Burlington County Prison Museum
History |
Jan 2006 |
Feb 2007 |
Aug 2007
The History
The Burlington County Prison Museum was completed in 1811 and operated through 1965. While it began as an example of modern prison reform, the facility was well out-of-date - especially in capacity - by the end of its active life. Despite its age, the prison appears today as it had when it opened, including a recreated, historically-accurate gallows outside. Many pieces, including the imposing front door pictured here, are original.
The prison is comprised of three floors in two wings. Each hall, including two pictured here, led to individual cells as well as large communal rooms for lesser offenders. Each wing was dedicated, at least in the beginning, to a particular category of prisoner - women, habitual offenders, etc. In the 1900's, however, the single cells gained bunk beds and the prison designed to house 40 contained around 100 convincts.
There are many things here to "provoke" a haunting. In addition to maintaining its original appearance, down to the gallows, the museum displays artifacts of prison life - drawings on the walls, an inmate's Bible, and even a piece of hangman's rope.
The prison surely cultivated a rich tapestry of emotions. Late-found faith is demonstrated in many of the remaining examples of "prison graphitti", drawn on the walls with the pencils inmates were allowed. Something in the setting lends an eerie quality to the normally hopeful words.
The clearest words in the first example are "Thou Shalt Not Steal!", the eighth Commandment, and "God So Loved The World", from John 3:16. The passage from the Gospel of John is a message of hope, that the faithful "should not perish but have eternal life." The second example contains the Roman numerals one through ten, another reference to the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, overlayed on a cross, a symbol of the New Testament.
Resting at the center of the prison's top floor, where the two wings meet, is the "dungeon". Initially used to house death row inmates, from 1908 on it was used instead as a punishment - solitary confinement. At least eight prisoners spent their last nights alive in this room and its said that at least one of them has visited it since - convicted and executed murderer Joel Clough.
The images here try to convey the feeling of being locked in solitary confinement. The window seems considerably higher than others in the prison, and smaller than most. An inmate in this room could see the sky but would be unable to see any activity around the prison. (In contrast, other cells have a view into the prison yard.) Once darkness fell, the prisoner would be left truly alone, with only his own thoughts and the sounds of the prison around him.
Theories on hauntings often include strong emotion, especially strong negative emotion (hatred, terror, despair). The setting of the prison, especially that of the "dungeon", seems conducive to such strong emotions and, thus, consistent with those theories.
The Experience
January 7, 2006
first visit
February 10, 2007
Joe, Michelle, and Shane spent the night at the museum. Michelle worked on the first floor with musuem director Marissa Bozarth, while Joe and Shane spent time in the basement, investigating recent reports of activity, as well as upstairs in the "dungeon". All members agreed that the prison felt very peaceful that night; there was no unusual activity.
In recent weeks, visitors had asked about anyone else being down in the basement with them, or, more frankly, if the museum is haunted. All of those visitors described a similar figure - a tall man in a uniform (work clothes or perhaps those of a guard) - and all in roughly the same area. There were not unusual experiences or recordings that night, but the similar accounts were compelling and we planned a return visit in hopes of seeing the figure ourselves.
February 17, 2007
Joe, Michelle, and Shane were joined by several potential members - Dale, Mark, Dawn, and Nick. Arranged as a training investigation, Joe took groups into the basement, while Michelle lead sessions on the second floor.
In the basement, members set up video recording equipment and observed the area, in hopes of spotting the figure that has been recently reported.
On the second floor, Michelle, Shane, and Dale, along with musuem director Marissa, attempted to record EVP outside the dungeon. During the course of recording, Shane suggested trying to get a response to knocking in addition to verbal questions. Initial attempts seemed to be answered, so the group continued to experiment with recording knock-and-response for around a half hour.
With the upstairs seeming more active, everyone gathered there to investigate the knocking. With investigators spread through the hallway and cells, we determined that most knocking was coming from the radiators and not consistently after requests for an answer. (Some requests were left unanswered; some knocks came unasked.) A few early knocks seemed to come from the cells rather than the radiators in the hall.
We were unable to reach consensus on-site. A review of all EVP recordings from this visit found nothing else unusual. Additionally, a review of past recordings from the same hallway found similar knocking. All of this considered, we have to assume that the knocking had a normal origin.
August 2007
During this visit, we entered a few rooms that are typically locked - those we haven't been inside before - and recorded this EVP.