Auditory Activity

In 1967, an archivist by the name of Liess Vantine was working overtime with fellow co-worker, Craig Gannon. All of the other employees had left for the day.

While Liess was working in the sub-basement, he heard a voice call his name. “Come here, Liess.” Vantine wandered through the stacks, expecting to find Craig. Imagine his surprise when he found Craig 2 floors up in the building. It wasn’t Craig who was calling him.

Ron Warner, an administrative officer, entered the building one night when no one was there. He suddenly heard a cough. He called out, “Who’s there?” After investigating, he found himself totally alone.

A Negative Energy

July 1972, James Sperry, a former superintendent of The Historical Society, was working late one night, around 9 PM, in his second floor office, with his dog, Shadow, keeping him company.

To take a break, he and his dog went down to the first floor to talk to a society archivist, Frank Vyzraiek, who was also working late. Shadow suddenly started to growl, and ran down the hall, straight down the stairs into the darkened basement.

Seconds later, one very scared Shadow bolted up the stairs and down the hall, with his tail between his legs.

Apparition of a Man

James Sperry, one night, took the elevator to the basement.

He saw a man with a white shirt walk into a storage area, that only had one entrance.

He followed the man into the storage area, turned on the light, and no one was there.

Uneasy Feelings

Working late on New Year’s Eve of 1969, Frank Vyzraiek all of a sudden was overwhelmed with the feeling that he should leave the building quickly, which he did without wasting any time.

Walter Bailey was a historic preservation planner that worked in this old building from 1973 until the 1981 move.

When he was alone at night working in the building, he too would be overwhelmed with the feeling that he should leave the building quickly, as if he didn’t belong in the building any more. He could be completely involved in some project, when this feeling would suddenly envelope him like a cloud.

When alone at night in the building, Bailey would hear distinctive footsteps, coming mostly from the first floor, where the office of Russell Reid, a longtime, former society superintendent used to be. No one was ever there. Reid was a bachelor, who had dedicated his life to his work with The Historical Society. Reid even sometimes slept in his office.