The Amish are one of the oldest communities in America, predating the formation of the United States. Lancaster County in Pennsylvania is considered Amish Country as this is where they first settled and continue to live. The county seat of Lancaster is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States and it was the capital of the state for thirteen years. There are several locations here that are reputedly haunted. Join us as we share the history and hauntings of haunted Amish Country! The Moment in Oddity features Fat Albert the Blimp and This Month in History features the birth of Stephen Foster. Our location was suggested by Kay Eberhart.
https://sites.libsyn.com/58064/ep-496-haunted-amish-country-lancaster-county
Tag Archives: Haunted Pennsylvania
Hill View Manor is located in New Castle, Pennsylvania. This started as The Lawrence Home for the Aged, a poor farm to take the place of a previous poor farm in the town. It was open until 2004 and saw hundreds of people come through the doors. This location hosts an annual paranormal convention called Hill-Con, an annual Psychic Fair and a haunted house attraction called Scare Manor at Halloween. So clearly, this location has some unexplained things going on and they embrace that fact. Join us as we share the history and hauntings of Hill View Manor! The Moment in Oddity features an underwater world record and This Month in History features Dorothea Dix. Our location was suggested by Steffanie Kolodziei.
https://sites.libsyn.com/58064/ep-484-hill-view-manor
The town of Gettysburg is centrally located in Southern Pennsylvania and its claim to fame is the three day battle that took place here in July of 1863 that became the major turning point of the war. Many of the homes, inns and businesses in town still bear the battle scars of this bloody battle and nearly every location has some kind of spirit hanging around. We got to spend a couple days in this historic and quaint town and we are going to share the haunted locations outside of the battlefield on this episode. Join us for the history and haunts of Gettysburg! The Moment in Oddity features Snailfish and This Month in History features the Julian Calendar changing to the Gregorian Calendar in Britain.
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Hogestown was a town settled in 1730 by a man named John Hogue and that is where it gets its name. Its first name was Sporting Green and today is part of Mechanicsburg in Pennsylvania. We ventured to this small historic settlement to investigate the Hogestown Church with an old friend of Diane’s, Robert Brandt aka Sarge, who is Vice President of the Cumberland County Historical Society. There definitely seems to be some unexplained activity going on at the church. Join us as we explore the history and investigate the haunting of the Hogestown Church! The Moment in Oddity features Angel Glow and This Month in History features MLB player Chappie Chapman dying after bring hit by a pitch.
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Pennhurst State School and Hospital is sometimes referred to as Pennhurst Asylum. This is a location deemed to be one of the most haunted and with its history, there is no wonder. Decades of abuse and experimentation were perpetuated on children who for all intents and purposes were left abandoned to a system with no moral compass. An expose in the 1960s shined some light on the situation, but it would still take twenty years before the location was shut down. Today, it is open again as a haunted attraction and hosts tours. I’m joined on this episode by Tony Merkel of The Confessionals Podcast who lived near Pennhurst. We discuss his fascination with Bigfoot and the paranormal and the history and hauntings of Pennhurst Asylum! The Moment in Oddity features The Narragansett Runestone and This Month in History features the Bhopal Disaster.
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Fort Mifflin stands on Mud Island as a reminder of a time when the original capital city of our new nation, Philadelphia, was in need of defense. The British commissioned the fort in 1771, but it would be the Americans who would finish the construction. The fort would witness the greatest sea battle of the Revolutionary War. Hundreds lost their lives here during that war. When the Civil War raged, the fort served as a Confederate prison. This kind of history lends itself to paranormal activity and there are many stories of a variety of ghosts walking among the casements and barracks. Join me and listener Drea Hahn as we share the history and hauntings of Fort Mifflin! The Moment in Oddity features the Sin-Eaters and This Month in History features Production of the Dymaxion Car.
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The Baker Family moved to Altoona, Pennsylvania in the 1830s and grew a successful iron-making business. Elias was an ambitious man who ruled his family with an iron fist that resulted in him alienating his first son and driving his daughter to dedicating herself to a spinster life. He built the family a mansion in Altoona, known as the Baker Mansion. The home remained with the family for decades and most of them died in the house. Today, there are claims that this historic home houses more than just a museum. The spirits of the family seem to have decided to stay in the afterlife. Join us and our listener Tiffany Delozier as we discuss the history and hauntings of the Baker Mansion. The Moment in Oddity features a fake vampire attack thwarts Hukbalahap Rebellion and This Month in History features British Egyptologist Howard Carter finds sarcophagus of King Tut.
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Just outside of Philadelphia, in a town called Glenside, sits a small private university that is home to a castle. This is the second campus that we have featured with a castle-like structure and this one is also haunted. Grey Towers was once home to the William Harrison Family and many of them seem to still be here after death. The university that now sits on that former property is Arcadia University and it has a history dating back to the mid-1800s. Our listener Chris Klimovitz is an alumni of Arcadia University and he joins us to share his experiences at the university and the stories of haunting legends and experiences connected to the school. The Moment in Oddity was suggested by listener Michael Rogers and features Skeletal Body Paint Rituals and This Month in History features PT-109 rammed nearly killing future President John F. Kennedy.
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The Battle of Gettysburg is perhaps the most famous battle of the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln even gave one of his most enduring speeches from Gettysburg and named it the Gettysburg Address. Nearly every American knows the first line, which reads, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Many men died during that battle and it was truly the turning point of the war and the beginning of the defeat of the Confederacy. Perhaps this is why the Battle of Gettysburg continues to this day. Not just as a part of re-enactments, but as ghostly battles continuing on the field. Countless witnesses have reported seeing the battle, hearing the sounds of the battle and bumping into ghostly soldiers. Today, we explore the history and hauntings of Gettysburg. The Moment in Oddity features the Nagyrev Poisonings and This Day in History features the railway opening in Dublin.
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Pittsburgh is the original “Gateway to the West” and began as a Frontier Fort. In the 1900s, the Federal Courthouse was built in a design that leaves much to be desired particularly compared to the more interesting Allegheny County Courthouse. But the Federal Courthouse is quite interesting when considering the rumors that it is haunted. Pittsburgh is a very haunted city and this location is just one of the many spots harboring those still here in the afterlife. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of Pittsburgh’s Federal Courthouse! Moment in Oddity features Surgeon Barbers and This Day in History features the patent of the Kinetoscope. We also discuss an interesting study on how hauntings might make people more honest.
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