Supernatural Paranormal

House of Echoes

This is a true story about a young couple that were just starting out. They had 2 children, lived in a mobile home, had bought some land, and hoped to build their dream house on the property.

The property was a little hilly, but it had one hill that was perfect to set their house. They knew they would have to make sacrifices, but they were willing to do it. They started on the journey to look into what it would take to build the house.

For any of you that have every undertaken that journey, you know how much goes into it. The land needs different tests, you have to have different permits, and certificates from the town, you have to have blueprints, and of course, all the materials to build the house.

We had looked at the different lumber yards around the area, and it wasn’t going to be cheap to build. We wanted it to be cost effective, so we kept searching. In those days, the lumber yards didn’t do what so many retailers do now. They didn’t really price match in those days. So, we didn’t have a lot of leverage.

Enter our friend who worked at the Seneca Army Depot. He told us that there were buildings across from the depot that they were first going to try to sell for the wood and then would demolish the rest that didn’t get sold. Our friend said that for a certain amount, we could tear down the building and could take out of there whatever we wanted. We went out and looked and figured it wouldn’t be a bad deal. We could have the 2×4′s, 2×6′s, the trusses and hardwood flooring. Not a bad deal.

We questioned what these buildings had been, and were told several different stories. One was that they had been barracks used during WWII, but we had also been told that while they had been used around the WWII, they had housed people that were mentally disabled. Someone had told us that these barracks had once been affiliated with Willard Psychiatric Hospital. To this day, I’m still not sure what had been in those barracks.

So, we started tearing the “our” building down. Part of the tearing down process was done in the winter and spring. Imagine how cold and wet it was. They had a central area where the guard of the place let us eat our lunches and get warm. The work progressed slowly, sometimes it was just my husband and myself, and other times, both our dads and at least several of our friends would be out helping us.

If any of you know me personally, you know I like to explore. So, when there was a lull in the organized demolition, I would usually walk around to the other barracks. I must say, it kind of freaked me out a bit. There had been some stuff left there. Journals, dolls, toys, scraps of paper, writings on the wall. In certain parts of these barracks, I would feel the hair rise up on my neck and I would break out in goose flesh. I would feel almost as if I was being stalked by someone or something. And that feeling would stay with me until I got home.

I do believe that at least part of those barracks held people that may have been insane. I’m sure there had been death there, because I could see and hear the spirits as they roamed around. So many of them were lost souls just trying to find a way home. And my heart went out to them. I wished them Godspeed to the Light, and hoped they would find their way.

We finally concluded our demolition of the building. We had transported all that we could to where we were starting to build our house.

And so, the building began. It’s hard work, but a lot of fun to watch a house going up a little at a time. Especially when you’re doing most of the work yourselves. I personally learned how to drive a bulldozer, backhoe, how to mud drywall, how to sand drywall, prime it, and paint. I tried my hand at wallpapering, but have to tell you it wasn’t my strong suit. Even with lines to tell me where to put the wallpaper, I still put it up crooked! I even know the difference between a nail or screw that is galvanized or zinc.

Moving day-we’re finally in our new house. We had those few little things to finish, but at least we could actually live there. It was wonderful. We had a 3rd child, and our lives were complete.

Did it bother me that I was living in a house with memories of different time and location? No, of course not, it was our home and we were making new memories there. Did any of us have any unusual occurrences? Not that we talked about. But things started to happen. Things moved, you would walk in a room and would swear someone had just walked around the corner. You would hear things, feel things. Freaky things.

Then a series of events happened to make me believe that we had brought all the souls with us. You would wake up in the middle of the night to maniacal laughter slowly echoing through the house, there were a man and woman that would have the same conversation over and over again, night after night. You would see red eyes staring at you down the hallway, (no, we didn’t have any pets), you would hear footsteps.

The house is definitely haunted by the souls left in the wood. I no longer live there, but can still feel them when I drive by there. The echoes are still there resonating through time, trying to find their way home. And as always, I send them in to the light, hoping that someday they are all at peace.