If you know of a location we should investigate, please e-mail us at:  greenvillepr@yahoo.com

   Not far from the Connecticut border, in the south western corner of Foster, R.I., you will find the quiet hamlet of Moosup Valley.  It was founded in 1705 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  H. P. Lovecraft once said of Moosup Valley, "I haunted it in infancy."  During the day the heart of this small village is anything but spooky.  It's old wooden church, grange hall, free library and beautifully kept cemetery are quite the slice of old New England charm.  However, when the sun sets and the surroundings are betrayed by the lack of artificial lighting, the darkness can be somewhat unsettling.  During a daytime investigation of the area, we asked a local librarian if she had ever seen anything strange.  She answered, "No.  But when I have to close the library by myself at night, I lock the front door and get to my car as fast as I can!"  Who is the Grange Hall Ghost?  No one really knows.  He is said to be a middle aged man who carries a shovel over his shoulder.  One witness wrote that the shovel's blade was "badly broken" and his stare "sent a chill up my spine".  He has been seen at night walking by the cemetery, sometimes sitting on the bridge or standing in front of the grange hall across from the church.  A daylight photo of the church (taken by a member of our group in March, 2007) shows a strange anomaly.  The negative was given to a photo technician who later concluded that it is not the result of light leakage, nor was it something up against the edge of the camera's lens.  Whatever the anomaly is, it was in between the camera and the church when the shot was taken.  The technician also admitted to being puzzled by the shadow- like quality of the object and was further baffled when told that there is nothing in that spot to cast a shadow upon.  Our group will be conducting further investigations. 

The Moosup Valley Grange Hall.  The "Grange Hall Apparition", as he is called on the village sign, has been seen standing here at night with a very old shovel and a look that will leave you cold.

   Greenville Paranormal Research has been conducting late night vigils along the stretch of haunted road in the hamlet of Moosup Valley.  Unexplainable sounds were heard, such as metallic "clangs" (right in back of an investigator) and voices coming from the closed Grange Hall.  The best piece of paranormal evidence captured was this swirl of ectoplasm that came up from the ground next to the investigator with the DVR camera and then flew off into the cemetery in front of him.  He was walking along the road towards the bridge ( one of the spots where the ghost has been seen) when he stopped half way along the cemetery's wall (another spot where it is seen) and turned  panning the camera from right to left.  He was not watching the camera's view point at that very moment, the road was still holding his attention.  The spot on the ground where this ectoplasm rose up from was right in back of the investigator until he turned.  Was he being followed?  Was this the ghost in ecto-form or another local spirit curious about G.P.R.'s vigil?  No EVP's were recorded, but the metallic "clangs" were picked up on digital audio.  The noise seemed to happen whenever the investigator's back was turned to the spot in which it came from.  The voices in the Grange Hall stopped before the recorder could get close enough.  It was very late at night.  No signs of life could be detected inside and there were no vehicles parked outside.  If anyone had left on foot, they would have been seen in the full moon light and heard in the stillness of the night air.  This still from the video shows the ectoplasm in mid-stream.  It moved very fast in it's flight for the cemetery and is hard to make out in the video clip.  This picture shows it's detail best, but if you would like to see the video clip, you can view it on YouTube by clicking here.  More vigils are being planned.

                 The Tyler Cemetery.  This is where the ecto-anomaly was captured on video.

The Moosup Valley Bridge.  The ghost has also been witnessed on the bridge with his old, broken shovel and blank stare.

   This is the third time, on the second vigil, that this sound was heard coming from the same spot on the other side of the road in front of the cemetery.  The start of the guardrail for the bridge is right there and it was at this spot that this dull ring would occur.  It was heard two more times in less than five minutes and always when the spot was not being watched.  There are no trees to drop nuts or sticks on the guardrail.  It happened the night before, but it has not been heard any night since.

     Greenville Paranormal Research received this very interesting message from Roger & Beth Hawes.

     "We now reside in SC, but grew up in Moosup Valley,Foster, RI where both sides of the family still reside. We spent many a night at Green Acres pond, behind the cemetery and hearing footsteps and unexplained noises was a common occurrence. Each of us heard unexplained sounds and have seen lights or "orbs" but none have felt threatening or ''scary' in the valley. Being historical buffs we spent many days exploring cemeteries and have felt uneasy in some other areas. We enjoy your website and plan on revisiting it for updates. Thank you."

   G.P.R. teamed up with with Kyle Bell of Hampden County Paranormal Society to investigate the stretch of road where the Grange Hall Ghost has been seen.  The "metallic clang" was heard again coming from the same location along the road and just as before, it happened every time their backs were turned.  Most interesting though was an EVP caught by Kyle while standing in front of the Grange Hall.  Kyle was explaining the function of his K-2 meter to whomever might be there in spirit and he caught what sounds like the response of an unimpressed "So?" on his hand held audio recorder.  You can listen to it below.

  A big part of paranormal investigation is doing research on the supposed haunting, it's locale and it's cast of characters.  When Greenville Paranormal Research began it's own investigation into the legend of Dolly Cole, it started by looking at what has been written about her and the reasons why she is presumed to haunt.  On the website of a New Jersey ghost hunting group, Dolly is a vague myth.  She is said to have been a witch who is still seeking revenge for the murder of her son.  Further inaccurate accounts suggest Dolly was a cross-dressing prostitute and even stranger, a vampire.  Another paranormal research group, also based in Rhode Island, has dismissed these theories altogether and bestowed the ghost with some creative details of their own.  However, the truth is, Dorathy Cole (not Dorothy Ellen Cole) was a beloved local resident of Hopkins Mills.  Her name is given to three distinct land marks in close vicinity to the house she lived in for sixty nine years.  Dolly Cole Hill, the Dolly Cole Brook and the Dolly Cole Bridge are all named for her because in her day she was thought of fondly as a living landmark.  She died June 13, 1860, aged 91 years, 6 months and 4 days.  Dolly rests in peace next to her husband Hugh in the Hopkins Mills cemetery.  As for the stories about a young woman in man's clothing haunting the grounds of a nearby sportsman's club, no such tale exist.  The club's vice president is a direct descendant of the original landowner and he has stated that there is no such ghost story connected to the woods or the brook.  Town records clearly show, there never was a Dorothy Ellen Cole.  So who is "The Woman in White"?  At the time of this writing, her true identity is not known.  She has been seen holding a wooden pail by the Hopkins Mill Pond, so perhaps she is a forgotten drowning victim.  A town resident said he saw a white figure, like smoke, rise up from the river below the bridge on Ram Tail Road.  He has never gone back.  A local woman told Greenville Paranormal Research that her husband saw the Woman in White one night as he was coming home.  She said the wraith shocked him so intensely that he doesn't like to talk about it.  Our group will be conducting further investigations.  

   On April 12, 18 and 20, Greenville Paranormal Research held night vigils for the Woman in White of Hopkins Mills.  The above photograph was taken by Steven Nelson with a digital camera.  Digital cameras can be prone to catching dust and water particles.  These particles usually show up in numbers as small translucent spots.  This orb is gold, has a nucleus and an aura.  There are no other common dust orbs accompanying it.  Many shots were taken right after this one, but nothing else showed up in those photos.  This was taken right in the heart of the haunt's hot spot.  No EVPs were captured and nothing showed up on video for the first night.  Worthy of mention were small pin points of white light that seemed to flash in the air around us at times during the vigils.  April is far too early for fireflies.  Also, these points of light were too small and flashed far too fast to be fireflies.

   On the night of April 18, this shot was taken by Andrew Lake with a 35mm camera using 800 speed film.  This was the third shot in on the roll and the first of this location that night.  It is the same spot where the gold orb was captured.  At first look, one might explain this streak as a film or development flaw.  However, the streak is behind the branch in the foreground and it is also in the negative.  The follow up shots of this spot, taken that night, show nothing anomalous.

   This photo was taken on the 18th with the same 35mm camera that took the "red anomaly" photograph.  This is the bridge that stands over the haunted pool were the Woman in White has been seen many times.  The two reflective signs warn people not to fish under the bridge since it is falling apart and can no longer be used by automobile traffic.  Of all the pictures taken at the pool with the 35mm camera, this is the only one that shows an orb.  Older film cameras are not prone to create false orbs like digital cameras.  If this orb was caused by the reflective signs or moisture from the pool then the other photographs taken here should show orbs too.  They don't.  This picture was taken after more of those strange little flashes of light were seen in the air above the pool.

   Here is a still frame from footage taken with a hard drive video camera set on night shot with an infra-red light mounted to it's side.  It shows one of those strange little points of light that were seen around the haunted area.  There were large, beige colored moths seen on the vigils, but April is too early for fireflies.  These flashes of light were fast, very white and were seen only a few times on each vigil.  Fireflies come out in numbers and can be seen flashing many times in their flight through the night air.  This bright white light appears green in this still frame because of the night shot filter on the video camera.  It is nearly in the same spot as the orb in the 35mm photo.

   The vigil that was held on the night of the 18th was conducted by Andrew Lake alone.  It was a very still night, lit by a bright and nearly full moon.  Except for an airplane and two cars, there were no distractions.  This made for ideal conditions to pay close attention to the surrounding area.  Not a soul was seen or heard the whole time Andrew was in position by the haunted pool.  When reviewing the full video footage of the vigil a remarkable sound was found.  It has to be an example of electronic voice phenomena and not an acoustical sound because an earthly person would of had to have been right on top of the vigil to have been picked up by the camera's microphone.  No one could have entered the woods and walked up to Andrew without being seen or heard doing so.  If anyone was up on the bridge they would have been clearly seen and heard as well.  This EVP sounds like a choking cough.

   This EVP was caught on the third night shortly after starting a vigil by the haunted pool.  Caitlin Wazecha was asked to do the first session and it would seem she got an answer to her question about what year the Woman in White thought it was.  This voice was not picked up by the microphone on the video camera which was running right next to Caitlin.  The rushing water in the background is the Ponagansett River.  Not only is the running water a possible source of energy to help charge this haunt, it is also a very good white noise generator to help with the capture of EVPs.  All who have heard this recording agree that it sounds like a woman saying "1860".  Foster town history records a death by drowning in the Ponagansett River in 1860.  Her name was Betsey Grayson.

   This is the cause of Betsey Grayson's death recorded in Foster town records.  It is a myth that all town records before 1938 were lost.  They are all intact.  It is very curious that the nationality of the deceased is noted in the last column.  Everyone is listed as American, except people of Irish heritage.  Even if the person was born in Foster, this is noted.  Betsey was born in Scituate, but her nationality is recorded as Father/English, Mother/American. 

   An excerpt from an article on the Ram Tail Factory and hamlet in a 1948 issue of the Windham County Transcript written by Clara Wade Clemence in which she recounts the death of Betsey Grayson.  Mrs. Clemence was a resident of Hopkins Mills and wrote about the history and folklore of Foster, R. I..  In 1950 she wrote a piece about Dolly Cole and the hill on RT. 6 that is named for her.  Nowhere in this article does she imply that Dolly haunts Hopkins Mills.  A local fisherman, who knew nothing of the ghost, told Greenville Paranormal Research that he and his friends had the scare of their lives when they saw a white figure rise up out of the Ponagansett and float away.  It would seem that she haunts the length of the river between the Hopkins Mills pond and the site of the Ram Tail. 

   Betsey Grayson's grave is in Scituate, R.I., at the site of what was once the Grayson family homestead.  The Grayson property was very large, which leaves one to wonder why a woman from a family that owned so much land ended up living in the remains of the Ram Tail hamlet.  It is also unusual that she stayed single.  The grave next to her is Richard Grayson.  He was born in 1820 when Betsey was 35 years old.  He died at the age of 81.  His stone was cut by the same company that cut Betsey's marker in 1860.  The stone and style are identical, so it was most likely ordered at the same time in 1860 without the death date carved in.  The two markers look similar in age, until one notes the dates.  There are no other graves in the family plot that fit the time period and with the placement of Richard alongside Betsey, forty one years latter, it is possible that they are mother and son.  If this is the case, it would explain much.  Greenville Paranormal Research will be looking into this possibility.

*UPDATE: 11/26/08

   Information found in Scituate town records suggest that Richard Grayson was Betsey's nephew.  Betsey's father and brother were both named Richard.  Her brother's wife was Urana and they had three children.  Urana died on October 16, 1833.  Her son Henry followed her on February 14, 1837 and his sister Mariah died soon after on November 9, 1837.  Urana's surviving child, Richard, was the youngest of the three.  Betsey may have changed her role as Richard's aunt and became more like a mother to him.  

   Deep in the woods along the Ponagansett River, south of Hopkins Mills, you will find the site of a 19th century hamlet and mill known as the Ram Tail Factory.  Now only cellar holes and foundation walls, The Foster Woolen Manufactoring Company (as it was called in it's heyday) was once a fine example of New England textile industry.  The business began in 1813 when William Potter started a partnership with his son Olney, brother-in-law Jonathan Ellis and his sons-in-law Marvin Round and Peleg Walker.  All went well until about 1822.  It seems Peleg Walker was living beyond his means and found himself in debt for more than five hundred dollars.  This put him in a humiliating situation where he had to hand over his holdings in the factory to William Potter.  According to the legend, the only position in the business left for Peleg was night watchman.  The story claims Walker had an awful argument with his in-laws and his parting words were to the affect of, "The next time you take these keys from me, it will be from the pocket of a dead man!".  It is said that on the morning of May 19th, they took the keys to the factory from Peleg's pocket after they found him hanging by his neck from the bell rope in the mill.  That is what the legend says.  There are two documents that state he chose a different form of suicide and a life resident of the town has confirmed this.  Legend has it that Peleg started haunting the Ram Tail shortly after he was buried in the Potter's family plot.  Workers started leaving after unsettling events, such as the mill starting up in the middle of the night when no one was there and the bell ringing even after it was taken down.  For the next twenty two years the ownership would change hands in and out of the family and by 1850 all production would come to an end.  In 1873 the mill burned beyond repair after someone, for reasons of their own, set fire to the closed down building.  The 1885 census would record the site as being haunted, making it Rhode Island's only official haunt.  To this day there are local residents who have seen Peleg Walker's lantern light out by the manufactory ruins and have heard the bell ring at midnight.  Greenville Paranormal Research has been given permission to investigate the site and have witnessed auditory and visual phenomena on more than a couple of occasions.  Our group will be conducting further investigations. 

   On October 5th, G.P.R. set off down the carriage trail to the Ram Tail with plans to hold a two hour night vigil.  Instead we had to call the Foster Fire Department to report a fire we discovered burning along the trail.  We have permission to go out there from the family that owns the property.  If you are going to ghost hunt, please show the site respect and always get the OK first, don't trespass.  It would seem that the fire was set not too long before we found it.  It looks like someone was careless with a still burning cigarette.  The Police, Firemen and one of the land owners agree with this theory.  After all, the only other suspect is Peleg Walker. 

The bridge on Ram Tail Road and the site of the old Ram Tail swimming hole.

   In the spring, summer and autumn of 2008, Greenville Paranormal Research focused it's investigations on the area along the Ponagansett where the Ram Tail hamlet and mill were located.  (This is private land and permission is needed to gain access, the Foster police do take notice!)  G.P.R. has been told a story about the ghost of an old man by the bridge on Ram Tail Road.  He was seen by a woman as she approached the bridge in her car late one night.  As she slowed down to avoid hitting him, he just vanished.  The shallow pool that forms to the east side of the bridge was once much deeper in the days of the Ram Tail mill.  The dam (now gone) on the Ponagansett, which once powered the mill's water wheel, used to back up the river, creating a pool deep enough to swim in.  This pool is said to be haunted.  The ghost G.P.R. believes to be Betsey Grayson has been seen there over the years.  The shade of a little girl picking flowers has also been spotted where the mill houses once stood.  It would seem that Peleg Walker is not the only lost soul that dwells at Ram Tail.  

   The photo above was taken on October 4, 2008.  The foundation hole for the old Ram Tail mill is just out of sight in this picture.  The hole is right below the mist.  This is mist.  Strange thing is, out of all the pictures taken with the 35mm camera that night, this is the only one to show mist.  A floating ball of light was also seen for a very brief moment on the opposite side of the river, near the remains of the old dam.  Two EVPs were captured shortly after the weird orb was seen.  Both are faint.  One sounds like a breathy male voice saying the surname "Cole" (a distinguished family name in Foster, RI) and the other has a sing-song tone.  It was a very still night and nothing was heard at the time these EVPs were caught.  Later on, up at the old Staples farm, Carl Johnson of N.E.A.R. saw a flame-like streak zip through the ruins. 

   Headphones are needed to hear this EVP.  Listen closely, just before the second question is asked.  It sounds like a male voice saying the surname "Cole".

*UPDATE:  Research has found that Hough Cole Sr. (the husband of Dolly Cole) owned land that bordered the Foster Woolen Manufactoring Company.

   This strange sing-song voice was detected while running the audio file through the Audacity program.  John Hardy of E.C.H.O.E.S. Paranormal ran it through his audio system and filtered out as much of the river as he could.  It is a voice, but what it is saying is hard to tell.  Some listeners have heard, "I feel sorry.  I can't take it no more.".

   In October of 2006, Greenville Paranormal Research went to the town of Foster, RI to locate the site of the Ram Tail Factory.  Using directions given by a local writer, this site was found.  It is not the Ram Tail, but an old farm site once owned by a Providence man named Staples, according to town records.  The local writer's mistake is understandable since this farm not only borders the Ram Tail property, it was also incorrectly marked on a nineteenth century map as "Potter Factory".  A local map printed in 1947 and a later reprint in 1974 show the correct location of the factory.  Another old-timer told the local writer that a phantom light, believed to be Peleg Walker's lantern, has been seen many times over the years along Rounds Lane.  Rounds Lane runs from Danielson Pike, through the old Staples farm and used to continue over the Dolly Cole Brook to the Ram Tail.  It is understandable to link this ghostly light to the legend of Peleg Walker, since (according to the legend) patrolling the Ram Tail property at night, lantern in hand, was part of his job when he supposedly became night watchman.  However, Rounds Lane and the Staples Farm were never part of the Ram Tail Factory.  So who is haunting the old Staples property?  Members of G.P.R. have seen this strange light twice on two separate occasions.  The sound of someone walking and the creaking of a lantern have also been heard moving around the ruins more than once.  Members of N.E.A.R. have heard unexplainable voices at the site and a member of their team reported seeing a partial apparition walking along the lane just as the sun was setting.  The photograph above was taken the day G.P.R. first went to the site.  It shows one of the four foundations at the farm.  A strange vibe was felt at that moment, so a few shots were taken.  On the left hand side of the picture, an orb like anomaly can be seen.  The sun was behind the photographer and there was nothing in the small evergreen that could have reflected the sun light.  A photo technician could find no explanation for this orb.

                                                Enlargement of the orb anomaly   

  A two man team went back for an investigation of the haunted site at the Staples Farm.  We are pleased to say we did not find the woods at the Ram Tail on fire this time.  The forest around the old farm site was darker than G.P.R. has ever seen it there.  Flashlights were used sparingly and mostly with a red filter.  A night vision scope was used and a disposable digital camera.  The team had no laser emitting device.  This picture is a still from a DVR on night shot with an IR illuminator mounted to it's left side.  The bright spot of light seen in the dark, to the right of the IR light's beam, appeared for only a second and was missed by both investigators at that moment.  One was keeping his eyes anywhere the camera was not facing and the other had lost his natural sense of night vision do to the light of the camera's view screen.  On other occasions, members of our paranormal community have seen brief points of light around this very spot, as well as a hovering light that sways along the trail and around the foundation stones.  The sound of footsteps has also been heard and the team on this night thought they heard sounds not unlike someone stepping around.  It was most likely just leaves falling from the trees.  A sound that could not be explained was a metallic squeak, like a hinge, that came from the same location as this light.  This location was panned by the camera many times and nothing ever reflected back.  No one could have hid from the investigators, they would have been found with the night vision equipment.  When this still is enlarged, it not only looks like a flame in a lantern, it shows color.  Like a flame, it is blue on the bottom, white in the center and red at the top.  This was taken with night shot which gives the image a green and gray tint.  It is strange this flame-like light shows color.

Above:  This photo was taken by Sandra Johnson of N.E.A.R. while on a vigil at the main foundation.  She heard the sound of footsteps behind her and thinking they belonged to a team member named Russ, she began to speak to him.  When she turned around and found that no one was there, she snapped this shot.  It is nearly in the same spot where Greenville Paranormal Research caught their anomaly.

   The above clip was taken on June 21, 2007, in the dining room of the Tavern on Main after closing time.  Andrew Lake of Greenville Paranormal Research had shown up to learn first hand about this haunted locale and to conduct an hour-or-so investigation with a local author.  After the video camera was set up (on a tripod) in a non-traffic area, surrounded by tables and backed by a wide wooden support column, the team began taking base readings and photographs with 35mm and digital cameras.  Nothing showed up in the pictures and no EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon) were recorded.  However, the EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors were showing spikes in spots where they shouldn't have and were also spiking in response to team member's questions.  After things seemed to calm down the investigators were joined by Eve-Marie, a former employee who has experienced many bizarre happenings at the tavern.  She and two members of the group were standing on the other side of the wooden column, away from the camera, while she told them a very strange story.  They were the only people in the dining room at this time.  As the two team members began to discuss a possible connection between Eve-Marie's tale and a haunt in the bar area, she walks away and goes out and around the camera.  She can be heard expressing her disappointment over pictures that are missing from her days at the tavern as she walks to the far corner of the dining room.  Both investigators are then drawn from their spot by the abrupt change in topic and move to join her in the far corner, Andrew can be seen moving off to retrieve an audio recorder from the table the video camera was trained on.  No one was near the camera.  When it was shut off at the end of the night the change in it's angle was noticed.  The dramatic way in which it was moved was not seen until the next day when the footage was reviewed.  The reason why the camera was fixed on the booth in the front corner of the dining room was because it is said to be haunted by a lady in 19th century dress.

   The downstairs dining room at the Tavern on Main.  The video camera that was moved can be seen on the left.  This is right where it was all night, stuck in a tight spot preventing anyone from getting through.  The table with the three high backed chairs is one of the strongest hot spots at the Tavern.  Acute EMF spikes and EVPs are recorded regularly in and around the throne-like chairs.  One of the ghosts was caught on video (by a young ghost hunter) getting up from the booth and walking towards the backdoor.  Check it out at www.tavernonmainri.com/

   The Ladies room.  It is here that the unidentified "little boy" is most often seen.  He has run into the restroom to then vanish into thin air.  The sink has turned on by itself and a little girl once talked about the boy she met in the Ladies room.

  This E.V.P. was caught on May 13, 2008 in the upstairs dining room, known as the Dorr Ballroom.  A young man named Zach volunteered to lead this E.V.P. session and it sounds like one of his questions was answered.  After he asks "do you have any children?", the sound of squeaky shoes moving on the wood floorboards is heard, followed by a car going by on RT. 44 and then the click-clack of dishes.  Listen carefully (headphones will help) just before the end of this sound clip and the breathy voice of a man answering "no." can be clearly heard.  The ghost of a man in Colonial garb has been seen in this part of the Tavern.

   On October 30th, Andrew Lake was shocked at having an antique washboard hit him on his left shoulder and the side of his head in the upstairs dining room.  Sitting about a foot and a half away from the shelf it was displayed upon, with his back to it, he had just sipped from his water glass and was starting to sit back in his chair when he heard a quick shuffle.  Before he could react, the washboard hit him and flew across the table.  No explanation was found how this heavy object could have left the self in the direction it did and spin over a foot through the air.  A few years ago, a stack of drink coasters left in this same area was flung into the stairway with a loud flapping sound, like a deck of playing cards being shot from someone's hand.  

   This beautiful old colonial home was built around 1696 by Elisha Smith. He was the grandson of John Smith, one of Roger William's party that settled Providence.  The house started as a one-room stone-ender, but from the late 1700's to 1830 it would grow by additions.  For a time, in the mid 1800's, it served as a schoolhouse.  Elisha's great granddaughter, Waite, married into the Appleby family and when she died in 1843, the house went to her son John Smith Appleby.  It would remain the Appleby home until Maria Appleby passed in 1959.  Maria's dearest friend, Abbie Sargent, lived in the house until her death in 1963.  The last tenant on the property was a caretaker named Ernest Rehill.  He lived in the small outer building next to the house until 2002.  He had to go into a nursing home and passed away soon after.  The house (now a museum) has been in the care of the Historical Society of Smithfield since 1976 and they have been doing a fantastic job restoring this important piece of Rhode Island and American history.  In the summer of 2007, a member of the Historical Society contacted Greenville Paranormal Research and asked if we would like to do an investigation.  It seems some strange events have taken place there.  A door that is difficult to open is found unlatched and wide open without a sound being heard by anyone in the house at the time.  Dollhouse furniture was moved around, lights have gone back on and a body dent has been seen on one of the beds after the wrinkles were smoothed out earlier.  These are just some of the peculiar items reported.  On our first walk through, our audio recorder picked up a very clear EVP (electronic voice phenomena) of a breathy sigh.  The following night proved very interesting.  Dowsing rods gave strong responses to straight questions asked and our video cameras caught some impressive orbs.  There are other points to be considered and investigated more thoroughly before any conclusions can be made.

   Investigator Andrew Lake (G.P.R.) and a local author were discussing with Jim Ignasher (Historical Society of Smithfield) how and where the monitoring equipment was to be set up on the first vigil at the Smith/Appleby House.  Also present was Ron Scopelliti (Publisher/Editor) of Smithfield Magazine.  All who were there agree that this sigh was not and could not have been let out by anyone in the room.  All were close to each other and such an impatient sounding sigh would not have gone unnoticed.

   Since our first investigation of the Smith-Appleby House Museum, Greenville Paranormal Research has been back for further investigations and we have stayed in touch with the Historical Society of Smithfield to keep up to date with anything strange that may have occurred.  Lights are still being turned back on.  A shop vacuum was turned on and off in front of witnesses and a heavy drape was moved back in front of the stairs to the attic when a member of the Historical Society was moving boxes up there for storage.  He was alone and the door to the house was locked.  Even though the drape was hung out of the way over the banister (with it's weight hanging down into the stairwell) it was found back in place four times.  A Mr. David Rawlinson sent G.P.R. this very interesting message about an experience his wife had at the museum.  This is what he wrote.  "Congratulations on the site it looks good and has helped explain a few things.  My wife Ann recently was visiting the Smith-Appleby House on a tour with my daughter's Girl Scout troop.  She was in the upstairs loom room when she caught a glimpse of a child and heard laughing.  She moved toward the noise thinking it was one of the girl scouts, but when she tried to collect the child to go back downstairs, there was none.  The tour guide looked at her strange and confirmed that all the children were already downstairs.  She knew something was odd, but after reading about your investigation everything made sense.  Keep up the good work."  Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Rawlinson, we will.  Here is a photo taken by a member of the Historical Society after putting up the Smith-Appleby Christmas tree.  Note the orbs.  (photo by Jim Ignasher)

   On April 19, 2008, Andrew Lake (Greenville Paranormal Research) joined Christopher Balzano (Massachusetts Paranormal Crossroads) and the New England Ghost Project for an investigation at the Freetown State Forest in Freetown, Massachusetts.  After a hunt for "Pukwudgies" (a native American version of a troll) the group moved on to the old quarry known as the Assonet Ledge.  Christopher and Andrew drove a 4x4 vehicle to the Ledge while the N.E.G.P. walked through the dark woods under a near full moon.  About half an hour into their hike, they had an encounter with "something" deep in the woods.  Whatever it was, they saw it on their F.L.I.R. scope.  As it floated closer to their team, a face became visible and their medium, Maureen Wood, made contact with it.  She said it was not human and very negative.  Soon after the two parties were back together, Christopher filled everyone in about the ghosts and strange history of the Ledge.  As the investigators were about to call it a night, Maureen started to behave strangely.  Ron Kolek (director of N.E.G.P.) and Christopher had to take her to the ground and restrain her.  She growled and clawed at the ground while the team gathered around to call her back.  The still frame above shows Maureen as she was coming out of the attack with Ron holding her.  Christopher is getting up from the ground and brushing dirt off.  Just behind him, to the right, is a strange point of light that came into being as Maureen became more like herself.  It lasted for thirteen seconds before blinking out of existence.  None of our equipment was responsible for this little orb and nothing was found on the ground that could have reflected light.  Because the team was gathered around Ron and Maureen, Andrew was the only member of the group who saw it.  What makes this so noteworthy is the legend of the Pukwudgies alleges the little creatures sometimes appear as orbs of light.

   These two photographs (above and below) were taken with a 35mm camera using 800 speed film.  Six pictures were taken in this spot by the Reservation and visitor's center, but these two are the only shots that show orbs.  If the orbs are dust, then why didn't the other photos show orbs and what caused the strange texture and color?  Many people have reported strange happenings in this part of the forest.

   Christopher Balzano (MA Paranormal Crossroads) and Matt Moniz (Spooky Southcoast Radio) have been investigating this historic, private residence for sometime now.  On every investigation in this house, their equipment has experienced power drains and many unusual EVPs have been recorded.  Their questions are sometimes given direct answers, with some voices taking a mocking tone!  They caught one voice telling "the others" not to talk to the investigators, reminding them of "the rules" and to wait until everyone was gone.  The sound of children running around in the attic (the hot spot), the voices of an agitated old woman and man complaining and messages scrawled in talcum powder are just a few of the amazing paranormal events that have been documented here.  The video clip below is from a documentary Andrew Lake was shooting for Christopher Balzano.  They were up in the attic taking EMF base readings and setting up a video camera when Christopher discovered that the camera (he had fully charged) was suddenly drained of power.  That was interesting enough.  However, when the footage was being edited, Andrew found this weird EVP.  It sounds like an angry man saying something about a death in a plane crash.  Listen with headphones (the EVP has been amplified) and let us know what you think!

   In November of 2008, Andrew Lake returned to this historic house to hold a series of vigils in it's most active area, the attic.  After the first EVP session, he thanked the spirits (one should always be polite) and left the attic.  Just as he clicked off the light and opened the door, a strange "thump" sound and voice (or voices) were captured on the audio of a video camera that was running in one of the attic's rooms.  The "thump" is heard twice and a (female?) voice, saying the surname Grelsch, can be heard twice.

   This filtered version was provided by John Hardy of E.C.H.O.E.S. Paranormal.  John is sure that the "thump" sound is part of the EVP's sound wave.  Even stranger is the fact that the voice or voices are saying "Grelsch" (a Russian surname) a total of five times.  It is not certain if this is one voice at two different speeds, or two voices, one male and the other female.

   This EVP was found on the video camera's audio as well.  The voice seems to be saying the name "Danny", just as Andrew Lake shuts the door to the attic.  This came right after the surname, Grelsch, was said five times.

   A few hours later, Andrew was in the room where the video camera was set up.  He asked questions to the little girls who have been heard running and laughing on the stairs and second floor, as well as in the attic.  He payed close attention to the sounds of the house and the traffic outside so he could tag any noise for later identification.  Just before he ended the EVP session, the soft sound of two cars driving past were recorded by both the video camera and a digital audio recorder.  Both recorders also picked up a strange little "click".  Even stranger is the voice that was found on the audio recorder, riding the sound wave of the second car.  It sounds like a young girl saying "please get out!"

   Here is a filtered version, again provided by E.C.H.O.E.S. Paranormal.  Clicks, snaps, claps and thumps have been picked up with EVPs many times by investigators over the years since the phenomena was discovered after the creation of magnetic recording tape.

   Near the end of the night, Andrew was once again leaving the attic to check out the second and first floors.  He thanked the spirits for anything they might have said and as he was opening the door, one of them called him by name and told him to shut up!  The spirits in this house have called the investigators by name before.  Matt Moniz of Spooky Southcoast Radio had his name called out in a sing-song tone when he asked the spirits if they knew who he was.

   The doorknob does not work, but when the door is pulled shut it sticks tight in the door frame.  It takes some pressure to open it.  The EVP "Andrew, shut up" was caught just as he was leaving the attic.  Andrew is sure he pulled the door tight.  He returned to the attic several minutes later to retrieve the video camera and found the door open.  This door is found open now and again by the home owner and their tenants who live on the second floor.  The door once slammed shut in front of witnesses when the ghosts were ordered  to stay in the attic.  This might explain why a previous owner put a lock on the door.

                                                         The attic door.

   This photo was taken in December 2008 by the tenants on the second floor.  When the husband and wife started feeling a strange vibe they have felt before, they began taking random shots with their cameras.  This is what they got.  There are two cigarette packs on the table.  However, neither had been smoking prior to this snap shot.  This is not smoke.  The couple did not see this anomaly when the picture was taken, but it looks like their cat did!

   On September 24, 2008, the great folks of Spooky Southcoast (see our Links page) invited G.P.R. to the first ever investigation of the Fearing Tavern Museum in Wareham, MA.  This beautifully restored building is a true time capsule that should not be missed.  It is nearly three hundred years old and has seen English rule over the colonies, the American Revolution, smuggling and was part of the Underground Railroad that helped slaves find freedom in Canada.  It is also haunted.  Joining the team that night was EVP expert Mike Markowicz, who caught some very interesting utterances.

   A hard drive video camera with an IR illuminator was placed in this upstairs room simply because of the vibe that was felt there.  In the four hours the camera recorded, no dust orbs were caught.  However, one hour into it's run, this strange little light was shot coming out of the wall and fluttering over to the shelf with the antique dolls.  Unfortunately the clarity of this clip has suffered because of the number of times it has been removed from the original source to bring it to our web site.  In the original clip, it's glow was very bright.  All who have seen the original footage agree it is not a bug or dust.  We have dubbed this anomaly "Tinkerbell".

   A young woman named Ashley came along to the tavern to recount for the team an experience she and a friend had a few years ago on a tour of the museum.  As they were following the tour through one of the upstairs rooms, at the back of the group, they both paused to take one last look at the room and did a double take.  There in the rocking chair was an old woman doing her knitting.  They looked at each other, then back to the chair and she was gone.  The chair was still rocking.  They both agreed that the old woman seemed to be out of sync with her surroundings.  They later told the tour guide what they saw.  The guide believed them.

   The Spooky Southcoast crew and members of the Wareham Historical Society left the museum for a short while to check out another historic building just down the street, leaving Matt Moniz and Andrew Lake alone with one member of the historic society.  Andrew was upstairs listening for any sounds while taking photographs.  Matt was downstairs.  The lady from the society was doing her best to encourage Matt to get involved with their group as a volunteer.  Andrew tags their voices and as both are talking at the same time a voice can be clearly heard "shushing" them.

   In July of 2009, Andrew Lake was invited by Matt Moniz (Spooky Southcoast Radio) to the Lizzie Borden B&B to hold a talk on ghost hunting for guests staying there for the night.  During Matt's talk, Andrew kept hearing what sounded like someone moving around loudly upstairs.  Every time he approached the bottom of the stairs the sound would stop.  No explanation could be found.

   A hard drive video camera with an IR light was left on a chest in a third floor bedroom where past investigations have caught EVPs and a video camera moved in front of witnesses.  The camera ran for two hours.  The video shifts around the entire time, but no sound of it moving on the wooden chest can be heard on the audio.  The manufacturers of the camera told G.P.R. there is no explanation for the video instability.  It just shouldn't happen.  Matt Moniz said the banging has been heard before.  It is the foot peddle on Lizzie Borden's sewing machine in the next room.

   This is the chest that the video camera was placed on.  It is also the same spot where Matt Moniz's video camera was set in 2007, when it moved all on it's own, twice!

   This sewing machine belonged to Lizzie Borden.  Matt Moniz heard the same banging noise on a previous investigation and traced the sound to this machine.  As he entered the room, he saw the foot peddle lift and fall, making the banging noise.

   Greenville Paranormal Research has been helping a family by looking into the many strange events that have been taking place in and around their home.  We need to respect the family's privacy, so many details have to be left out of this account.  Full blown apparitions, voices, scrawled messages and electrical appliances behaving in unexplainable ways are just some of the phenomena reported.

   Above: A still frame from a video camera that was left running over night in one of the home's many hot spots.  These two bright, blue flashes (close to the floor, by the chair) were caught at 1:18 AM.  The point of light at the far left is caused by the IR light reflecting off of a piece of crystal in a glass cabinet and is seen throughout the video footage, from start to finish.  The mirror behind the lamp shows no light coming from outside (behind the video camera) and there is no light coming through the window in the next room (in front of the camera).  What these bright flashes are can not be said for sure, but they are in a spot were many weird and startling things have happened.  The glass cabinet has been opened, once by unseen hands in front of a witness and it's contents have been found knocked around.  There is an explanation why one of the ghosts (there could be as many as five) would bother these crystal pieces, but it is too personal to mention here. 
   Below: The video clip.  Please note: In the original footage the flashes are much brighter, but unfortunately lost sharpness when this copy was brought to the web site.

   These bent forks and kitchen utensils were found separately and on different occasions, in and around the same chair in the upstairs living room.  The large spoon has been flattened out, as well as being bent.  The spatula was put in a box with some other odds n' ends, then stored outside in a shed before it showed up three weeks later wedged between the back of the chair and the wall.

*UPDATE: Two more forks have appeared (on two different occasions) in the same chair within minutes after the homeowner checked the living room for anything out of place.

  Below: This is a video taped field report for the web cast TV show 30 Odd Minutes.  It helps illustrate just how unusual the paranormal activity is in this seemingly normal home.

   This EVP was found on a hand held audio recorder that was left running while Mike "The EVP Guy" Markowicz was setting up his full recording system throughout the upstairs rooms.  It sounds like, "Her son".