Late October, Child comes to play?

We had just finished an interview with Chad Coffee from Fox 21 News and we sent them off to explore the castle and film more footage.  We were dressed out in our Victorian costumes for the shoot. A fellow historian had come by and we decided to sit down in the Music room. I had become so accustomed to feeling little “unseen” hands that would touch my arm during our tours. It was  if to let me know “they” were around and didn’t want to frighten me.  All of a sudden I felt that sensation on my right arm.  Then I felt my ringlets of hair being touched. I stopped talking. Erick was surprised to see the ringlets being lifted. Then I could feel my hair being touched underneath my hat! I wasn’t scared because “they” seemed to be very careful and knew I would be okay with the playing. We liked dressing in our costumes because the ghosts seem to be less afraid of us and obviously knew they could approach us.                                                                       Tammila

10/31/09 The Loveable Hitch Hiker

On Saturday, October 31, 2009, my boyfriend and myself took the 1 p.m. tour.  At one point Erick took the tour group to the second floor.   Our first stop was Cara’s room.  While standing in the corner of the room facing the fireplace and listening to the tour guide tell the story of the footprints, I felt a tiny arm go around my thigh just above my knee.  It reminded me of when my daughter used to stand behind me and peek around my leg.  Looking down, there was no one there.  I wasn’t frightened.  Instead, I felt strangely warmed by the gesture.  Later, I was talking to my boyfriend and wondered why the spirit chose me.  It dawned on me that Cara had red hair.  I have red hair as well.  Melissa

10/29/09 The Butler Did It!

My 83 year old mother's experience as we ate dinner in the Briarhurst library the evening of Oct. 29^th was of a young gentleman dressed in old style black butler attire who appeared very busy as he enterer and exited through the brick walls every few minutes during our meal.                     Anonymous

*Upon our phone discussion with this person and investigating the area inside Briarhurst that is being mentioned here, is an area that is now sealed off that used to be the butlers service door to the Bells’ dining room. This is an area that we have not previously discussed with the public.

07/25/09 Things that crawl up your spine?

 I went to the Briarhurst on August 1, 2009. When I was in the prayer room I felt fingers crawling up my back and there was no one behind me. James S.

07/25/09 Things That Go Bump In The Day?

I took the 1:00 tour on July 25, 2009.  While we were in the Master Bedroom I felt something bump into my purse which was hung over my shoulder.  I looked around and saw that there was no one behind me, I was at the back of the group.  I figured that I must have bumped into the table or chair I was standing next to while shifting my weight from one leg to the other.  I tried to recreate the bump I felt by shifting my weight and swaying back and forth.  I found that I was too far away from both the table and chair to make my purse bump into either of them.  I have no explanation for the bump I felt.

 Cheryl

07/18/09 Lady Waiting In Bedroom 

I was standing outside the Castle waiting to take the 11:00am tour when I looked up at the second story window on the south side, and saw what appeared to be a very small woman in victorian clothes looking out the window. This occured 3 times within a 10 minute time span. I thought it was one of the tour guides. Then allof a sudden Tammila appeared to give the tour wearing a completely different victorian dress. She did not have time to change between the sighting and appearing outside to give the tour. Jennifer

07/11/09 Baby Attraction.

During the 11:00am tour, we had 2 guests (ladies) and a 8 week old baby. During the tour at 4 different times the baby leaned forward and sideways as if trying to see and touch something, then the mother jumed straight up. This occurred in the music room, master bedroom, Cara's room, and the Palmer room. When asked why she jumped, she responded as though something electrical and ice cold had touched her twards where the baby was reaching at.

07/04/09 Naughty Child.

During this tour, the guides were in the master bedroom with a group of 8 guests looking into Cara's Sitting Room. At this moment, all 10 people witnessed a sound of a thud and a tablecloth flipping into the air. The group moved into Cara's room to find out what this occurrence was. At this point the group noticed one of the Castle owners standing in the opposite doorway and had heard and seen the same thing. One of the guides asked the owner where the child went to that was under the table, the owner responded by there was not any person in this room nor anyone who moved passed in the doorway. Erick

04/25/09 Library Visitor. 

I went on the 1 o'clock tour on 4/25/09. I had 2 paranormal experiences while I was on this tour.

As soon as the tour had started my left arm got extremely cold right above my elbow, like someone with very cold hands was holding onto me. Throughout the tour it would occasionally warm up. When we walked into Cara's prayer room I got extreme goose bumps while I was standing in front of the fireplace, that didn't dissipate until we left the room. My aunt was witness to the goose bumps and she also got a weird feeling headache while she was standing in front of the fireplace as well.

 My second account was when we were had entered the library. I was walking down the step in front of the obituary when I felt someone tug on my arm as to get my attention. When I turned around to see who it was, the only person standing behind me was my aunt who was clearly out of reach of grabbing onto me. When I asked her if she had touched me she told me no.

There was another minor account after the tour when my 2 aunts and myself were standing outside the library talking with our lovely tour guides. This experience was shared with Tammila.

02/14/09  Valentines Day Sitting Room: Briarhurst Manor is this beautiful Victorian mansion, and it's going to be featured on an upcoming episode of Ghost Hunters. I don't know if they found anything, but I did notice that they are now offering haunted tours so I am going to guess they did.

My husband and I were in the pink room upstairs. We were sitting at the table by the window having dinner by ourselves. About halfway through dinner I thought I had caught my hair on something and really yanked it. We were just sitting there and suddenly my hair was pulled really quite hard. In fact I let out an audible "ouch." My hair is down to my waist.  I looked to see if there was something it caught on, and I couldn't find anything.  I ran my hand along the back of the chair and it was smooth. 

I was wearing a velvet dress that didn't have a zipper or buttons or anything.  I am afraid that's all there is to the story.  My husband was teasing me that it was the ghost.  I honestly don't know what pulled it so hard.  I suppose it could have been a ghost. 

By Kelly. D

Yes, Kelly, we went and attacked the chair you were sitting in and couldn't find any problem with the chair. I am really excited about this because I just had complained to a tour that day that I had no accounts in that room. The Pink Room was Cara Bell's sitting room, off the Master Bedroom. She would have "let her hair down" as the women of the day would of worn the hair up in a tight bun and relaxed in this room. Thanks, Tammila

12/30/08 Ghost, Angel, God?: I am seventeen years old and I went to the Briarhurst for dinner with my family last night on December 26, 2008. We ate dinner peacefully and then decided to walk around the house after we finished. My dad loves taking pictures, so he is rarely in the pictures. I decided to take a picture of my mom and dad on the landing of the big staircase. In the second picture though, we saw the craziest thing! It looks like a ghost or God to the right of my dad. I couldn't believe it, but we had a feeling something strange would happen. My mom is convinced that she "felt a presence" when we were walking around upstairs. It is interesting because we saw a picture of a ghost in that same spot on another website. Also, my mom in convinced she heard music playing somewhere...I am not sure about that though. Anyway, we are Catholic so we believe in God and so I am not sure if we think it looks like Virgin Mary or a ghost of some sort. It's weird because there is a golden glow to the left of my mom in the picture too. I thought you might find this interesting. Chelsea 

*Click Here to see the photos and commentary.

 11/13/08 

Guardian of the Garden: 

My ex-step father lived there in the early 60’s; he was around 15, at the time when Vida Ellison still owned the property. She would store contents of Mesa Verde on the property to keep them from being displayed, especially mummies (The basket type burials). Well, my step-dad would have to "patrol" the vast gardens late at night to make sure no one was having a party or trespassing. Every once in a while, he would run into a glowing white lady with flowing white/grey hair with a skeleton face. It even called him by name!! Tammila

 

11/6/08 Ghost Snowy Footprints: 

In the late 60's, I had the opportunity to stay at Briarhurst. During those stays, there were several events that occurred that had a profound effect on my life and beliefs.

     One of the first happened one afternoon, while I was sitting in the kitchen, with my friend and her mother. We heard the back door open and close. We all assumed it was my friend's father coming in. When the mother called out to him, there was no reply. She opened the door to the back stairway and saw snowy footprints going up the stairs. She again called for her husband. We then all went up stairs. He went up the back staircase and my friend and I went up the main staircase in the front. There was no one there anywhere.

     On two different occasions, we heard horses galloping on the grounds. When her father searched, there was no horses, or breaks in the fence where they could get in or out.  There were many experiences, such as the sound of whispering, music playing faintly in the library, and an extremely cold room at the end of one of the upstairs’ halls.

  I became so uncomfortable and frightened in the house that I could no longer go back. For probably 15 years, I had nightmares about the house. As an older adult, I would love to go back and confront the house. As a young teenager, it frightened me.  Now, I just would like to have answers. 

Deana Adams

 11/7/08 Grand Staircase Visitor: I don't know if you are still compiling stories, but I was a server at the Briarhurst for 2 years. From 2005-2007 I don't believe in ghost at all but one night I was walking towards the stairs and the manager had turned off the lights. I looked up as it was all of the sudden very cold and there was a small grey flash going up the stairs.

     On another occasion, another server and I went into the attic to look around and (prove) it wasn't haunted. We went up the stairs and turned to the left and kept walking back to a small door. We opened it to look inside- as soon as we opened the door, a freezing burst of wind came out at us and it was total darkness in the room. We freaked out and ran back downstairs.  Anonymous

10/19/08 The Hidden Chimes: During a time of renovation in the very early 1970's, workers would run out of the building due to hearing chimes in the basement and on the third floor. Upon looking for these chimes none were ever found. Carl

12/30/08 Ghost, Angel, God?: I am seventeen years old and I went to the Briarhurst for dinner with my family last night on December 26, 2008. We ate dinner peacefully and then decided to walk around the house after we finished. My dad loves taking pictures, so he is rarely in the pictures. I decided to take a picture of my mom and dad on the landing of the big staircase. In the second picture though, we saw the craziest thing! It looks like a ghost or God to the right of my dad. I couldn't believe it, but we had a feeling something strange would happen. My mom is convinced that she "felt a presence" when we were walking around upstairs. It is interesting because we saw a picture of a ghost in that same spot on another website. Also, my mom in convinced she heard music playing somewhere...I am not sure about that though. Anyway, we are Catholic so we believe in God and so I am not sure if we think it looks like Virgin Mary or a ghost of some sort. It's weird because there is a golden glow to the left of my mom in the picture too. I thought you might find this interesting. Chelsea 

*Click Here to see the photos and commentary.

 

 11/6/08 Ghost Snowy Footprints:  In the late 60's, I had the opportunity to stay at Briarhurst. During those stays, there was several events that occured that had a profound effect on my life and beliefs.

     One of the first, happened one afternoon, while I was sitting in the kitchen, with my friend and her mother. We heard the back door open and close. We all assumed it was my friend's father coming in. When the mother called out to him, there was no reply. She opened the door to the back stairway and saw snowy footprints going up the stairs. She again called for her husband. We then all went up stairs. He went up the back staircase and my friend and I went up the main staircase in the front. There was no one there anywhere.

     On two different occasions, we heard horses galloping on the grounds. When her father searched, there was no horses, or breaks in the fence where they could get in or out.  There was many experiances, such as the sound of whispering, music playing faintly in the library, and an extremely cold room at the end of one of the upstair halls.

     I became so uncomfortable and frightened in the house that I could no longer go back. For probably 15 years, I had nightmares about the house. As an older adult, I would love to go back and comfront the house. As a young teenager, it frightened me.  Now, I just would like to have answers. 

Deana Adams

 10/9/08 Physical Attraction:  I was standing in the door to the office. I felt a tug on my arm, then I was pulled in a down the hall as though a child that was really excited by something wanted to show off something  Erick

 

*Click Here to see the photos and commentary.

 

 11/6/08 Ghost Snowy Footprints:  In the late 60's, I had the opportunity to stay at Briarhurst. During those stays, there was several events that occured that had a profound effect on my life and beliefs.

     One of the first, happened one afternoon, while I was sitting in the kitchen, with my friend and her mother. We heard the back door open and close. We all assumed it was my friend's father coming in. When the mother called out to him, there was no reply. She opened the door to the back stairway and saw snowy footprints going up the stairs. She again called for her husband. We then all went up stairs. He went up the back staircase and my friend and I went up the main staircase in the front. There was no one there anywhere.

     On two different occasions, we heard horses galloping on the grounds. When her father searched, there was no horses, or breaks in the fence where they could get in or out.  There was many experiances, such as the sound of whispering, music playing faintly in the library, and an extremely cold room at the end of one of the upstair halls.

     I became so uncomfortable and frightened in the house that I could no longer go back. For probably 15 years, I had nightmares about the house. As an older adult, I would love to go back and comfront the house. As a young teenager, it frightened me.  Now, I just would like to have answers. 

Deana Adams

 10/9/08 Physical Attraction:  I was standing in the door to the office. I felt a tug on my arm, then I was pulled in a down the hall as though a child that was really excited by something wanted to show off something  Erick

 

Coming Soon,As We Get The Following  Stories in Their Own Words:  Victorian Era Lady Diner, And Civil War Uniformed Officer in Mirror (could this be General Palmer?)

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The Briarhurst Manor?

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