after spending the evening working on my new paranormal erotic novella I decided to surf the channel listings to see what was on. Bored and looking for anything to watch, I stumbled upon that ghost hunter show on The Travel Channel. So... I thought why not? I'd never watched it before though I did see some of the spoofs done in regards to the show, namely a South Park episode.
I settled in and watched. I found it for the most part overly dramatic and the playbacks of the experiences not so strong in the proof department but the fourth episode caught my attention. Why? Because it was familiar or at least in the same vicinity of a place I used to venture to as a teenager when we were brave and daring in the night, LOL
Jaclyn, you will relate to this as we talked about this and have this place in common. Remember Byberry(sp)? Well, last night one of the episodes was seeking out paranormal activity at a place called
Pennhurst State Asylum or Institutution located in Spring Town, Pennsylvania. I believe I've gotten that correctly. Anyway, this is a huge condemned complex where people would drop off mentally challenged and difficult children. At one time there were over ten thousand inhabitants. Definitely a dark and desperate place. It was condemned and closed in the early sixties, I believe. The most interesting thing about the episode were the people that Zak interviewed about the place. Catch the episode if you can. It definitely gave me a few goose bumps.
Funny thing is I kept thinking about my Byberry adventures and as the guys panned one of the rooms in the place, I couldn't believe my eyes! Low and behold, I caught what appeared to be the word "Byberry" spray painted on one of the walls and I saw it more than once so I know I wasn't imagining it!
Below is a slideshow of the episode. Enjoy:) Hey, Jacke! Let me know what you think. All I could think about was our old haunt.
http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Ghost_Adventures/Photos/Slideshow_Pennhurst_State#
Just for balance, I'd seen this prior to ever watching an episode of Ghost Adventures. Check this out:
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/6178554
Now formulate your own opinion, LOL
Adendum:
I was curious to see if I was spelling the name of Byberry correctly and felt compelled to do some research on the place. I will continue the actual facts on this asylum in my next post but interestingly found much information on the place we stared upon in the wee hours of the night without exiting our car. Eerie doesn't begin to describe the misery of this place. It has since been demolished in 2006 yet still haunts my mind.
Some photos and additional links:
http://www.oboylephoto.com/byberry/
Some additional photos.
Hey D ~
ReplyDeleteSometimes things from our past have a way of spooking us. That place should have been demolished well before 06'. At a quick glance the top picture looks more like a winter getaway nestled into a wintery landscape until you read about the horror that took place there. I can only imagine how many lost souls still reside within the dark gloomy walls.
I'm almost certain if back in the 60's my parents knew of the joint they'd have done a drive by and tossed me from a moving vehicle onto the grounds.... sorta kidding:)
I've watched an episode or 2 of the Ghost Hunters. They're not quite as good as Bill Murray in Ghost Busters. It's hard to find experienced spectre chasers these days. Who ya gonna call? It is weird though that we both knew of the place. My husband was looking up Pine Barrons today too. Wants to go jeeping in there on the trails...
Sure, Jacke. When we get together we should make a point to head on down to Batsto(as you know my personal favorite) and the Pine Barrens home of the elusive 13th son aka Jersey Devil:) I'm game.
ReplyDeleteYou know? I think I need to watch Blair Witch Project again but that will be after I watch Paranormal. Haven't seen that one as yet.
And I have to agree about that first pic of Byberry. The research turned up some info that a rock radio station used that building three years in a row for its Halloween Haunted house celebration. Did you ever take advantage of that? I know you went there one Halloween with your daughter.
Thanks for dropping by. I knew you'd find this one interesting.
D~
I watched Paranormal a few weeks ago. The movie didnt really scare me but... I had wicked nightmares for the next 2 nights. IDK. Ive never seen Blair witch!
ReplyDeleteHi Dayana!
ReplyDeleteI love chatting about ghosts! It's one of my favorite topics. And, yes, Zak can be overly dramatic, but I do enjoy watching Ghost Adventures, too. Though the TAPS Ghost Hunters, with Jason and Grant, are still my favorite. Since I'm so fascinated with the topic of ghosts, I'll read or watch anything concerning the subject. I've never heard of Byberry. I'll have to check that out.
Tricia
Hi, Tricia! Thanks for dropping in. I'm going to make a point of looking into more Paranormal informational shows and reality adventure stuff on the History and Travel Channels. I love all paranormal.
ReplyDeleteI found an excellent site regarding Byberry of which I will post more info and the link this week. The history is very grim indeed. It's no wonder so many have been drawn to it and places like it. Definitely haunted if just in its dark history.
Jacke,
Blaire Witch is very eerie. I loved it. It gave me the creeps. The second one wasn't so good but do yourself a favor and watch it. Let me know what you think. Another one is Mothman. Another legend/true tale that became a movie.
D~
I'll check out both moviesand get back to you. Looking forward to seeing what you can dig up on Byberry. Love hearing of the history of places like that. It's one time we really should learn from our mistakes.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week.
Great post!
ReplyDeleteDoes it count if I once lived in a haunted house. (No, really.....)
Maybe that's part of the reason why I've been attracted to the paranormal.
Take care,
June
P. June Diehl
HEY Day!
ReplyDeleteI love Ghost Stories! Have a few to tell myself. My nephew used to love when I came over his house and told ghost stories. Real ones! I think to this day he still remembers how scared and creeped out I made him.
I tried it on his lil bro, but his mom said, "He can't sleep anymore in the dark!" lol
Well for crying out loud, don't let him sleep in the DARK! AAAA!
Just had to peek in here on one of my favorite authors! Ghosts! Woohoo!
Maybe you were there in one of your previous lives?
ReplyDeleteHi, June, Joni, and Mary! By all means, please share your ghost stories.
ReplyDeleteI love 'real' ghost stories. I've grown up with them. Had relatives that had 'real' ghosts annoying as well testing them:) and thrived on the stories of others always. I love paranormal stories of all kind, real, legend, lore, so please share. Let's stay on this subject.
Looking forward to hearing your experiences.
I grew up in Baltimore city. My mothers first apartment was a three story dwelling that her father owned. She lived on the second floor and a friend lived on the first.
ReplyDeleteIf you’ve ever seen rowhomes towering above you, they have an eeriness all by themselves.
The apartment had a long narrow hallway, one door to the right as you entered, another door perched at the bottom of the stairs. Always dimly lit, old creaky plank wood floors with aged linoleum, and a musty scent hovering throughout. Mother came home one evening to find her friend had left her door open to the apartment. The one door when you first entered, ‘the hallway’.
Thinking it odd, Mother glanced in and saw sheer curtains blowing, over the bed. “That’s odd.” she thought. Hurriedly she went upstairs. Gooseflesh had overcome her whole body.
Later when her friend came home my mother approached her, “Mary you can’t go leaving that door open, that’s dangerous.” Mary said, “My door wasn’t left open.”
They both walked down the hallway, mother pointing to the door that was open and Mary replied, “Well I know THAT door wasn’t left open, I have a dresser in front of that door, it never gets opened.”
They both went into the apartment and to my mother’s amazement, a dresser sat tight against the door.
Come to find out, the house had been a Funeral Parlor before my grandfather had bought it. A little house sat directly behind the big house and that was the embalming house. Flash forward to 1983...this was my first apartment too. On the second floor, always passing in the dimly lit hallway, the DOOR!
Eerie, Joni. I have second cousin who lived in what was known as a haunted house. They would hear doors slamming and footsteps in the attic, etc. The curtains would move sans wind or disturbance.
ReplyDeleteWell the husband went to investigate the attic one night and found footsteps in the dust but the weirdest part of it was that they faced opposite directions!
This is one of the stories I was told growing up. LOL
I lived in a 'haunted' house growing up. Footsteps could always be heard in the rooms above, when there wasn't a soul in the house but me. I thought it was my neighbors since row homes stand next to each other.
ReplyDeleteBut an elderly lady lived next door on one side and I know she didn't take tango lessons! lol And on the other side, the back part of my house was not connected to the neighbors.
Researching the history of the house, it was a Colonel's house and the area was a war zone in 1812. Fort McHenry? Well many of the streets and houses were for wounded soldiers, grave sites for the deceased (no headstones in those days) and many homes were shelters. The history made it clear that something eerie was alive in MANY of the houses in the South Baltimore area.
Too many stories to tell here. But thanks for the trip down memory lane.
I need to write. lol
Joni