After hearing about haunted Bradford College for months, on March 11th, 2000, a small group of ghost hunters explored the legends–and buildings–of Bradford College.

Bradford College closed. The site is now Zion Bible College. Do not attempt to visit it without permission.

This is a summary [...]]]> Bradford College, Bradford, Massachusetts – 11 March 2000

After hearing about haunted Bradford College for months, on March 11th, 2000, a small group of ghost hunters explored the legends–and buildings–of Bradford College.

Bradford College closed. The site is now Zion Bible College. Do not attempt to visit it without permission.

This is a summary of our findings, with links to our reports.

Summary of the ghosts we knew about before our visit:

ACADEMY BUILDING

This building is the main building on campus, with offices and dormitories. The Academy Building is also the site of numerous manifestations, mostly focused on the “Amy and the priest” story. According to the tale, when the college had been a girls’ school, a student (Amy) had become pregnant by a priest. He tried to keep her quiet, and she eventually killed herself–or was killed by the priest. There are several variations of this story.

Our reports:

• Ghosts of the Academy Building, first & second floors
• Ghosts of the Academy Building, third & fourth floors.

THE TUNNELS

We visited the underground tunnels linking several Bradford buildings. The tunnels are eerie, and troubling to explore. Our reports:

• Bradford College’s Haunted Tunnels
• Orbs in Bradford College’s Tunnels

The stories from Denworth are more recent, but some are almost identical to the Amy-and-the-priest tale from Academy:

A student had an affair with a drama professor, or perhaps she was raped. He threatened her when she said she was pregnant and would tell the administration. He killed her and the baby, or he killed her when she was pregnant, or some variation of this sordid ending.

The student is generally mischievous, playing pranks on people in the theatre. She does not like to be talked about. She has been heard singing “Hush, Little Baby,” in the upstairs part of the building.

Our visit to Denworth was easily the most dramatic encounter with an actual ghost on the Bradford campus. It was one of our last stops when touring Bradford College.

Our report:

TUPELO POND

According to legend, a boy drowned in the pond and it is haunted. There is a second, more colorful legend about haunted ducks or other wildlife. The eerie events at the pond are attributed to the text mentioned in H. P. Lovecraft’s famous account of the Necronomicon.

According to local stories, the Necronomicon was buried in a secret tunnel that goes underneath the pond. The tunnel was sealed and its exact location is unknown.

Our report:

TUPELO EAST AND TUPELO WEST DORMS

These are the sites of a variety of stories, mostly about the ghost of the little boy who drowned in the pond. He’s heard playing, particularly in the upstairs rooms of these two dorms. Tupelo West was the last stop on our tour of Bradford. Nothing dramatic happened there.

Our report:

GREENLEAF HOUSE

One of the most recent stories, where a foreign student (perhaps Japanese) checked into the dorm early. While alone in the building, he left his room, and upon returning, he saw bloody footprints outside his door. In his room, he found an old woman, covered with blood. Variations of this story place the woman in a bathroom, or a reflection in the mirror only, and she’s young and in a black dress or a white gown, covered in blood.

We did not visit Greenleaf House.

Other locations – There are several other, less famous stories of ghosts on the campus. We did not investigate them.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

I revisited Denworth Hall in April 2000. I confirmed the anomalous, high EMF readings in the stairwell approaching the dance studio, upstairs. The fuse box is responsible for elevated readings approximately 8 inches from the box. The other high EMF readings on 11 March 2000 and April 2000 are still unexplained. The girl was still in the area, but I was deliberately blocking communications from her. My purpose in visiting that area was to check the EMF readings in a “non-haunted” context.

I also visited the actual upstairs theatre in the building. There is a male ghost, or perhaps his residual energy, on the right side of the stage as you are facing it from the audience. He’s tempermental but not malicious. I think he’s from around 1930 or so, but he could be earlier or later. He’s tall, lanky, wears casual clothing, but he’s not in a tee-shirt from the current era. His “territory” covers an area of floorspace about 5 feet, square, in the wings but not in the rest of the backstage. I lean towards his presence being residual energy.

There is an entity above the stage, around the metal grid (“catwalk”) far above the stage. I did not like it. It “looked” black and human-sized. At the time, I did not think that it was, or ever had been, human. It seemed malicious to me.

Since then, people have told me another story, this one involving a young woman who hung herself from the catwalk.

To read about the entire investigation, start with our Preparations for Bradford College Ghost Investigation

Apparitions, “cold spots” and poltergeists are becoming almost commonplace at many schools.

There are many possible reasons why we’re hearing more — and more credible — reports from colleges and universities.

A FEW REASONS

The media have increased our [...]]]> Hauntings — or reports of them — have increased at colleges and universities in recent years.

Apparitions, “cold spots” and poltergeists are becoming almost commonplace at many schools.

There are many possible reasons why we’re hearing more — and more credible — reports from colleges and universities.

A FEW REASONS

The media have increased our awareness of the spirit world. Each year, new ghost- and paranormal-related films and TV shows spark fresh interest in this subject.

Researchers are making steady breakthroughs in paranormal studies.   When ghosts are in the news, people pay more attention to the odd things they’ve noticed… but previously dismissed as “just my imagination.”

And, as more ghosts are noticed, they manifest more often.  After years of being ignored, they’re delighted that people are finally paying attention to them.

In addition, websites such as Hollow Hill are able to inform more students about hauntings at their schools.  Once you know what to look for — and where — you’re more likely to recognize the ghosts around you.

GHOSTS REPORTED AT COLLEGES

College ghosts are reported so frequently — and sometimes for just a brief span of time – that it’s nearly impossible for us to keep our lists up to date.

In some cases, the ghost is a poltergeist and it’s following one student. When she changes dorms, so does the ghost.

Poltergeist – From the German meaning “noisy ghost,” this term has been in use since the early 19th century to mean a spirit that makes noise, or otherwise plays pranks… often annoying.

Unlike other ghosts, poltergeists can move from one location to another, following the person they’ve chosen to torment.

Many psychologists believe that poltergeists are not ghosts at all, but some form of psychokinesis or remote activity.

At Hollow Hill, we take poltergeists seriously.  We believe that they are definitely connected with ghosts or other spirits, and usually manifest in the vicinity of one person.

Sometimes, the experience is sparked by a contagion of suggestion. One person convinces others that he’s seen a ghost, and his friends and acquaintances start looking for ghosts.

At many colleges, they’ll find them… perhaps more than they bargained for.

Whether or not we list a particular haunting, remember this:  Almost every older college and university has reported a ghost at some time.

We’re not saying that every college and university is actually haunted, but most colleges report a ghost or a poltergeist at some point.  We can’t personally confirm every story, but when multiple students describe the same ghostly phenomena… we take it seriously.

Hauntings are more commonplace than most people believe.

High levels of stress make colleges a prime target for residual energy hauntings. (These hauntings are energy — not necessarily lingering spirits — that remain in a location and can be sensed by later visitors.)

COLLEGE GHOSTS TO LOOK FOR

Almost every college that reports a haunting offers one of the following stories:

• The haunted theater – An “odd feeling” backstage, on stage, or in the auditorium. Sometimes a woman is seen at the door.  Many haunted theaters report the ghost of a worker or actor in the wings of the stage.
• The haunted locker room – Odd noises, odors, someone whistling, or the roar of the crowd outside when the building (or field) is actually empty.
• The haunted dorm – Usually tagged to a suicide (sometimes just a rumor), or one area of the dorm is considered “creepy” and weird.  When there was no actual suicide at the dorm, we often find an earlier, documented event is responsible for the haunting.
• The haunted bathroom – This usually involves something gruesome in a mirror.  Usually, it’s a female who looks distressed.  Sometimes, she’s wearing evening clothes and applying garish makeup… sometimes leaving it on the mirror.

While pranksters write to us regularly, most people genuinely experience something frightening when they report ghosts to us.

This is important: Many of these “ghost stories” are true, even when they echo urban legends.

Click on our Tag, “Colleges” to learn more about college ghosts and some of our research at colleges.

The entire northeastern United States is profoundly haunted. This may be due to its history. The more dramatic an area’s history, the more opportunities for ghosts and ghost stories.

In addition, some people speculate that the area’s huge quartz deposits act as ‘magnets’ for ghosts and [...]]]> Ghosts are almost “normal” in many eastern seaboard states.

The entire northeastern United States is profoundly haunted. This may be due to its history. The more dramatic an area’s history, the more opportunities for ghosts and ghost stories.

In addition, some people speculate that the area’s huge quartz deposits act as ‘magnets’ for ghosts and hauntings.

Colleges are especially likely to have ghosts. Here are some well-known haunted colleges in NY and PA:

New York

• West Point – U.S. Military Academy
  Several buildings have reported ghosts, including the Superintendent’s House and the area around the 47th Division/4th Regiment barracks.
• [If you know of other profoundly haunted campuses in NY, let us know with the contact form, linked above.]

Pennsylvania

Because Pennsylvania has considerable Colonial and mining history, it’s a perfect place to find ghosts. These are just a few of many haunted colleges in PA:

• Allentown – Cedar Crest College
  Since 1956, a female ghost has haunted Butz Hall.
• Allentown – Muhlenberg College
  Bernheim House is haunted by its former owner.
• Bethlehem – Lehigh University
  Linderman Library is visited by an annoying male ghost.
• Doylestown – Bucks County Community College
  Tyler Hall may be haunted by Stella Tyler, for whom the building was named.
• Easton – Churchman’s Business College
  She hasn’t been seen for many years, but a woman haunted the old First Presbyterian Church, which is now part of the college.
• East Stroudsburg – University of Pennsylvania
  Several hauntings occur here: at the Fine Arts Center, at Hawthorne Residence Hall, at Phi Sigma Kappa, and at Sigma Pi.
• Gettysburg – Gettysburg College
  This college is so haunted, the ghosts are too numerous to list here. Many are from the Civil War era, as you would expect in this famous town.
• Kutztown – Kutztown State College
  A 19th-century student haunts Old Main, the administration building. A woman who once lived in Whiteoak Street has haunted that building, too.
• University Park – PA State University
  A ghost of a mule, once a sort-of mascot for the school, haunts Watts Hall. Runkle Hall experienced poltergeist phenomena in the mid-1990′s.

For more about haunted colleges, see our articles tagged “Colleges – US” or search for “colleges” in the Search form at the top of this page.

We also recommend our article, College ghosts – reality and urban legends.

From a former Colby-Sawyer student:

IS NEW HAMPSHIRE’S COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE HAUNTED?

In my opinion, yes. I have seen the ghost at Colgate Hall, in the middle of the New London campus.

My experiences are from autumn 1969. I was a freshman at [...]]]>

listen to fiona’s introduction to
the ghosts of colby-sawyer college

From a former Colby-Sawyer student:

IS NEW HAMPSHIRE’S COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE HAUNTED?

In my opinion, yes. I have seen the ghost at Colgate Hall, in the middle of the New London campus.

My experiences are from autumn 1969. I was a freshman at Colby Junior College, as it was then called. Today, it’s renamed Colby-Sawyer and has earned an even better academic reputation.

Colby-Sawyer started as a small college in the 19th century. Its ivy-laced brick buildings with white trim look like nearby Dartmouth College. The tidy campus is the jewel of a classic New England town, about two hours north of downtown Boston. The college sits on a hilltop, and sparkles in the sunlight.

When I attended Colby Junior College (we just called it “Colby”), it was primarily a girls’ college with a few hundred students.

Although there were a few local boys among the students–perhaps ten young men, total–it was rare to see men on campus. Everyone knew each of the men who taught there, and we were always on the lookout for prospective dates, if men from Dartmouth or another college “just dropped by.”

They often did. In those days it was widely speculated that one of Colby Junior College’s roles was to provide suitable dates for Dartmouth men.

That’s why I remember the man in the hat, at Colgate Hall. He didn’t look like the usual Dartmouth student.

Colgate Hall is the main building at Colby-Sawyer. It is a large brick building, the one featured in Colby-Sawyer photos, and it is the building you’ll start at to visit the school.

I saw the ghost twice, though I didn’t realize it was a ghost at the time:

Both times, I saw the ghost in the afternoon; once in broad daylight, and the second time at dusk.

I had a clear view of the back of Colgate Hall from my dorm room. All of the dorms encircle a central grassy area called “the Quad,” and Colgate’s back door (shown above) also faces the Quad.

The first time, I saw the man from my dorm room at about one in the afternoon. I recall his rather large-brimmed hat and stylish coat which seemed theatrical and unnaturally dark on a sunny day, even in the shadows of Colgate Hall.

Because Colby offered respected theatrical productions, the college often had colorful visitors. Many were actors from professional theatres, “imported” by to fill male roles in an otherwise all-girl cast. Some were short-term instructors in subjects such as mime.

I recall hastily grabbing my shoes and a notebook (so I’d look like I was going somewhere with a purpose), and dashing downstairs to the Quad.

My plan was to saunter into Colgate and take a closer look at the visitor.

When I reached the Quad, he was still leaning over the railing by the back central door to Colgate. I could not see his face; the brim of his hat covered his features as he continued looking down.

I paused to put on my shoes, but when I looked back up, he was gone.

I wandered over to Colgate anyway, hoping to find him inside the building.

After twenty minutes of cruising the corridors of Colgate, I gave up my search. I didn’t think anything of it; he’d probably stepped into an office or even left campus.

The ghost appeared again.

Read about this and other Colby-Sawyer ghosts at: Ghosts of Colby-Sawyer College, Part Two

Also see our list of New London, NH ghosts.

If you believe the stories, almost every college is haunted.

Most college theatres (for the drama department) have at least one ghost story.

From our experience, many of these stories are true. There are good reasons why colleges have ghost stories… and ghosts.

(See our article, Why colleges are haunted, for more information.)

So why do their stories get a raised eyebrow? They shouldn’t. In fact, colleges should account for more spectral activity than most settings.

Consider the ingredients: