Danvers State Hospital
February 17, 2007
Conditions: 19 degrees, windy and clear
The team were driving to Salem, MA when, out of curiosity, we made a side trip to Danvers State Hospital. It has been a favorite stop for ghost hunters for several years. To our surprise, we were able to drive right up to the main building. Many of the original buildings had already been torn down and new condo units had been built on the site. As we were walking up to the building, we met some people that had just moved into one of the condo units. They told us of the knocking sounds and the shadows they had seen in their unit. They were among the very first occupants in the new units. They invited the group in for an impromptu investigation. Half the group went into their unit and the other half went on to explore the main building of the hospital. Inside the condo, the team took pictures and did some evp recording. They were fortunate enough to get a very clear evp. Outside the rest of the team walked all around the building and took pictures. There were several pictures that looked as if there were people looking out of the windows. The front door was wide open, so they went into the front hall. There was nobody in the building so no one could possibly be looking out the windows. It was an exciting afternoon for the group. The condo owners asked the team to return at a later date.
Danvers State Hospital Re-investigation
April 1, 2007
Conditions: 55 degrees calm and clear
When we went back to Danvers at the request of the condo owners we met on our last trip there. They had been experiencing phantom smells. They often smelled a cologne like Old Spice which is something neither one ever wore. They were also experiencing more shadow activity. They found the cemetery and took the group out there. There were several hundred patients buried there. Their gravestones were originally just numbered markers, but these were replaced by markers bearing their names due to an initiative brought about by the surviving family members of some of the deceased. There were still a few graves marked by numbers. The group actually found a stack of the old numbered markers outside the graveyard. While there, Ron did and evp session and upon review, it sounded as if he were having a conversation. Unfortunately, none of the responses were very clear. After a while we all took a tour around the hospital grounds. Our hosts had gathered people that all had worked on the grounds at some time. They pointed out all the buildings and showed us the tunnel entrances which had all previously been blocked off. We did an evp session back in the condo and got a very clear response to a question. The whole day was a very moving experience for the whole team.
For more information on Danvers State Hospital go to:
http://www.danversstateinsaneasylum.com/home.html
To see some incredible artwork of the hospital and additional info visit:
http://www.ramseursdanversstatehosp.com/