Subject: Re: PA ghosts

(Discussion Board Files courtesy of Matt Muller)

From: davejones@aol.com (Dave Jones)

Date: 25 Apr 1995 21:03:22 -0400

Message-ID: <3nk64q$gkr@newsbf02.news.aol.com>

Check out the General Wayne Inn, on Montgomery Ave just outside of

Philadelphia. The General Wayne is haunted by a bunch o'ghosts, ranging from a Hessian

soldier to Edgar Allen Poe and Ben Franklin. The restaurant is featured on local newscasts around here every Halloween, and was on Unsolved Mysteries once.

I've heard (but I've never been there) that the staff is friendly and

likes to tell about the ghosts, and that the food is good too.

E-mail me for directions.

Subject: Re: PA ghosts

From: zimm@hmivax.humgen.upenn.edu (graeskar)

Date: 26 Apr 1995 15:05:27 GMT

Message-ID: <3nlnfn$9o3@netnews.upenn.edu>

Check out the Physick House at 321 S 4th St and the Powel House at 244

S 3rd in Philly. They're close together and the guides delight in

telling the many (some recent) ghost stories. Ask for the caretakers

themselves... although there's a brand new one at the Powel House...

wonder why? I've heard they can't keep a caretaker for over 10 months.

Around Halloween look in the City Paper for ghost tours, call them up

and go on the one hosted by Eugene - he's done extensive research and

has talked to people who have seen things in the last few years.

Subject: Re:college ghosts

From: gp298@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Pat Pflieger)

Date: 5 May 1995 15:35:51 GMT

Message-ID: <3odgkn$9u3@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>

At West Chester University (West Chester, PA) the ghost of the first president of the university apparently haunts the building where he lay in state before his burial. It's an

auditorium, and those working there have reported seeing a man enter and then disappear; or they catch a glimpse of him in places where no one should be.

This year, my students told me the story of a haunted dorm room in our Ramsey hall: Those who lived there would wake in the middle of the night and sense that they were being watched; they also saw strange shadows moving on the ceiling. When one student involved did a little research, he learned that a student supposedly had committed suicide there. I've taught here for 8 years, and this is the first year I've heard this story.

From: joeclark@freenet2.scri.fsu.edu (Joe Clark)Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-storiesSubject: Theatre GhostsDate: 12 Jan 1995 23:04:26 GMTAfter lurking on this group for a while, this is my first informational posting (as opposed to smartass follow-ups). The following are some stories told about a Community Theatre Building in southeastern PA where I used to live. I was very active in the group for a year or so ("Dutch Country Players", near Quakertown) & heard several people tell these with straight faces. Of course, they were actors....The playhouse is located on a ridge in the Pennsy Dutch country, along a two-lane back road. Next door is a restaurant/bar, but in typical rural SE Pa fashion, there's nothing but farmhouses, there's no other commercial establishment closer than the tavern at the next crossroads (how this old-country look survives right next to inter-states and cable vision fascinates me). The drive up on a winter's night, with moonlight flooding bare-tree shadows across the snow, is something that will always stick with me. One night at a cast party some of the members started talking about "the ghost," speaking matter-of-factly and without any of the big-eyed hypercredulity one might expect, though it was clear some of them were scared of it. The playhouse is kind of an old barn in shape, maybe 75 x150'; you come into the front lobby ("front of house"), with ticket booth and small kitchen. Above the lobby is a loft with an office and the light/sound booth. Beyond this is the two-story House proper, with removable seating. The stage is raised 3-4 feet and is full width except for narrow wings (restrooms through a set of double-doors to one side of the house). Backstage is the green room, restrooms, set/prop stage, etc. with an upstairs costume storage area. Overall very typical theatre layout. It seems the ghost had been rather more active than usual lately, and some cast members attributed this to the fact that we were performing Godspell (which includes a rather emotional re-enactment of the crucifixion). The reports: 1. One of the "techies" had been working lights late at night. From the light booth you can stand on a box and look through the space above the false ceiling in the house and see the area above the stage. The techie said he saw shapes moving around in there, like they were dancing. He left immediately and would not work late at night without company any more. 2. Several persons reported seeing the backstairs light (from the costume loft to an outside exit) come on when everyone had clearly left the building. More than one person has reported feeling like someone was following them or looking at them while they were in the costume loft. It was not a pleasant feeling. 3. Another person refused to be there alone anymore after the following: the house lights were out and he was heading past the wing curtains to go backstage (complete darkness). He felt as if someone brushed past him and there was a cold sensation in the air. 4. Near the end of Godspell, the cast carries the "dead" Jesus off stage and (in our version) through the audience to the front of house area. One night as the cast turned to come back through the door for curtain calls, several reported that a presence pushed past them "as if in a real huff to get out", as one put it. She insisted we had exorcised the presence by staging a religious drama. I say that'd be a new one, given the decidedly backslidin' nature of the cast, myself included. No one ever repeated a ghostly-origin story in my presence, so I've no clue who this ghost was supposed to be, though there's plenty of ghost-fodder in the North Penn Valley. As the form of the tales closely matches those told elsewhere, it seemed a valid member of the genre. Hope it amused.-- Joe Clark Where there's no sense, joeclark@freenet.scri.fsu.edu there's no feeling.<a href="http://freenet3.scri.fsu.edu:81/users/joeclark/index.html">JC</a>**WARNING: Failure toedit this .sig from replies may cause disk crash.**

My friend reminded me of an incident which happened while we were having dinner at the Chinese restaurant on Bellefonte Ave. in the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh: Szechuan Gourmet??? My friend was facing the back of the restaurant, and I the front, where the waiting area was clearly visible. Throughout the dinner I talked, ate and looked around. Nothing seemed strange, even the fact that every time I glanced for a moment in the waiting area there was an old man waiting there. I didn't think anything of it until I realized that every time I glanced up he was there, facing the register so that I saw him from his right side. What really bothered me was when I realized the image didn't last for more than a few seconds. I told my friend to quickly look toward the waiting area to see if she saw him; she didn't. After she looked I didn't see him again either. This is what he looked like: a man in his...60s, I suppose, very balding (crown) with short white remaining hair polyester, plaid pants (pastel-green, blue and pinkish) alligator shirt-white shoes-white, typical, old-man, white, slip-ons from the 70s His stomach was rather large, but he was not overall an overweight person His hands were clasped behind his back (just like the guy in the nazi dream I posted -- hey, maybe he's a nazi who likes Chinese food) I can't remember whether or not he wore glasses. If there are any readers from the Pittsburgh area, or if you will be visiting (the road to hell leads through Pittsburgh), visit this restaurant, and try to see if you can see him. Of course it will look very strange if the restaurant is crowded with people staring at the waiting area...Kathi Iannamico * * * Kathi Iannamico writes:>> If there are any readers from the Pittsburgh area, or if you>> will be visiting (the road to hell leads through Pittsburgh),>> visit this restaurant, and try to see if you can see him. Of>> course it will look very strange if the restaurant is crowded>> with people staring at the waiting area... I've eaten there once, too. Sorry, I didn't see the guy in the waiting room, but something WAS awkward. Like the spelling of that word... But anyway, for those (and that'd be most everyone of you) not familiar with the place, there are mirrors on all the walls. It's a really small place, so the mirrors are quite effective in opening the space up to feel larger. But mirrors... They're excellent at reflecting things you otherwise wouldn't notice. The front (non-smoking) room was full, so we sat in the back room (smoking) (no one was in there but us, the occasional waiter, and something else). I couldn't see it, but it was there in my peripheral vision -- constantly, because the mirrors reflect everything. I was trying to eat dinner, not to ghost hunt, so I just ignored it... But now that you mention it, there is something there. Maybe I need to go out for Chinese again.

I just thought all of you might like this. It's a listing of all the ghosts I know/have heard about at Penn State University, University Park Campus. Enjoy Dave-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Runkle Hall Poltergeist: This is a second hand story. Last fall, the Resident Assistant on third floor Runkle Hall was complaining that loud banging was keeping her up at night. This didn't seem unusual, as the buildings are heated by steam. The only inconsistency was that the only pipes that banged in the building were the pipes in her room. Eventually, she got housing to go up to her room and look at her register. They tore the register apart, but found nothing. A short time later, she complained that the banging had become louder. Housing again looked into it, but found nothing. Then one night, she was startled by a loud bang. When she awoke, her desk lamp was blinking on and off. She sat up and looked around and noticed that her mattress and pillow were, as she described it, breathing. I am not sure exactly what this means, but I guess they were rising and falling, as if being inflated and deflated with air. Then she started hearing a voice. The voice was obviously speaking to her. I do not know what it said (for some reason I think I remember her saying that she could not understand it). She left the room in fear and went to a friend's room down the hall. The friend went back to the room and walked in, but found nothing out of sorts. The friend then convinced her to go back to the room, only when they got there, the door, which was previously unlocked, was now locked and there was banging. I am not sure what happened next, but I do know that the next day, housing went back to the room to look into the register and the electric outlet and light (it was standard Penn State issue) and once again found nothing wrong. My friend (who is also an RA in Runkle) was told of what happened and gave her some folklore advice about getting rid of a ghost. The RA tried it and it seemed to work, as there were no more problems. However, the RA was so overwhelmed by the experience that she asked to be and was transferred to another RA position. The current RA in the room has reported no problems. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Old Coaly's Ghost: This is the only time I have heard of an animal ghost. Back when the University was new, a man and his family from the South moved into the area. The man had a mule called Coaly. Coaly worked with the University for years and years, outliving most of the original mule team that helped build the buildings on campus. Because of this, Coaly became a student icon. When Coaly died, it was decided to preserve the remains as a sort of memorial. The bones of Coaly were cleaned and displayed in Old Main Building, the center of Penn State at the time. In the early 1900's, Old Main was gutted by fire. The area Old Coaly was displayed in was one of the only areas spared. However, the University did not have the money to repair Old Main, so the remains were moved to the basement of Watts Hall, a student residence hall, and over time, were forgotten about. Then in the 60's, the Old Coaly Society, a philanthropy here, was formed. As a symbol to their namesake, they relocated Old Coaly's skeleton to one of the Agricultural Buildings, where it is on display today. Ever since they removed the bones of Old Coaly, however, the people in Watts Hall have reported hearing noises from the storage room where the bones were kept. Several residents have also reported seeing Old Coaly standing in the hallway outside the storage room, only for the mule to disappear moments later. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Watcher: This is a personal story. One night I was walking alone across campus. The area I was walking through is a wooded spot (one of the last on campus). It was a dim night and I was starting to worry about things lurking in the woods. So to calm myself, I started singing a chant that I know. The chant is a protection chant that is supposed to ask an ancient Goddess to watch you safely to your destination. When I finished the chant, I looked at the doorway of a nearby building and saw a woman standing there. There was a light in back of her, so I could not see many features, but she was about 5.5 to 6 feet tall and was wearing a shirt and a loose dress. I chuckled to myself that she was the Goddess I was singing to. The only unusual thing about her was that she was wearing a rather summery outfit on a very cold night (nights at Penn State can get really cold). I was overwhelmed with a sense of security, but I figured it was just that I knew if there was someone or something around, that there was another person to aid me. About three weeks later, I was walking through another portion of campus late at night. I wasn't feeling scared, but I was a bit on edge. I really don't like walking alone late at night. Just then I saw the same woman in the same clothing standing next to a tree, watching me. I kept my eye on her this time, although I had the same sense of security as I did the first time I saw her. She just stood there and watched me. Several weeks later, I was walking through campus in the early evening. It was just dark out and there were several path lights out in front of me, so it seemed darker than the rest of my walk. I slowed down and became more alert. Then I saw the same woman again, in a place I knew no one was in before. This time I stopped and watched her. For several minutes, we just stared at each other. I became engrossed in watching her, so when a squirrel made a noise behind me, I jumped. I quickly looked back and she wasn't there. I have seen this woman a few more times since then, always when I am just getting a little scared of walking at night. Each time I see her, I feel better. I do not know who or what she is, as I never try to approach her. I usually just nod my head at her and smile. I like to think that she is the ancient Goddess from my chant, making sure I arrive at my destination safely. Dave

Subject: Re: College hauntings

From: djt@dolphin.upenn.edu (David J Trickett)

Date: 17 May 1995 03:23:00 GMT

Message-ID: <3pbq6k$9e3@netnews.upenn.edu>

I, for one, have been trying to find out if any portion of the University of Pennsylvania campus is haunted. Irvine Auditorium and College Hall would make great candidates, but no one I've talked to about it knows anything about hauntings. BTW, College Hall is supposedly the model for the Addams Family House. The creator of the series was a Penn alumni.

I'm also looking into the details pertaining to the nearby Woodlands Cemetary and Mansion. Supposedly it is haunted, but I haven't spoken with the caretaker yet.

Dave.

Subject: Re: Steel Town Ghosts

From: wslucker@telerama.lm.com (Mondo)

Date: 16 May 1995 19:10:46 -0400

Message-ID: <3pbbdm$jg4@india.lm.com>

The former Jones & Laughlin Steel Works on the south side of Pittsburgh was haunted by the ghost of a ladleman who fell into the ladle of molton steel. The J&L wouldn't sell the melt but instead let it setup and burried it in the mill yard.

Until the time of its demolition in 1960 the ghost haunted the No 2 Shop of the complex.

Beth E. Trapani outlines a couple other Pittsburgh steel Mill hauntings in her book Ghost Stories of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County published by Exeter Books.

Mondo

Subject: Re: pittsburgh

From: wslucker@telerama.lm.com (Mondo)

Date: 10 May 1995 19:23:23 -0400

Message-ID: <3orhtb$hpc@pink.lm.com>

According to the book Ghost Stories of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County by Beth E. Trampani, the *Cathedral of Learning* at the University of Pittsburgh may be haunted.

There are several rooms in the high-rise classroom building that are called the International Rooms, because they are decorated in the style of various nationalies (i.e., German, Polish, etc.).

One of these rooms, the Early American Room, may be haunted.

Additionally, the book ballroom in another Pitt building may be haunted by Mary Croghan-Schenley, a benefactor of the school.

Mondo