851913_10215836845733492_3977681222222987517_n

(Above) the first group who investigated the Fauntleroy Home

I’m happy to say that our last Haunted New Harmony investigation for the season ended on a high note. Both the Fauntleroy Home and Community House #2 were exceptionally active. After a few quiet investigations, we were worried the ghosts were worn out, but they came out in full swing for the end of our season.

Community House #2

Billy Miller, who normally handles the Community House #2 investigations, wasn’t able to make it, so Crystal Folz stepped in for the night. Crystal is a close friend and psychic medium who has helped me explored a lot of the hauntings in New Harmony for my book. She’s attended nearly every event this season as an assistant, so she was well acquainted with the resident ghosts and what to expect.

They had their biggest responses with dowsing rods. They learned that they were speaking with Nick Slater who was one of the printers who worked in the building. He often plays tricks on them during investigations, pretending to be someone else. He also has responded that he has a crush on Meagan Patterson who helps oversee the building.

They learned that another person they were speaking with liked to cook and prayed together with others. They also learned that there were children born during their period, which makes us believe they weren’t Harmonists, who practiced celibacy.

(Left) Meagan Patterson is one of the people who oversee the buildings we investigate. She has been to every investigation and has proven herself to be a valuable member of the team.

Later, they felt they were talking to an apprentice who became a printer, which could have been Charles Slater. They heard sounds downstairs, but nothing was there when they went to check it out.

Crystal instructed everyone on the proper use of dowsing rods. The second group had similar results as the first. The souls there responded that they were happy the guests were there. Someone asked if the ghosts would like them to leave and Crystal was quick to stop people from asking it again. If we ask that question and they respond with “yes,” it’s rude for us to stay. Typically, when we receive that response, we stop the investigation or at least move to another area of the building out of respect for their wishes.

22853147_10215836849173578_129324771747760606_n Someone using the dowsing rods asked if the ghost followed them from the Fauntleroy Home and the response was “yes,” which made sense to Amanda. She said that Mary Emily Fauntleroy actually owned Community House #2 in the 1920’s. When they asked if it was Mary Emily, the dowsing rods said “no.” They spent a few minutes trying to figure out who it might be, but couldn’t determine the identity of the ghost.

(Left) The dark hallway on the second floor

Someone asked if the soul was a Harmonist and the rods responded with “yes.” Someone asked if they were there before the Community House was built and the rods responded with “yes.” This made sense to Amanda because there were many people who lived in the community in houses before the Community House was built. Once it was built, younger members of the group would have been relocated there.

Did you work in this building – yes
Did you work in the furniture store – no
Did you cook food in this building – yes

Amanda felt it was a Harmonist so she asked if they also cooked food in the summer kitchen next door. The rods responded with yes. She went onto describe how the summer kitchen was beneficial. Cooking would have heated up the building and present fire dangers, so having a summer kitchen made sense.

Did you live in Pennsylvania – yes
Did you come to New Harmony by boat – no
Did you come to New Harmony by wagon – yes
Did you move back to Pennsylvania with the rest of the group in 1824-25? – no response

Crystal explained that she might have died before the group left and wasn’t aware of them moving back.

Were members of your family also in this society – quick yes
Did you have any children – no, which made sense since they were celibate
Did you eat in the room on the first floor with the deep fireplace – yes, which makes sense since they feel it was the kitchen.

Did men live on one side and women on the other side? No. This was surprising to them because they’ve always thought the sexes were separated. Carijuan Shafer, who was a tour guide for years in town, felt that it might have been from an earlier time before they separated the sexes.

(Left) Joni with Crystal Folz
Did you attend church in the wooden church? Yes
Did you attend church in the brick church? No

The group stopped getting responses so they moved to the second floor. Crystal explained that the previous group was hearing sounds behind them when they were sitting in the hallway. Some took two photos of the hallway. One photo was completely black and the other one had a white light in it. They also thought they saw someone standing behind Paula, who was acting as the hall monitor for the group.

One of the people said they felt a lot of energy at Fauntleroy Home, but wasn’t feeling the same at Community House. Crystal began exploring it with the group, explaining that there was different energy in the two locations. Carijuan Shafer told her about some of her experiences at Community House when she was a tour guide. She said she often heard people walking around, going about their day, but never felt threatened by them.

Crystal split the group into two, putting several people out in the hallway to see if they saw any shadows, while the other portion of the group went into a small room that was once used as a dormitory room.

They told the group about Gretchin Iron’s experience when she came to film for Channel 44. When she walked past the bathroom filming, the bathroom light was off, but when she walked back past it, it was on. Carijuan told them that she also had a lot of similar experiences with the light when she was there as a tour guide.

They asked if there was a male in the room. The flashlight flickered and then the rods responded with “yes.” Crystal explained that they might be communicating with Nick Slater, who was the printer’s son. They’ve had several encounters with him in that room, so they began directing their questions towards him.

Are you the printer’s son – no.

Amanda explained that Nick was also a printer, so they asked him if he was a printer and the rods responded with “yes.”

Did you like it here – No
Did you act in plays in New Harmony – No. Amanda knew that Nick did once act in plays, so either Nick was tricking them, which he often does, or they were talking to someone else.

Crystal began redirecting the questions towards a little boy with a crutch that they’ve communicated with before.

Is the little boy with the crutch here tonight? No
Did he live in this building? Yes

Amanda explained that the Harmonists often took in orphans, as well as women and children from other communities.

Was the little boy an orphan? Yes
Did the Harmonists take him in? Yes
This resonated with Crystal. He didn’t feel like he was one of them.
Did he attend school here in New Harmony? Yes

Crystal began to wonder if the little boy was capable of talking. It seemed like someone else was speaking for him.

Can the little boy speak? No
Is he mute? Yes
They began speculating that he might also be deaf.
Is he deaf? No

Amanda explained that he could have had a trauma that stopped his speech. It could have been physical or mental.

Was he born mute? No
Did a trauma cause his muteness? Yes
Did he have any siblings? No

Did something happen to his parents? No response. Carijuan explained that sometimes when children were born with defects in that era, the parents wouldn’t raise them. They would just take them to an orphanage. They began wondering if he came with them from Pennsylvania.

Were the boy born here? No
Was he from Pennsylvania? No response
Was he from Germany? No response

Amanda wondered if he was born somewhere near the area, but not in New Harmony. No response. They wondered if he simply didn’t know where he was born, that he was dropped off there as an infant.

They then switched out the group. The people who had been in the room went into the hall and the hall people came into the room. Crystal explained who they felt they were talking to, so they continued.

Did the little boy with the crutch go back with the group to Pennsylvania? No response
Did he stay in New Harmony? Yes
Does he have descendants here? No response

Crystal explained that ghosts often show themselves in the way they are comfortable. She explained that the little boy wasn’t communicating with them because he couldn’t speak in life, that someone else was answering questions about him.

Amanda explained that when the town was sold to the Owens, the majority of the Harmonists moved to Pennsylvania. Several of them might have stayed and not moved with the group, but they probably wouldn’t have stayed in town. The Owen group was so different, it would have been a culture crash for them and they wouldn’t have wanted to stay.

Was he born with a disability or a lame leg? No

Crystal felt he had been in an accident, so they began directing the questions in that manner.

Was he hurt by a cannon? No

They knew there was an accident involving cannon and a little boy was injured, but after the response, they knew that wasn’t the case.

Was he hurt on a boat? No response.

They decided to move the group up to the third floor since they only had 45 minutes left.

Crystal asked the group how they felt, if they were feeling any energy. Most of them just felt cold because the temperature was cooler there. Many of them were getting worn down. It was getting late and they were getting tired.

Crystal explained that they needed to be gentle with their questions. Asking about their death or about accidents might make them feel uncomfortable. She said they needed to use empathy and compassion and realize they were talking to actual human beings.

She moved a small group into the print shop.

Are there any spirits here? Yes
Are you a child? No
Are you a female? Yes
Did you wear the high collar with a broche? No
Were you a Harmonist woman? No

Were you a modern New Harmony woman? No response that was marked. They began talking about all the lives that moved through the buildings. Since Carijuan’s godmother was Jane Blaffer Owen, she wondered if she was there with her.

Are you Jane Owen, my Godmother? Yes
Did you enjoy the baked goods that I brought you? No. Carijuan explained that she was asking a question to see if she was actually talking to her or not. She never brought her baked goods, so the no response was accurate.
Carijuan knew that Jane Owen didn’t like the color blue.
Do you like the color blue? Yes

That led them to believe they weren’t talking to Jane, so they redirected their questions, wondering if they were talking to Nick Slater, who is often a trickster. He pretends to be other people.

Crystal wasn’t convinced they were talking to Nick. She began wondering if they were talking to someone else altogether. She wondered if one member of the group had an attachment that followed her to the investigation.

Did you come here with someone today? Yes

22814217_10215836850533612_1526072225089668823_n Crystal went around the room and had everyone ask if the ghost was there with each of them. When Paula asked, the rods responded with “yes.” Crystal then asked if it was a grandparent of Paula’s, but it responded with “no.”

(Left) Paula Bundy and me. Paula is a childhood friend who has been to every one of my investigations, acting as a group assistant. She wasn’t a ghost hunter before she met me, but she is now.
Are you the ghost who hung out at Paula’s house for a while? Yes
Are you a female? Yes
Are you a male? No response. They asked to make sure they weren’t dealing with a trickster. Crystal then asked a question she knew the answer to.
Have you seen Paula’s four grandchildren? (Paula’s daughter is pregnant, but she doesn’t have any other grandchildren) No response
Do you startle Paula’s cat (she doesn’t have a cat)? No response
Are you from Paula’s property from before her house was built? Yes
Can you point to Paula? The rods pointed to Paula after a few moments
Do you understand personal boundaries? No
Do I have a pet bird (Crystal asked)? No response (Crystal does have a bird, so she deducted that the ghost wasn’t familiar with her)

They tried to get the ghost to move the pinwheel, but weren’t successful. Crystal began wondering if it was too difficult for them to move, so Crystal had them ask if they could make the lights blink. The lights immediately blinked. The group was astounded.

They tried to determine the time era of the ghost they were talking to, so they began asking questions about music. The ghost didn’t know who the Bee Gees or Elvis Pressley was. They asked about the Andrew Sisters and they didn’t know.

Do you know who the Gershwin Brothers are? Yes (this put it at the 40’s)
Are you Kenneth Dale Owen? No
Are you related to the Owens? No
Are you an actor? Yes

They deducted that they were speaking with a male actor from the 1940’s based on their responses. Carijuan knew that John Wilkes Booth performed as an actor in the 1940’s and performed with the Golden Troupe in New Harmony. They switched out the group and continued with the same line of questioning.

Is John Wilkes Booth here? Yes

22815594_10215836848773568_2603836466937496190_n (Above) Carijuan Shafer chatting with Amanda Bryden during break

Crystal wasn’t convinced they were actually talking to John Wilkes Booth, knowing they often have a trickster respond.

Do you not like me? No
Did you perform with the Golden Troupe? Yes
Did you know Dr. Mudd? Yes (this was a performer who broke his leg after he jumped off the stage)
Are you pretending to be John Wilkes Booth? Yes. The group began laughing, thinking they might be talking to Nick Slater again.
Are you Nick Slater? Yes

Despite the interesting responses with the dowsing rods, the group did not record a single EVP. The ghosts in this building were obviously more interested in non-technical communication.

22814266_10215836845133477_6574295955175872187_n Fauntleroy Home

The energy is decisively different at the Fauntleroy Home. Instead of being light and playful, the ghosts there are intense and somewhat aggressive. The minute you walk in, you can feel it. Some of them don’t want us there, but others are more forthcoming with communication.

Carijuan told the group some of her stories from her years acting as a tour guide in New Harmony. The Fauntleroy Home was her home base when she worked for the state. She would spend many hours a day there, documenting the historical artifacts.

We spent some time in the foyer area, attempting to communicate with the resident ghosts. We did several rounds of straight EVP, where we only spoke questions and recorded dead space, hoping to receive an EVP. We didn’t get anything so we moved to Spirit Box.

I put four people in the room that was once the location of the original kitchen in the home. They had dowsing rods to use to see if they could get anyone to communicate with them and felt as though they were getting valid responses.

22851942_10215836851973648_7353269583556593520_n

(Above) Emily Nix and her mother Judy using dowsing rods

In the foyer, we did receive a few spirit box responses. Someone asked if they could ask if there were any educators there. A voice responded, “You can.”

We asked how long they lived here and a voice said, “ten years.”

We asked if they traveled anywhere and a female voice said what sounded like, “Urika.”

(Above) The first group in an EVP session in the entry room

After a half hour in the foyer area, we moved the group upstairs. I put another group in the smaller bedroom just off the master bedroom to use the dowsing rods. The rest of the group stayed in the master bedroom, which is one of the most active spots in the house.

We asked them to tell us their names and someone said, “Lori.” We heard another male voice come through, but couldn’t understand what he said.

As we were sitting there, both Amanda and I heard a door slam. It sounded like a door in the house, so we leaped up and raced downstairs. Nothing was amiss, so we returned back to the group.

We had placed a flashlight on the mantle to see if the ghosts would turn it on. I always use a “cold” flashlight, one that hasn’t been used during the evening because flashlights that have been used can easily arc and cause the light to intermittently go on and off, making everyone believe they’re getting ghost responses. Someone asked if they could turn the flashlight on and I recorded perhaps the best EVP of my career. A woman’s voice said, “It’s hard for me.” The voice sounded exactly like Mary Emily Fauntleroy’s voice. I was astounded. And then the flashlight came on! I probably learned more through this one response than I’ve learned in years of investigating the paranormal. What it told me was that not all of them are capable of manipulating our equipment, but they are able to turn the flashlight on and off.

Carijuan began talking with Mary Emily, reminding her that her mother used to bring her to church every Sunday. She asked if Mary remembered that and the flashlight came on instantly.

I looked down and realized that my Mel Meter was at 2.5. Normally, it stays at zero and never budges, but it was recording EMF spikes the last investigation and was doing it again now. I asked if they could make it go to 2.5 and received a message on the Spirit Box. The same voice as before, which we believe is Mary Emily, said, “I’m going to tap it.” It was obvious that she was trying to communicate with us.

It went back down again, so I thought I’d use it as a communication device. I asked if the person who was communicating with us was female to make it rise to 2.5 again. A male voice said, “people.” I’m not sure if he was being sarcastic because we were exhausting them or if he was telling us that there were both male and females there.

I told them, “You’re making my day. Thank you!” and received a Spirit Box response of “I did it.” It was the same voice as before. I truly believe that Mary Emily was attempting to communicate with us as best as possible.

“Are you glad Carijuan is here tonight?” someone asked.

“I am,” was the response. The flashlight flickered at the same exact moment.

We asked a few more questions without getting any clear responses. Someone said, “We’re going to have to be leaving soon. Is that okay?” A voice came through and asked, “Where are you going?” She told him we were going to Community House #2 and asked if he’s been there.”

“I have,” a female responded.

This was getting crazy. We were having full blown conversations with the ghosts!

We couldn’t seem to get them to tell us their names though. Someone asked if they were afraid to tell us their names and the flashlight came on. Someone else asked again why they wouldn’t tell us their names and a voice said, “Again?” This was perplexing. Had they already told us, but we hadn’t heard it? We didn’t understand what we were hearing at the time. I only figured this out after listening to the audio recording during my review days later. We thought she said, “Annie” or something similar. We didn’t get anything else after that and headed back to Community House #2 for our break.

My second group through Fauntleroy Home was a different experience. The energy felt very agitated and angry the minute we got back in. I repeated my process with the second group and moved a small group of people into the kitchen area to work with the dowsing rods.

The group in the smaller room was having a great experience as they connected to loved ones. They began getting relevant responses to questions and learned a great deal about their loved ones.

It grew very quiet on the Spirit Box. Unlike the first group, this group didn’t even receive a single response to the questions they asked. It was apparent the ghosts were getting tired of us. I began watching the shadows at the edges of the room and began seeing movement, but it wasn’t anything I could document as paranormal.

The group thought they heard the sound of music, but it could have just been the Spirit Box briefly landing on a radio station. Meagan and I began to see the bells hanging from the doorway moving back and forth. They were swaying so slightly, it took a few minutes to really determine whether it was just our eyes playing tricks with us or actual movement.

We moved upstairs, hoping for more activity. While we were upstairs several people felt pressure in their ears or developed headaches, me included. It felt like being underwater and needing to pop your ears.

Unlike the first group, we hardly had any reaction with the flashlight. Perhaps it was too difficult for them to use. We did continue to have more reactions on the Spirit Box though.

We went around the group to introduce ourselves. The last person to say his name was Rick. Immediately after he said his name, a ghost said, “Rick” on the Spirit Box.

Not much later, Rick asked if he could talk “man to man” with the ghost. Apparently, the female ghosts took offence with this. “Women,” a female voice said.

I asked if we had someone new to the house with us and a voice came across and said, “Not tonight.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it was an interesting and very clear response.

The group thought they heard a response about gin and took the conversation in that direction. Upon review, they didn’t say gin. The response was something else that wasn’t a clear enough response to make out. They asked if they made their own gin and a male voice responded with “no.”

Rick asked if they knew his dog’s name, but we didn’t receive a valid response. A female voice told us, “That’s freaking me out.”

I played several old songs from my iTunes for them but didn’t really get a response. I think the ghosts were getting tired at that point. We called it a night not long afterwards and returned to Community House #2 for a group review of the night’s events. Everyone agreed that Fauntleroy Home was the more active of the two buildings but still had an enjoyable time experimenting with dowsing rods at Community House #2.

It was a great investigation and nearly everyone had a personal experience they couldn’t explain. I am thankful to the ghosts in the house for communicating with me and hope they have a nice break. This was our last investigation of the season, so I’m thankful to give them the break they need.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the event and to those who helped make it great!

Haunted New Harmony

Where History and Hauntings Collide

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