The Haunting of Davis Elementary School

Yesterday I posted about our 100-year old school, Davis Elementary, which is in irreversible structural distress.    Because my husband will occasionally have stories of some new problem with the school, I have thought about the need for a new school off and on for a long time.  It was only after writing that post, however, that this thought occurred to me -- 100 year old building could equal 100 year old HAUNTED building!   How could I not have thought of that before??  Some of you know about my interest in the paranormal.  It's fascinating to me.   If I had a bucket list (which I don't), a ghost hunt would be at the top of that list, with big giant stars next to it. 

And now that the thought is lodged firmly in my brain, it seemed only natural to do some googling:  my fingers pecked out "haunted elementary schools", of course.  My search didn't show much activity during school hours (maybe because if I were a spirit I would be very afraid of 400 elementary school-aged children!).   But, there was a plethora (Mark) of elementary school activity AFTER school hours.  Among my findings were these - -


Jefferson Elementary in Middletown is said to have been built atop a burial ground of some sort, and as a consequence has numerous ghosts. Employees sometimes hear the sounds of phantom children playing in the gymnasium, or see a ghostly little girl roaming the halls.

According to local legend, Washington Elementary School is haunted by the ghost of a thirteen year old boy who died while the school was being renovated. He strayed into an off-limits area, fell through a hole in the floor, and wasn't discovered until much later. Students and teachers report strong feelings of dread in the area where the boy died. Scratching, knocking, and bangs can be heard in the same hallway. Mysterious shadows flit through corridors, particularly at twilight.

David E. Smith Elementary School has numerous reports of ghostly occurrences in the girls' bathroom. Girls who stay at the school for after-school activities have told of feeling a sudden chill in the air when they step into the restroom. Others claim to have heard screaming, seen writing on the walls, and even felt themselves being touched and warned to leave because the bathroom was too dangerous. Some have even reported seeing blood dripping on the floor.

It is reported that two kids were playing tetherball after school around 7p.m one of the kids hit the ball and the chains wraped around one of the kids throat. The other one didn`t know what to do while his/her friend was choking. So the kid ran home.They said the kid choked on the chains. Late nights residents say you could here a chain hitting the pole on the court and a sound of someone choking.

I was fifth grade tetherball champion (complete with cool certificate, thank you very much), so that one kind of creeped me out.

So, my conclusion is this - I don't have to travel to Pennsylvania - - yet - - to go ghost hunting!   I can start right here in my own backyard.  I've not heard of any ghostly reports from our own school,  but you'd think that with a hundred years of history, something is hanging around, right?  I don't really want to see blood dripping on the floor, and I don't want to be touched.  Not for my first time.  But maybe I could handle scratching or knocking or hearing someone scream. This could be a trial run for my REAL ghost hunt!   Of course, I don't have any equipment, except for the EMF detector app on my iPhone.   That will have to do . . . that and my keen mind.

I will let my daughter know that we have a ghost hunting date when she gets home from college in a few weeks.  She'll be thrilled (I say sarcastically) as I'm sure the school board will be as well (again, sarcastically).