THE GREAT INDOORS: Philly's real-life haunted houses

Because of the city's historical richness, old (read: haunted) homes are rampant in Philly. Today, with the help of a team of paranormal investigators, I've rounded up some of these creaky old abodes that - if rumor stands true - contain supernatural remnants of owners past.

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THE GREAT INDOORS: Philly's real-life haunted houses

POSTED: Monday, October 31, 2011, 4:00 PM

Reporter Meg Augustin takes you inside some of Philly's most fab dwellings to showcase our city's unique grasp on design and architecture.

Because of the city’s historical richness, old (read: haunted) homes are rampant in Philly. Today, with the help of a team of paranormal investigators, I’ve rounded up some of these creaky old abodes that — if rumor stands true — contain supernatural remnants of owners past.

Local medium Marisa Liza Pell has toured many of Philadelphia’s supposedly haunted houses in her 15 years of paranormal work. She has been asked speak to dead residents in private homes and has walked through some of Philadelphia’s richest cultural centers in the hopes of communicating with the other side. Take for instance her visit to the Philadelphia Zoo. Part of the current zoo complex, The Solitude House (pictured right) was built by William Penn’s grandson John Penn in 1784. When Pell approached the house, she felt the presence of a man, alone and private — the image of the hermit-like John Penn. Inside, she received messages from him about his love of birds. A few moments later a feather was found on the doorstep and a parade of peacocks strutted to the front door.

Sometimes ghosts stick to a house, Pell explains, for the same reason the living do: time and effort. Many of us put a lot of work into our homes and have specific ways we’d like to see them run. For some spirits, that very task has kept them from crossing over. In the case of Lemon Hill Mansion, Henry Pratt, the original owner of the home, has been seen and felt by current caretakers. When Pell visited the mansion, she received messages from Pratt not only of his existence but also of the to-do list of repairs and changes he wanted to see accomplished.

But not all ghosts are so congenial. According to local Ghostbusters Free Spirit Paranormal Investigations, there are several classifications of paranormal activity:

➤ There's the type of ghost we all think of: intelligent, communicable and with the capacity to move objects.

➤ Then there is something called a residual. This is essentially a broken record. When a really strong, traumatic event happens, an imprint is made that relates to that space. For instance, there have been tales of the apartment above 611 Records (pictured right) being haunted by two children who were drowned by their mother. While it’s possible that the children stayed behind and are intelligent in nature, it’s likely the images of children seen are imprints on time and space. The same goes for mass events like the Battle at Gettysburg. According to Pell, there are spirits that exist in a space but don’t interact with the living. They may still believe they are alive and living in their home and never sense your presence. Think Nicole Kidman in The Others.

➤ And there’s the poltergeist. A poltergeist — just like in the ’70s film — is a spirit that revolves around a particular person. Often, they tend to be young girls — just like Carole Anne. It’s believed that some young girls tend to be extremely emotional and can control large amounts of energy around them. Thus, the poltergeist-like activity doesn’t come from a sole spirit, but from the victim themselves, like the Paranormal Activity films.

And sometimes, a haunted house isn’t haunted at all. As part of Free Spirit’s investigation process, electro-magnetic fields are measured. These, thanks to solar winds and Earth’s own magnetic field, are around us all the time. Yet, it’s believed that spirits interfere with these fields, sometimes causing spikes in the EMF readings. But sometimes spikes in EMF readings aren’t ghosts at all but poor electrical wiring. High EMF levels can cause residents to feel nauseous with headaches, hallucinations, rashes and even the feeling of being watched — all spooky side effects of a bad electrician.

So if you feel like your home may have some paranormal activity, you can do the following:

Check your wiring. That ghoulish apparition may just be a symptom of poor electrics.
Think you have a poltergeist? Kick out your overly emotional female roommate.
Listen to the demands of your ghost’s homeowner to-do list. You might disagree about the wallpaper choice but bad wallpaper is better than haunted dreams.
If all else fails, call the pros. Marisa Liza Pell (609-925-1691, connectionbeyond.com) can convey good and bad messages while Free Spirit Paranormal Investigation (freespiritpi.com) can gather data to see just what you are working with.
Send us an email with ALL the spooky details. Duh!

If you'd like to see your home featured in an upcoming Great Indoors post, email Meg at megan.augustin@citypaper.net.

Posted by Meg Augustin @ 4:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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