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We were honored to have been invited by our sister group, North Jersey Paranormal Research, to investigate the astounding Hainesburg Mansion in Columbia, NJ. As impressive as the mansion looks in this picture, it can not adequately capture the opulence of this masterpiece! Can you tell that we were more than a little impressed with this building? SJPR members decided to make a weekend out of this investigation, so we returned for more ghost hunting the next night. You can check out the evidence from the second investigation here.
The home was built in 1820 by the wealthy Joseph Andress, who spared no expense in its creation. Having no family of his own, Joseph's siblings and their families lived here with him - after all, there was room in the mansion for everyone! One of his siblings, Jacob, lived in the mansion with his wife Minerva and their son, Gilbert, who was sickly from birth. Rope elevators were installed in the mansion, making it easy to move the wheelchair-bound Gilbert throughout the floors. Gilbert died just 3 days shy of his 9th birthday. He is buried a quarter mile up the road from the mansion, his grave adorned with a tall monument that bears a bronze cast of his likeness. His parents are interred there, as well. It is said that he still visits the house.
On the grounds there once stood servants quarters, a luxury of the times, but the structures succumbed to fire in the 20th Century. Over the years, the mansion changed hands and began to fall into disarray. During the 1970s, the building was converted to a rock club, which by all accounts, drew an unsavory element into the neighborhood. After the club was shut down, the house took a sharp decline and was left to vandals and vagrants. Thankfully, in 1983, the mansion was restored to her former glory and was used as a time as a restaurant. At the time of our investigation, the mansion was the Somewhere In Time antique and gift shop. We thank the owner for allowing us unbridled access to the mansion.
We invite you to sit back and enjoy our findings, a small sampling we offer here. We will also have a page posted of our "road trip" shortly, so check back often!
-Click on a photo for a larger image-
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Here are the members of both SJPR and NJPR who attended this
investigation.
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While the team was engaging in imagery, Investigator Thornton (SJPR) captured this large, dense orb over the head of Investigator Rogers (NJPR). |
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Investigator Johnson (NJPR) took this picture of Investigator Bove' (SJPR) when she came across a picture of a young girl hanging in the house. Bove' had a strong reaction to the photo, as she had just encountered the girl moments before. |
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This is the picture of the girl that was hanging in the mansion. There is a fascinating, almost unbelievable story about Bove's encounter with the girl and her picture. Read the story in our SJPR Interactive Pages. |
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Investigator K. Groff (SJPR) took this picture when she felt the strong presence of a young girl. |
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This third-floor photo, taken randomly by Investigator Rogers (NJPR), shows a lone orb. |
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Investigator Large (NJPR) caught this spirit energy in an area of the house that proved to be very active during both nights of investigating. |
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As Investigator C. Groff (SJPR, pictured) was feeling the presence of a spirit nearby, Investigator Halpin (SJPR) took this picture showing energy near him. |
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While Investigator C. Groff (SJPR) was still feeling a presence nearby, Investigator Bove' took this picture showing orbs over his head. Note the floor-to-ceiling windows, which are found throughout the mansion. Although not clearly visible in the picture, every piece of wood in the house is adorned with an intricate, hand-carved design. |
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While Investigator Thornton (SJPR) video taped, Investigator K. Groff (SJPR) captured this spirit energy in a third floor bedroom. |
This is an amazing, interactive EVP recorded by Investigator K. Groff (SJPR)! While Groff and another investigator were examining and marveling at the mansion's hand-carved woodwork, her recorder picked up this sarcastic female saying, "Look at this one staring at the wood." Truly amazing! Listen
Investigator K. Groff (SJPR) was alone in the second floor master bedroom when she recorded this rather freaky EVP! You will hear a female spirit say, "That's Kelly," followed by a second female saying, "Hi, Kelly." It should be mentioned that investigator Groff's first name is Kelly. Listen
While sitting in the turret on the first floor, Investigators C. Groff (SJPR) and Bove' (SJPR) were noticing a cold spot between them. It was at this time Investigator Bove' recorded this loud, male voice saying, "The temperatures!" Listen
During Investigator Bove's (SJPR) intense discovery of the girl's picture, Investigator Halpin (SJPR) captured what we believe to be the young girl saying, "Hear me talk." Listen
While investigating the third floor, Investigator K. Groff (SJPR) captured this very loud, clear voice saying, "Hi, Butch!" There was no one named Butch on the investigation. Listen carefully and you'll also hear a second male voice, possibly speaking with a British accent. We're undecided about what the second spirit is saying, but the last word is clearly "pocket." Listen
This recording was also captured on the third floor by Investigator K. Groff (SJPR). The voice sounds like a young male as he says, "Hit me!" Listen
During our two nights at the mansion, Investigator C. Groff (SJPR) felt very uncomfortable and felt that there were spirits that did not want him there. The overall team actually gathered EVP evidence to support his feelings, including this one captured by Investigator Bove' (SJPR). Investigator Groff stated aloud that he was taking a picture in Investigator Bove's direction when this male voice scowls, "Don't flash at her!" Listen
When breaking down equipment to begin a break, Investigator Bove' (SJPR) thought she had lost her ring and you'll hear her say, "Where's my ring? Oh," (she had found it). A male voice then offers, "You brought it to your hands." Listen
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VIDEO EVIDENCE
Investigator Johnson (NJPR) captured this large orb on the third floor as it flew directly at him from one of the bedrooms. View
In another video clip by Investigator Johnson (NJPR), what as a very bright orb appears to come out of Investigator C. Groff's (SJPR) hand and fly off. View
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