Does/Has anyone lived in a haunted house?

[Harborwitch]

We moved into a huge house (4200sq ft) that sat on 27 acres. 7 acres were in a gulch on the west side on highway 1 (beach side) the other 20 acres were above. The house was nothing fancy. Concrete foundation, studs with ships' mahogany on the inside and ships mahogany on the outside. No insulation, simple windows, 3 bedrooms and a half bath upstairs and kitchen, livingroom, 2 bedrooms and the service porch downstairs.

We'd been there about 2 months when the girls convinced us that they needed a horse. We got them one. As they were riding across the lower pasture (the grass was waist high) we could see where another animal was charging through the grass ahead of the girls there was no other critter. That night I went upstairs to tuck the girls in. They had their bedroom curtains open so the moonligh was shining in. As I looked at their bed I could see an area that looked like someone was sitting there - but there was no one there. In the morning the girls told me that a woman had come in and tucked them in and told them that their dog (who had recently died) was with her and she would take care of him.

A few months later we had a dinner party. As we sat at the table eating dinner we all sat and watched as the candle flames split down the middle and burned sideways before going out. Then every cupboard door in the kitchen (and there were lots) slammed open at the same time and after a few minutes they all slammed shut at the same time.

A couple of years later we were having a Huge party. People had been told not to go upstairs - but up they went - the screaming started when all the upstairs doors slammed shut, and locked. Off and on for the remainder of my stay there there would be little events, the more we took care of the house, tended the roses, etc the more beneveloent the spirit became. She always let us know in small ways that she was watching out for us. Then one day it all stopped, suddenly.

The history goes that the previous owner had also owned another significant parcel on the east side of the Hiway where he and his wife (who was Native American) lived. He got wind of the State talking about building a bridge across the gulch and figured he could make a bundle if they paid him for property with a house on it instead of just the property. So he built this amazing house. Nothing fancy, just a house with almost every room 16 x 16. There were all kinds of intricate moldings and carvings in mahogany. Even the ceilings were mahogany. He moved his wife into the new house, took slips off of all her favorite rosebushes and planted them (125 rose bushes)in front of the house. There was 1700' of deeded beachfront to go along with it and she used to ride her mule all over the beach and the property above. The state didn't build the bridge and they continued to live there. After a number of years he was killed in a horrific fire. She couldn't inherit the property because she was Native American so his family shipped her off to Southern CA and had her institutionalized.

A friend of mine did a bunch of research and found out where she was when her obituary was published in the newspaper. The day she died was the day all the events at the house stopped. Bev said it was telekenisis. Strange story but true.

We also own a car that was owned by a dear friend of ours who passed away suddenly. Every now and then we'll be driving around and the smell of cigarette smoke will overwhelm us (he was a heavy smoker). We've been told that the house he died in is haunted too.

 

[Half Baked]

ooooooh, Sharon, the cupboards all slamming at once and the doors upstairs slamming and locking when guests decided to 'take a tour', gave me goosebumps.

Mr HBs wife died down south and he moved to MD where we met. I always felt weird on the stairs in house and thought it was my imagination until our housekeeper asked if someone had died in the house. She said she always felt creepy on the stairs like someone was going to push her down.

I told her that I felt the same way.

 

[The Z]

About 20 years ago, while in the Navy, I had an apartment in Spain and had a couple of strange experiences while living there. Here's the weirdest thing......... The apartment was on the second floor just above a quiet little bodega (wine bar) that the locals used to come and drink their 5c sherrys. One wall of the apartment was covered with three large mirror panels, each approximately 4 x 6 feet - mounted on the wall side by side. One night, very late and after I had been asleep for a while, I was awakened abruptly by an almighty CRASH of breaking glass and even when I was fully awake and alert I continued to hear the last pieces dropping and breaking. Then, I heard the crunch, crunch, crunch of what sounded like a person walking with boots on through broken glass. There was moonlight lighting the room enough to tell that the mirror panels were intact and that there was nobody in the room with me. When I clicked the light on, the sound stopped. I was pretty shaken up, though. I checked the apartment... nothing out of place or damaged. I leaned out the window and the street outside was perfectly still and calm. I don't know what happened, but I'll never forget it as long as I live.

There were a couple of other things that happened in that apartment, but nothing else as dramatic as this incident.

 

[SizzlininIN]

I have a gift of sensing .......its mainly sensing them but occasionally they do physically show themselves. Some people embrace this gift however I choose to try and ignore it. Let me explain why I choose to.
I've always been able to sense things but this good thing turned bad at one point in my life......

My brother died tragically in 1994 and I was compeltely devistated. I'd never lost anyone close to me and he was my best friend. Anyway, I thought of him sooooo much and kept wishing he'd come back. There's dark and evil in the spirit world who will find this weakness and feed upon it. The dark side saw this as their way to get to me. Previously I'd never felt threatened before I'd only dealt with good spirits.

Somethings that occured during this time....I was levitated on one instance out of my bed down the hallway. Another time I was awoke and knew that this thing was standing next to me and I was scared beyond words and refused to open my eyes and face it I just started praying and it eventually went away. There was another time it shoved me in the shower. Many more things occured but the shower thing really cut deep because I was always told that spirits would not intrude in this area........well the dark side doesn't follow any rules. I finally realized it was my grief that was opening my world for the dark side to enter. I made peace with my loss of my brother.....I told him I'd be okay and that he needed to move on to the light. After I said it I felt a peace come over me. The dark spirit wasn't my brother. But by me hanging onto him and grieving so much the dark spirit was able to enter my world. But by me letting my brother go and accepting his death this dark spirit no longer had a hold on me.

My brother still comes to visit me on occasions. He used to jingle the change in my bank that I had by the kitchen sink......I loved that. When I was having my last miscarriage I was terrified and all alone in a hospital ER room with the door closed and I heard him say, "You'll be okay". I was facing the wall and rolled over expecting to see him standing there. I knew I'd be okay and that he was watching over me and he'd take care of my baby. He mainly only comes now if I'm scared or upset about something.

Sometimes I will be laying down or just standing and a face out of no where just come at me full force to where I stammer back. The other day I was doing dishes and someone appeared in my window for just a few seconds. Thats just some of the things that happen but I just say my protection prayer and go about my business. They aren't bad spirits though and no these aren't my loved ones.

I still have experiences at least every other day of things I sense, smell, hear or sometimes see but I either ignore it or say, "I know your there but I don't want to know". Then I say my protection prayer. Besides my brother my parents have passed too. I've already spoken with them and told them that I know they are at peace and I know they are around me. I can sense when its them vs another spirit.

After dad passed away his spirit was pretty active. My poor DH started witnessing some of the things. He didn't find it too amusing. Now when he does witness things he just gives me a funny look and I just shrug my shoulders. I don't really talk to him anymore about this stuff. The more I talk about it seems like the activity increases. I wasn't going to post this but something told me I needed to.

I think the last physical thing someone did was ......I have a really nice floral wreath on a wall and it was secured to the wall pretty well. All of a sudden one night I was watching t.v. and that thing literally flew off the wall and landed perfectly about 6 feet away. The strange thing is that I saw it literally come off the wall and perfectly land. It kind of floated flat then straight down it went.....and it had to go over a counter and bar stools to do it.

So now you see why I don't embrace this gift. I know I can get the help to fully embrace it but my bad experiences took a toll on me. I'll just continue to use my gift to sense people when I meet them and avoid the bad. I'll continue to go with my instinct to avoid situations when they are warning me. Its just if I open my world up to the good and embrace it it also opens me up to the bad and that is something I want to fully avoid again.

I could go on and on telling you about my experiences but I'll stop here.

 

[TATTRAT]

I just wanted to thank everyone for contributing to this thread. I am glad to know I am not the only one with these type of experiences.

Thanks all!

 

[Harborwitch]

ooooooh, Sharon, the cupboards all slamming at once and the doors upstairs slamming and locking when guests decided to 'take a tour', gave me goosebumps

It gave us goosebumps too. Someone told us that she saw her husband die in the fire - I'm not sure if this is true or not. but she was terrified of open flames like candles in the house.

 

[Ishbel]

My Aunt lived in a house in a 'close' just off Edinburgh Castle's esplanade. She was the seventh child of a seventh child. She DEFINITELY saw ghosts/spirits in the house. My Aunt was what we in Scotland call 'fey'.... The house she grew up in was in a building that dated from the 1500s.....

 

[JoAnn L.]

I forgot to mention that my husband and I already have our graves and headstones paid for. When I go up to the cemetery to take care of my parents graves, I will drive by ours. I can't tell you the number of times someone has put flowers on our graves. They have put the clamp ones on top of the stone, flowers in the vases on the sides.They have even put a shepherds hook deep into the ground right in front of the stone. You wonder if someone is playing a practical joke or what. They must be stealing these things from other graves. I think it is sick.

 

[middie]

Well let's see. Here's my experiences. When I was really little maybe 2 or 3 years old my grandfather gave me a doll. I don't remember it but my parents said it was a weird looking doll that made you uneasy. Well I guess we were going to Illinois for the weekend so my mom had cleaned the house before we left. She put the doll in a chair that was in the corner of my room. I guess when we got home the doll was on the couch facing the door. After this my dad decided to try something else when we left again. He said he turned the chair around so that it was facing the wall and put the doll in it. Well we got home the chair was turned back around and the doll was on the couch facing the door again.

My mother was cleaning a light fixture so she was on a ladder. She lost her balance and the ladder toppled and my mom fell toward the picture window. Someone pushed her to the side. When she looked she saw a man with a beard, dark blue jeans and a red flannel walking away. Later sometime that week my parents had some friends over and they were playing cards. I kept telling my mom "the ghost" was going to get her.

Fast forward to when I was 14-15. My sister and I shared a room upstairs and we never understood why but we always saw dark images in our mirror during broad daylight. Closet doors opened and closed themselves. Okay no big deal. One night I was sleeping and I heard a chain hit my headboard so I thought our dog Molly had jumped in my bed because she liked to sleep next to me. Yeah... NO Molly !

The toilet flushed itself several times. My sister and I were the only people home yet someone was walking around upstairs opening and closing drawers. Molly would stare at the wall growling and the hair on her neck would stand up yet we saw nobody there. And my sister had some kind of interlocking wooden frame with some ceramic figurines on it (icluding an evil looking clown). The frame fell off the wall and bounced down the steps onto the hardwood floor and everything on that frame broke including the frame EXCEPT for that stupid clown figurine. And may I mind you I have a fear of clowns. Yeah THAT was too much for me !!

And now in this house it doesn't happen often but I'll hear my grandmother (who died 20 years ago) call my name. This has happened maybe 3 or 4 times. And my grandfather whom I was very close to died about 4 years ago. And quite often I'll be sitting here (and it's only in the computer room that this happens) I'll smell stale cigarettes and beer and then his cologne.

And those are some of my experiences people.

 

[Half Baked]

Molly wouls stare at the wall growling and the hair on her neck would stand up yet we saw nobody there.

We just had this happen last night with our guard dog. We were in the basement office and she was looking at the ceiling where the wall meets it and in the high corner on the right side.

We couldn't break her stare. She is really well trained (especially with Mr HB) but she would not come to us. She'd pace 2 steps to the left and 2 steps to the right and her eyes never left that area. She was growling very softly and her hair was up.

We kept looking but never saw a thing.

 

[SizzlininIN]

I forgot about the voices Middie........kind of feel stupid when you say to someone else "Did you just say something" or "What"? and they look at you like your having a Linda Blair moment and your heads spinning around.

 

[VickiQ]

I am enjoying all of your experiences and so called hauntings. I am a firm believer in the after life- never so much so than after the passing of my oldest son-too many occurances have happened for me not to believe-too much has happened for it just to be a wishful mother's thinking.Could there be anything more comforting than knowing that those we may have lost in the physical sense are still around us- their spirits- our spirits live on-energy cannot be destroyed it has to go somewhere and apparently love cannot be destroyed either it does live on forever.Thank you all again for sharing and especially to TATTRAT who started this link!!! love and energy, Vicki

 

[Ellen]

We live in a building that was once a nurses home. It hasn't been built that long, 1969. The previous one had been built by the Americans in the second world war when they built a psych. hospital here for the US forces in the Pacific. The Hospital has been closed now for many years, but the nurses home became a rest home for a few years. It was derelict when we bought it. We turned it into a conference centre. I was sitting in the dining room with my daughter when a saw a fellow walk up the windowed foyer/hallway. He was dressed in a long black coat and a hat with a very straight round brim. He looked Jewish. I glanced at my daughter and she was looking too, but she saw him walking out of the building, not in. We both asked to other at the same time if we had seen him, and checked the highways and byways of the building but nothing was seen. We haven't seen him since.

And there was the Costley ghost. He was supposed to have been a surgeon who hung himself after a 12 year old girl died in surgery. The tree was still there when I did my nursing training, as were the old theatres and wards. He got up to all sorts of mischief. Setting up trolleys, banging the theatre doors, footsteps and so on. The building and tree are gone now. Whether he is gone too I do not know. He hung himself in 1912.

 

[amber]

Very interesting thread! I dont live in a haunted house, nor am I seeing spirits here, but I love the topic, I've always found it to be interesting.

 

[TATTRAT]

bump



I had the first "run in" with our resident at the hotel tonight. Kind of eerie...Locking up, getting the orders ready for tomorrow, heard whistling and walking in the banquet hall, went to see who I was about to lock in and there was no one. Called Percy, an employee there for the last 31 years, he said, "no biggie, that was the ghost".

I have had a few experiences and I feel glad that after 3 years the local at the hotel finally made itself known to me.

 

[Katie H]

Our house is old. Built in 1880. We are the third family to live in the house. The family who had the house built only lived here for a couple of years. The second family (the Harlans) or descendants lived in the house until 1987. It sat empty for several years and was purchased by a couple who restored it and sold it to us. The first Mr. Harlan died in the living room in the '30s. There's a little history.

About 3 weeks after we moved here, there was a knock at our breakfast room door. It was a little old lady who identified herself as Mary Key Harlan Bodkin. She said she came to see who bought her childhood home. We had a nice visit and as she left she said, "Please take care of the ghost."

Buck and I didn't think much about her statement but we'd felt that we weren't the only ones living in the house. Her comment was more of a confirmation of our suspicions.

Since Mrs. Bodkin's visit, we've seen the ghost several times, as has one of our sons and our two dogs. We've determined that the ghost is an adult because of the size. Although we can't tell if it's male or female. However, we've named the ghost "Harlan."

He/she is usually seen in the spring. Around April/May when the yard is full of flowers. Mrs. Harlan was a well-known gardener and there are literally thousands of daffodils in our one-acre yard.

Harlan seems to stay in the front area of the first floor of the house (there are 3 floors). The entry, living room, hallway and dining room. He opens and closes doors (one of which is hard for me to open), turns lights off and on and moves small rugs.

We think the ghost is that of the first Mr. Harlan who died in the living room in the spring of, I think, 1935. We have learned that his casket was covered with a blanket of daffodils from his yard. Buck and I think that Harlan is usually seen in the spring because that's when he died.

Whatever the case, until he does something that pi**es us off or if he damages some of our antique furniture and light fixtures, we're all going to get along just fine. He seems to be quite harmless and I've been here alone with Harlan when Buck has traveled out of town.

 

[-DEADLY SUSHI-]

I do not believe in ghosts. Its not logical to me. Im a person that believes in Jesus and the Bible. Im evangelical.
However I do feel that all these experiences are demon-based. And that the person that is dead has nothing to do with any of this. I feel that demons enjoy having 'fun' with the living.
There is either heaven or heck. No in between. And demonic activity acting as though human is not going to trick me.

 

[Claire]

I cannot say I believe in ghosts, either .... but I also don't disbelieve. Never met one myself, but can't trash the things that my friends have experienced, either. I also live in a very old house (1854), and have lived in other old houses. Never met a ghost or had a scary experience. I have some house guests who swear that room is haunted, but with a benevolent spirit. Those who believe in her think she's a young girl who was a maid here (it is servants' quarters). There is no history to back this up, and I've slept in that room often and felt nothing. According to some who stay there, she's a bit of a poltergeist. Young enough that she moves things. I think they're just making excuses for misplacing items themselves. But if she lives there, I'm happy to have her. Let's just say for me, the jury is out. If she's a teenager who lived there as a maid, I sure as heck wish she'd do more than turn the vacuum cleaner off and on (yes, it does happen) and move it around while she's at it. I also wish she'd quit having her cigarette smoking boyfriends visit. I don't mind the cedar.

 

[TATTRAT]

I do not believe in ghosts. Its not logical to me. Im a person that believes in Jesus and the Bible. Im evangelical.
However I do feel that all these experiences are demon-based. And that the person that is dead has nothing to do with any of this. I feel that demons enjoy having 'fun' with the living.
There is either heaven or heck. No in between. And demonic activity acting as though human is not going to trick me.

I think saying "all these experiences are demon based", is a little much.

Though I respect your opinion, there are to many circumstances and alot of evidence to suggest there is a spirit world, or something.

 

[Claire]

I think that when you live in old houses or communities, which I do and have in the past, there will always be ghost stories. I, personally, think it is more fun to just enjoy them. Believe or not as you wish, but I honestly DO believe that old buildings have some of the spirit of the people who lived & loved there. I've met 3 or 4 families who have lived here or whose ancestors did. Ditto for our quarters at Fort Monroe and a place we rented in Alexandria, VA. I like to think that if the places aren't exactly haunted, that the love and laughter is still lingering around in the corners, and that somewhere in heaven someone is saying "thank you" for bringing life back to these old buildings. If not a ghost, a kindly spirit will be sitting somewhere in a corner while we celebrate the holidays. I cannot afford a maid to replace poor Brigit (the name given to the ghost a couple of my guests believe in). But I do believe old houses retain some of the personality and spirit of previous residents, even if they don't actually "haunt" it.