On July 16th, SRI Members investigated the former Williamson Hospital, now known as the Old Hospital on College Hill. A relative newcomer to the field of paranormal investigations, the hospital had only been open to the public for a few months before our visit, and had only been visited by a few investigation groups. Therefore, when the opportunity popped up, we jumped at the chance.
Theresa, James, Kaysee, Bree, and myself visited the facility in the early afternoon. We were met by the owners, and it was decided that at 6:00 we would open the doors and proceed inside. Given a few hours of time, it was decided that our members would visit the supposedly haunted Dingess Tunnel. This mile long tunnel dating back to 1892 was he result of the of a necessary Norfolk and Western railroad between Lenore and Wayne. The tunnel, supposedly, is haunted as the result of a a series of train wrecks in the late 1800s and early 1900s that led to the deaths of at least 10 people.
While no hauntings were observed, and traffic had to be carefully avoided, this marked a very interesting beginning to our time in Williamson. After a relatively short visit, SRI members disembarked to return to the OHCH. Upon returning, we met with owners Tonya Webb and Charles Hatfield, and took a walking tour of the complex.
Almost immediately, upon entering the facility, one is struck by the fact that it is smaller inside than it appears outside. That being said, it is also striking that so much equipment seems to still be present from the operational days of the hospital. The facility which opened on March 3rd, 1928 served the local region for 93 years. In its time in service, the facility saw all manner of emergency, from gun battles to mine accidents and pretty much everything in between.
As our tour of the facility wrapped up after discussions of various paranormal experiences around the complex, and we locked the doors and began to prepare our equipment, almost immediately things began to happen. James and I, during a walk through of the basement level and children's area, heard an older gentleman speaking LOUDLY from the back maintenance area, though it was unsure what was said. Immediately, we looked for a possible explanation, like the girls who were on the fourth floor. Sound traveling down the elevator shaft, for instance. However, we were unable to replicate this.
As the evening went on, our experiences got even more interesting. Disembodied voices with no explanation. Observable shadowy figures moving in doorways. Loud sounds of doors closing in areas of the complex away from the team. A woman humming going up the stairs from the staging area on the second floor. At one point, on the fourth floor, the team seemed to be rushed by some form of dark entity in the pharmacy that, even in almost zero light, appeared to show its face around a doorway before disappearing.
It became evident that the Old Hospital on College Hill was not about to disappoint, and unique experiences occured throughout the evening on one of the most active investigations I have ever been a part of. That said, most of our experiences were unable to be documented, and as lead investigator I feel as though I should have done a better job at setting up and distributing equipment to try and capture some of our experiences. I feel as though the sheer excitement of so much activity at an early point got that better of me, and I lost my focus on making sure to do our due diligence in our investigation!
On October 14th, SRI will be revisiting the Old Hospital on College Hill. I hope to get a chance to rectify this! Stay tuned!
- Brian Clary - Founder and Lead Investigator