Arrival
The group arrived at 8:30 pm and was met by Justin Libigs, the building’s owner. Gear was unloaded and a base camp area was established in the Kindergarten Classroom.
John went outside to take readings of outside conditions using the Kestrel 3500 weather station while the others began to unpack gear and determine where it would be set. John then returned inside the building and took indoor EMF and Temperature Baseline Readings using a MEL-8704REM/ATDD/SDD meter for temperature readings and the Magnii DSP-523 Three-Axis EMF Detector. EMF detectors are used to detect changes in the electromagnetic field, which are believed to possibly be indications of paranormal activity.
There are four floors in the First Ward School House. The 1st Floor has the Kindergarten Classroom, another classroom that is being used for storage, and the Boy’s Bathroom. There are large landings in the area near the front door and outside of the Boy’s Bathroom, near the respective staircases. There is also a Basement and Attic in the building.
A Sony HDR-XR200V video recorder with a 0.45X wide angle lens was placed in the Basement Cafeteria along with a Tascam DR07MKII audio recorder and Extech RHT50 data logger. The Extech RHT50 data logger measures and records temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. A Zoom H2n digital recorder and negative ion generator was placed in the Nun’s Room, in the Basement. This is a room that a nun had stayed in, years before, as a caretaker of the facility and allegedly died there. A cigar with matches, small bottle of whiskey and pebbles were placed in the Cafeteria as trigger objects. Trigger objects are items which are chosen as items that should be familiar to any entities that are present. The hope is that the items will evoke a response from the entities resulting in recordable activity. The pebbles were placed there due to the claims that pebbles had been thrown at people watching a movie in the Cafeteria.
In the Kindergarten Classroom, the following equipment items were placed on a desk: Zoom H1 digital recorder, geophone, used to detect physical vibrations, EMF pump, which generates an electromagnetic field, theorized to provide spirits with energy they can use to manifest and an Extech RHT50 data logger, which is used to document changes in temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. The following trigger objects were placed on the same table: toy car, Barbie doll, jacks, slinky, toy cat, baby doll and a ball. A Sony HDR-SR10 video camera with a 0.45X wide angle lens was setup behind the lectern in the front of the classroom.
The following pieces of equipment were placed in the Boy’s Bathroom: A Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum video camera with a 0.45X wide angle lens and Zoom H1 digital recorder.
The following equipment was placed in the 2nd Floor Family Room: a Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum video camera with a 0.45X wide angle lens, EM Vortex, Extech RHT50 datalogger and a Trifield 100XE EMF detector that datalogs and was connected to a laptop computer to record EMF readings throughout the night. A PIM Pod, a device that detects positive and negative ions, was also placed in the Family Room. A touch flashlight, which activates when the sides are touched and a GQ-GMC300 Geiger counter datalogger, were also placed in the Family Room.
A Sony HDR-SR7 video camera with a 0.45X wide angle lens was placed in the Girl’s Bathroom and a Zoom H1 audio digital recorder was placed on the 2nd Floor Landing, outside of the Girl’s Bathroom.
A Zoom H1 digital audio recorder was placed on a table on the 2nd Floor Landing, outside the Nurse’s Office along with a Mel-8704REM/ATDD/SDD EMF detector. This meter measures EMF and temperature changes and also has a shadow detection feature.
A Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum video camera with a 0.45X wide angle lens was placed in the Attic directed towards a set of stairs leading downstairs along with a Sony HDR-XR200V video recorder with a 0.45X wide angle lens on the opposite side of the Attic from the other video recorder. A Zoom H1 digital audio recorder, touch flashlight and EMF pump were placed on a table in the center area of the Attic. A baseball, small bottle of whiskey, harmonica, and a noose hanging from a rafter, were put out as trigger objects. The noose was placed due to the report that a boy was hung in the Attic.
By 10:40 pm, the equipment was positioned and running and baseline photographs were taken of rooms and trigger objects. At this time the group took a short break to allow the building to baseline without anyone present. The group returned inside the building at 11:00 pm.
Claims of Activity
- There are many reports of apparitions being seen in this building. A little boy, believed to be named Oscar, has been seen at the top of the Attic steps; a small girl has been seen entering what used to be the Nurse’s Office from the Third Grade Classroom. Shadow figures have been reported in the Boy’s Bathroom, the Third Grade Classroom, and the Basement.
- There is a claim that a male voice was responding to investigators from a paranormal group through a two-way radio, and a male apparition was seen afterward.
- The toilet paper in the Girl’s Bathroom moves by itself. There is a ceramic cat in the Boy’s Bathroom that is believed to have been moved by a paranormal entity.
- In the Attic, the owner of the building left some laundry on a table. He went to another part of the Attic to unpack hangers and returned later to find the laundry had been folded. This area used to be the living area for the nuns that used to run the school. It was also claimed, although not verified, that a boy either hung himself in the attic as a result of being bullied or bullies hung him from a rafter and he died.
- In the Kindergarten Room it is claimed that a small ball from a set of jacks rolled down the length of the room and looped around and rolled back.
- The Janitor, Robert, is believed to still occupy the building and people have heard whistling, footsteps and knocks in what used to be his work area.
- In the Basement hallway leading to the Janitor’s Work Area, a woman claims to have been pushed against a wall. The Halloween Storage Room is located on the other side of this wall. In this room, a different woman claims to have been held against the wall directly on the other side from where the other woman was pushed.
- People have reported being hit by small rocks in the Cafeteria/Theater area.
Investigation
Family Room – 11:30 pm
The group spread throughout the room and began the investigation with five minutes of control silence in order to become familiar with any ambient noise that is in the area. The group began an EVP session at 11:35 pm. Nothing out of the ordinary was experienced during this session and it was decided to move to another location.
END TIME: 12:13 am
Attic – 12:15 am
After five minutes of controlled silence, the group began an EVP session. During this time, we did not hear any audible responses to our questions and statements. We did note that there was considerable outside noise that was easily heard during our session in the Attic. There was also a lot of popping and cracking that was occurring as the wood contracted from the cooler temperatures at night.
No paranormal events occurred and the session was ended.
END TIME: 12:36 am
Kindergarten Room – 12:44 am
The group spread out in the Kindergarten Room and observed several minutes of silence. At 1:02 am, a “crashing” sound was heard by Noah, John and Gravy. The noise appeared to come from the north side of the building. Noah thought it sounded like a sheet of plastic falling, which had been placed over a window by Gravy to keep light from entering the room. However, upon evidence review that was determined to not be the case. It is unknown what caused this sound to happen, but PIM does not consider it to be paranormal in nature.
No other events occurred during this session and it was ended a short time later.
END TIME: 1:09 am
Cafeteria – 1:14 am
After five minutes of silence, the group began an EVP session. At 1:30 am, Gravy heard what he thought was a voice saying, “Hmmm”. Unfortunately, this was not captured on an audio recorder. No other events occurred during this session and it ended at 1:37 am.
END TIME: 1:37 am
Nun’s Room – Basement – 1:38 am
Noah and Gravy entered the Nun’s Room in the Basement while John sat in a chair just outside of it. After several minutes of silence, the group began an EVP session. At 1:41 am, Gravy heard an incomprehensible female voice, which was not captured on any of the audio recorders. At 1:42 am, the group heard the sound of something moving on another level, but we were unable to determine the cause or source.
No other events occurred and the session was ended a short time later.
END TIME: 1:52 am
The group ended the session in the Nun’s Room and moved to the Washer and Dryer Room in the Basement.
Washer and Dryer Room – 1:56 am
After several minutes of silence, the group began an EVP session. At 2:05 am, a shifting sound near the stairs was heard but the group was unable to determine the cause of the noise. No other events occurred and the session was ended.
END TIME: 2:09 am
From 2:10 until 2:38 am, Noah, Gravy and John took a break outside. After that break, the group reentered the school and decided to investigate the Nurse’s Office since PIM had not had the opportunity to investigate in that room on the previous investigation that was conducted in May.
Nurse’s Office – 2:43 am
After five minutes of silence at this location, the group began an EVP session. During the EVP session at this location, nothing of interest occurred.
END TIME: 3:24 am
Family Room – 2nd Floor – 3:25 am
The group conducted an EVP session after five minutes of silence. Nothing out of the ordinary was experienced while at this location and the session was ended.
END TIME: 3:40 am
At this time, it was decided to end the investigation for the evening. The equipment on all the floors was turned off and the group went to sleep in the Family Room.
