Merry Christmas and have a haunting new year...

 

 

The SPOOKS crew recently had the opportunity to visit an actual haunted, haunted house! The McCue Mansion or "Demon House" (www.demonhouse.com), as it's known, is located in Monongahela, Pennsylvania and has a long and unique history. At over 143 years old, it's seen it's share of tragedy, from murder to suicide and alleged disappearances.

The new owner welcomed us into his home and he and his business partner were gracious enough to give us a tour of the property and a behind the scenes look at the place while it's not a Halloween attraction. It was quite interesting to walk through the a "haunted house" that's now decorated for the Christmas holiday. We weren't sure if they loved Christmas or Halloween more (though, it was awesome to see the combination of the two). Oh, and almost forgot to mention that it was a bitter cold night so the Christmas decor was quite fitting for the evening.

This place is amazing. Being able to freely walk through the "haunt" was cool and creepy at the same time, especially after hearing tales of the house and what others have experienced. Out of respect for the owner, we are not going to be able to share some of the stories that we've been told -- but wow, they had some stories to tell! The darkness in the corners and the props lurking about made us jump quite a few times.

After talking with the guys for a pretty long time and finally getting the cameras set up, we got started on our investigation. Unfortunately, due to the insanely cold temperatures and the house not being fully heated, we didn't spend as much time there as we had planned to. Plus, it was even too cold for the spirits to come out to play with us. We did have some luck with the dowsing rods and had some activity on the KII in the basement area, but overall, it was a relatively quiet evening. You can check out some pictures from the investigation below. We are still in the process of reviewing video footage and will post it soon.

We're hoping to be able to return to the Demon House in the spring and have a full investigation of the house and the grounds.  

 

 

If you're in the western Pennsylvania area and you're looking for an awesome haunted house, be sure to check them out next October! Their actors are amazing and the atmosphere that they've created on the property is defrightful (delightful & frightful). Plus, no waiting in a long line -- roam the property, get warmed by the fire, or watch a scary movie on the big screen. These guys do it up right.

 

This photo was taken by Loralie around midnight. She recalls being in the room and clearly seeing the dark shadow in the corner. It wasn't a negative feeling at the time. You can see in the "zoomed and adjusted" version that it is over the chair, which you can see through. What was this darkness lurking in the corner?

 

 

The Devil's in the Church

The last thing that you'd expect to see in a church is the devil. But that's exactly what we've found! We will not mention the name of the church out of respect, but many of you may know where it is located.

Growing up, our mother (Autumn & Loralie) told us stories about the day she was at school and her other classmates went running into the church to see the devil in the marble. How it actually came about or what caused the impression is unknown to us, but seeing is believing.

Autumn had seen it many moons ago, but Loralie had not. One evening during the fish fry season the family just so happened to be at that particular church and discussing the stories that we were told. After dinner we ventured up to take a peek. Not knowing what to expect, Loralie didn't think much of it. People often say that they see things in the marble and it's comparable to someone saying they see a cloud that looks like a face. With a little eye-squinting you can sort of make something out, but that's not the case here. Loralie could not believe what she saw behind the chair...

Claysville Truck Stop

There's so much information for this investigation that we're still working on it. But in the mean time, here's a sneak peak of some footage from the hunt. We look forward to returning to this location again soon, hopefully, to continue to document some of the activity.

Link to video.

Old Allegheny County Jail

This one lies in our backyard, but is often overlooked. The old jail would be an awesome location for our group to investigate, but being a County office building now, we most likely won't ever be granted an opportunity (though we will ask).  One can only imagine the energy that is inside this building. We love investigating old jails and will soon be highlighting our adventures at the infamous West Virginia State Penitentiary.

The Allegheny County Courthouse and Old Jail

Exuding a gothic old world feel, this architectural marvel boasts soaring towers, turrets, spires, Syrian arches, as well as Byzantine and Romanesque details that helps distinguish Pittsburgh's famous skyline. It certainly seems like the perfect setting for a haunting. It's also the exact site of the Battle of Grant's Hill that took place during the French & Indian War. You can see the battle scenes depicted in five murals in the courthouse commissioned during the 1930s. In 1907, some of the city's most hardened criminals asked to be moved because they were being tormented by the ghost of a former inmate that committed suicide on the site. Their request was granted. Also, claims that a Mrs. Soffel, a former jail warden's wife is said to wander through the jail. She aided in the city's most famous jailbreak of the Biddle Brothers, helping her incarcerated lover on a short-lived escape. Both brothers were eventually killed in a shoot out. Mrs. Soffel served 19 months in prison for her crime and was abandoned by her husband and children, dying alone in 1910.

Historical information borrowed from this website.