EVERY TOWN HAS ONE.

There is always a "haunted" graveyard in every town. The ones that are reported to be haunted usually really aren't, and are based on urban legends. It is the ones that folks don't talk about that usually have spooky and interesting things happen. Believe me, I know from experience!

Last year, my friend Shawn and I were at a graveyard taking Halloween photos where I was able to capture a full body apparition on film. Now, I get mixed comments on what the figure can be. Some say, "Dude!! You got a ghost on film!" while others say it is a mere reflection or a mixture of lighting and shadows that give the appearance of an entity that is considered paranormal.

I think I captured a spirit. The reason I feel that way is because I was able to sense a presence at the cemetery. It was so strong that there are not words to explain it. Below, you will see the picture, and I took the liberty of labeling it. What do you think?




In Knoxville, the most haunted cemetery is said to be Old Gray Cemetery. It was established in 1850 and it has been said that a black aggie (black shadow figure with no shape or form) has been seen roaming about the graves. I have been to the cemetery several times, and I must say that it definitely gives off a creepy vibe. Perhaps it is the old and very elaborate gravestones, or the really old and humongous oak trees. Here are a few of my favorite photos I have taken during my visits to Old Gray (The picture below really caught my interest because the moss looks like The Crucifixion):








And for my McCreary County, KY friends, You all have heard the story of the Witch's Grave at Barren Fork Cemetery. According to Strangeusa.com,There is supposed to be a witch buried in the Grave yard, there is a house built around her grave and there are times that you can go and the house will be locked. And there are times you will go and the house will not be locked...As you turn on the road it gets very cold even in the Summer time February 2004 correction – additional information: Her name was Anna Foster and she died at the age of 28. In the last year or so her headstone has been stolen and the shelter over her grave has been vandalized and almost torn apart. It's sad and the submitter has nearly cry every time they see it. They are looking into fixing the shelter themselves. But they cannot afford to replace her headstone, unfortunately. Upon research they have discovered that she is not the witch everyone thinks. The "real" witch's grave is located just inside the woods next to this cemetery. Again, we have to state that if you are going to investigate these places, have respect for the people involved with these places. To destroy history, and vandalize graves proves nothing but your foolishness.".

A picture I took of Anna Foster's grave back in 2007. Someone had apparently decapitated the lamb on top of her headstone, and at the time this photo was taken there were little plastic skulls littered about around the grave. I removed the skulls and threw them away.

Close up picture I took of Anna's grave. I hope her soul is resting in peace.

The Shepherd Family burial plot at Barren Fork Cemetery.

Shadowlands is a cool website that lists all the haunted places in the USA and they break it down by town. This site claims that a real witch's grave is located just inside the woods next to Barren Fork cemetery. I might have to check that out! My family is buried at Barren Fork and I have done ghost hunts there. The only thing we were able to capture on film were some orbs (which can be anything). I just want to know WHY Anna Foster was labeled as being a witch. Has anyone had any experiences at the "witch's grave"? Please share anything you know about this, and any experiences!

A couple of summers ago, my friend Kevin and I went on a ghost hunt at Barren Fork, and here are some of our findings. Again, this could be anything...I will say this, we got the major heebie-jeebies while there and ended up getting the hell outta there after we took these pictures. Tell me what you think!





Look at the ball of light above the bush.




A couple of orbs.




Anna Foster's grave. There is a tiny orb above the stone, and a faint orb towards the upper right hand corner of the photo.

Leave your COMMENTS!!! And please remember that if you decide to visit these places, to be respectful.

PS: Sorry I haven't posted. I had some major family emergencies and school has also sapped me of my time. I appreciate all my followers and your comments. :) I will try to be more consistent with my posts!!!

HOUSKA CASTLE...A GATEWAY TO HELL?

Houska Castle…The Gateway to HELL?

In a land far, far away from here, in the Czech Republic, is a castle. This castle is known as Houska Castle.

When I think of Castles, I think of a place where kings and queens lived. Castles are supposed to be enchanting, right?

Traditionally, a castle served as fortresses; a military institution as protection from an enemy. Castles usually have a motte, which is a mound or ditch filled with water to keep unwanted visitors from entering, and other types of protection. Many castles are built by large bodies of water, near mountains, and other places of protection.

Houska Castle is not an ordinary castle. You see, this castle is hidden far away from a water source and is surrounded by forest and sandstone mountains. This castle was built using Gothic architecture, in 1253-1278 during the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia. It is definitely one of the best preserves castles out there for its age. This castle was not built to keep unwanted visitors away; it was built to keep the unwanted and evil INSIDE and locked away. It is also built over a well that is reported to be bottomless and also serves as a gateway to HELL. Many investigators who have tried to find the bottom to this well have not been able to. The walls surrounding the chapel above this well are covered with paintings of dragons being slain. The walls are always wet, and there have been claims of demonic activity in the chapel, as well as screams and moans coming from the bottomless pit below, which is why this castle is said to be a gateway to Hell.

Here are some claims made by people who have visited this place. (I pulled this from a website, so check out the link)

People over the years have claimed to see something in the area of the chapel that looks like a cross between a human, a giant frog and a bulldog. They say you can see thru it and it can be heard growling. It’s said when you hear it growl that you are filled with a sense of great fear.

Just outside the front gates people claim to see a giant headless black horse running around dropping great drops of blood from its neck. It is said to run towards the front of the castle and jump into the air and vanish.

People have also claimed to see a line of people chained together walking towards the castle gates and each person chained to the chain has a horrific injury. Some people are said to be carrying their heads or other body parts. A giant black dog is said to be attacking and biting the people on the chain. Then their will be a flash of lighting and a ghoulish laugh and the chain of people and the black dog will vanish.

A beautiful young woman in a beautiful white dress is seen often walking in windows looking outside. No one knows who she is but she appears to be the most normal of all the ghosts in and around the castle.

The mad monk is said to haunt the Chapel. He is wearing simple brown robes and he attacks you with a ghostly axe that goes thru you but doesn't injure you. It has really scared many people over the years. Some have run out of the castle swearing to never return to the castle for any reason.

If you want to learn more about this cool place, check out this episode of Ghost Hunters International on Hulu. It aired in July, and it was the inspiration for this blog post.


GHI GATES OF HELL
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If the link above does not work, go to hulu.com, look up Ghost Hunters International, and look for the "Gates of Hell" episode. It is pretty spooky!! If you have seen this, let me know what you thought about GHI's investigation and their findings...


Tell me, what do you think? Do you think a gateway to Hell actually exists? Could there be more gateways to Hell?

THE HAUNTING AT MILLENNIUM MANOR

The Haunting at Millennium Manor

Note: Most of the information about this house was pulled from websites I have found. You will find links at the end of this post. I want to give credit where it is due.

This is a story that reminds me of the story of Sarah Winchester, and the Winchester Mansion. They are not identical but there are parallels. I want to tell you about this freaky, creepy and very beautiful house that is practically in my neighborhood.

What is so cool about this place is that it’s practically right up the road from my house!! In fact, I drive by it on my way to work if I take the scenic route and have some time to kill. It is Located on Wright Road in Alcoa, TN. It is known as the Old Stone House, or Millennium Manor. This house was the home of William Andrew Nicholson, who constructed the house, and his wife, Fair. It was designed to withstand Armageddon, the return of Christ. According to some, Nicholson claimed to have been told by God to build the house and that for as long as he continued construction on the house that he would never die, and he planned to live in that house for a thousand years or eternity. He and his wife believed that as long as they kept on working on the stone house that they would never die. (1)

History:
Millennium Manor was built from 1938 to December, 1946, by William Andrew Nicholson and his wife Fair. They had moved to Alcoa, Tennessee, from Pickens County, Georgia, where he was a mason and carpenter. In 1937 he got a job with the Alcoa plant as a replacement for striking workers. Mr. Nicholson started construction of Millennium Manor at the age of 61 while maintaining a full time job at the Alcoa plant across the street.

Millennium Manor was built to survive Armageddon and a thousand years beyond. If any structure can endure that fate, it is this one. Millennium Manor was built using Roman architecture which can still be seen standing in structures after more than 2,000 years. The light colored stone of Millennium Manor is Tennessee Pink Marble found in nearby Friendsville, Tennessee. The "Arch and Keystone" visible over doors and windows continues throughout the entire house, including the floor and roof. First built was a wooden "form," shaped like the inside of the building. A rubber tarp was laid over this form. Stone was stacked on top of the form and a "Keystone" inserted. (At this point in the construction, the wooden form could have been pulled completely out, and the roof would still stand on its own without any mortar). Cement was poured over the stacked marble rock, and the cement sifted through to the rubber tarp and hardened. Wrinkles in the rubber sheet can still be seen on the inside ceiling The form was then removed, at which point that part of the roof (or floor) was finished. In theory, it should be possible to remove ALL cement from the entire building and have it continue to stand, since the only function of the mortar was to hold the rock in place and not to bear a load.

Over 4,000 bags of cement were used, and in some places agricultural lime was used instead of sand for less water seepage. The thinnest inside wall is 19 inches. The thinnest outside wall is 25 inches. The roof is greater than 3 feet thick, and the floor is greater than 4 feet thick. The roof alone supposedly weighs 423 tons. All walls are load bearing. There are 14 rooms and a two-car underground garage, for a total of about 3,000 square feet under roof. The upstairs has 7 chimney flues. A six-story deep well is 5 feet in diameter.(2)

That is some house, huh? And what an amazing story behind it!! Sadly, in 1950, his wife passed away. Nicholson felt that Fair had lost her faith and that as a result she died. Her death devastated him, but he continued with the belief that he would live forever if he kept building.

He lived in the house until his death in 1965.

Urban legend has it that his wife was buried within the walls of the house. This is not true, and in fact both she and Nicholson are buried in Clarks Grove Cemetery, their graves are unmarked. Another rumor had it that William Nicholson was a devil worshipper and a cruel man, but that was far from the truth. He was more of an eccentric man with ideas that he could live forever, and many found that to be odd and started making false claims about him.

There are folks who believe that Mr. Nicholson’s ghost is residing in the house. There are claims where people have seen strange and unexplainable lights in the house and heard activity going on when the house in uninhabited, even during the day time.

I also came across a cool picture taken at the Millennium Manor (3) . Take it as you may. There could be many explanations for the face in the window. Our eyes and mind play many tricks on us, so tell me what you think.

What is your take on this house or the picture above? Have you ever been there? Share any thoughts or experiences you might have. I plan on visiting this house and doing my own investigating (after I get the okay from the owner).

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!! CHECK OUT THESE LINKS FOR MORE PICTURES AND OTHER INTERESTING TIDBITS!!!!

(1 & 2) STRANGE USA


(3) UNEXPLAINED MYSTERIES

AN INTRODUCTION

Hi, thanks for stopping by.

I want to give a little background so you will have a better idea of who I am and what this blog is about.

Ever since I can remember, I have always been interested in all things paranormal. I have experienced things in my life that can only be described as PARANORMAL. There are many non-believers out there, and I am cool with that. I am not here to push my beliefs on anyone, that is not what I am about. I do, however, love to share stories about the paranormal to whoever is willing to listen. :)

I have been fortunate enough to visit some haunted hotspots across the US. I have been to places like Winchester Mansion in San Jose California, as well as local haunted hot spots in my home town. I have also captured some interesting pictures (a full bodied apparition, unexplainable phenomenon [it could have been a bug...but it is still freaky none the less], and orbs.) I plan on posting those photos in a future blog, and you can tell me what you think.

I will also post stories that have sparked my interest, and hopefully will spark yours, too.

I enjoy feedback, so please share your thoughts with me. And I do hope you will enjoy the stories I post here. Please feel free to subscribe and if you subscribe, I will also subscribe to your blog. I am new to Blogger, and I am looking forward to making new friends who share my passion for the paranormal.