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Mill Haunting

 

My husband works as a maintenance manager in an old mill building. The building was constructed in 1890. It has had many uses over the years from the textile industry to the production of fire engines and rifles. It is currently an educational facility. Just the age of the building makes it interesting but if you add the history, it is even more so. My husband had told me from the beginning that the building was haunted. Stories abound from others that work in the building.

The first experience my husband had was hearing the laughter of small girls. This was according to him at about 3am on a Monday morning. The building was empty except for my husband. He was in covering for a janitor that was on vacation. He was on the third floor of the building and was feeling uncomfortable for some reason. He had cleaned a set of bathrooms and was making his way to the nearby offices when he heard a giggle. He said his blood ran cold and he just stopped where he was. He paused and listened but heard nothing. He started to move again and once again he heard laughter. This time there were two distinct voices laughing. Both sounding like small children. At this point he decided to go to another part of the building until the sun came up.

Later that morning he returned to the area that seemed so frightening a short time earlier. Now in the warm early morning light it wasn't scary at all. He did notice that there were pictures along the wall near where he had heard the laughter. Two of these pictures caught his eye. The pictures, each 8x10 showed sister in victorian dress. While they were adults, the coincidence sent a shiver down his spine.

The next week when the janitor he was covering for returned to work, my husband asked if he had ever heard anything while working up there. "You mean my girls?" was the reply. The janitor said the building was really creepy at night but that nothing bad ever happened, so he didn't worry about it. He said that along with the laughter of little girls, there were certain doors that would slam even though they were already closed. Also there were seats in the auditorium which he would always find down, even though they should spring back like theater seats. It was always the same seats and it didn't matter if the room was used at all during the previous day or not. He showed me the seats and to this day I will find them down in the morning.

On and off over the years he has had to work third shift for different reasons. Each time he does there is an experience. He has himself heard doors he recently closed slam shut. He has heard muffled conversations only to find the area empty when he investigates. He has also discussed this with other employees and anyone who has spent time in the building alone off hours has something to share.

The first time I was with him at night when the building was empty we experienced something together. He had stopped because I needed to go to the bathroom and we were nearby so it was ideal. He also wanted to check an office for a leak as it was a rainy evening and he had had problems earlier with the space. We were inside this particular lab and while it was dry, there was something more upsetting going on. We stood in the space and he checked for a leak, we turned to leave and he paused. I followed his gaze to the bottom of the door. We could plainly see shadows moving outside the door by looking at the gap between the door and the floor. It wasn't just one or two, it was nearly constant. As if an large group of people were walking by. It subsided in just a few moments. We walked outside the lab and checked the entire floor. We were alone. We checked each floor and found no one else in the building, the parking lot was empty too.

Since then, nearly each time we are alone in the building we have some strange encounter. I will post more as time allows.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, dorenzotomas, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

MannPower (17 posts)
 
16 years ago (2008-05-21)
Hi there. So which Mill Building is this, exactly? I actually live in Manchester, just across the river off of Front Street, and have been wanting to be involved in a paranormal investigation for years. Though I'm a skeptic, I kind of want to have an experience I can't explain. I guess it's sort of like sky-diving for me.
dorenzotomas (1 stories) (3 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-08-20)
Lian,
It is a little spooky that you are in Hampshire. This mill is located in Manchester, New Hampshire. So named because it was modeled after your Manchester and eventually surpassed the original to become the largest textile manufacturer in the world for a short time.
D.
lian01 (3 stories) (65 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-08-20)
After reading both stories submitted about 'the mill', I DEFINATELY think you should do some kind of investigation. Even if you just have a 'staff sleepover' like you mentioned, and take some pictures or videos.
If I lived in New Hampshire, or even anywhere near, I'd investigate with you! But unfortunately, I live in England, but strangely I DO live in Hampshire... Oooh spooky...
Tanner (2 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-08-19)
I love this Though... I wouldn't love to be there... Hah, please keep us updated 😊
Abby (710 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-08-16)
Dear Doreen & Tom,

Whew, thanks for clearing that up so that we are now all on the same "old mill" page. I was starting to think there might be "old mill" doppelgangers. 😆

Please do keep us posted if there are any further ghostly occurrences or any takers of the brave, and hopefully experienced, who will do a true ghost hunting investigation.

Thank you for your stories and getting back to myself and others here too. It is always nice when authors return with comments or make two mills into one.

Not one or two, but-- A Milling Blessings,
--Abby

Martin: I'd answer that question about residual hauntings, based on my own personal experience, but since you didn't ask me and Shane will be on soon and I gotta' go eat something,--I will keep my big nose and two cents to myself. I can't help it's like being in a muscle car showroom and being allowed to pick one out! Now, that would be a residual haunting I could relive over and over again. 😆
KimSouthO (27 stories) (1960 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-08-16)
it would be fabulous if you could get an investigation of some sort at this mill. I would love to see and hear of the outcome of such an investigation.
dorenzotomas (1 stories) (3 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-08-16)
It is the same location as the other story. I shared this website with my husband and he wrote the other story. This is truly a creepy old place. It was the machine shop for the old Amoskeag Manufacturing Corp. It has seen everything from child labor to anthrax deaths. We have talked about having a 'sleep over' with interested employees. Many people have had experiences in the building.
Abby (710 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-08-16)
Dear Doreen,

I like your mill story. I also noted as Shane points out, your story is quite similar to Tom's story, "The Old Mill" complete with a slow leak. You are both from the U.S. State of New Hampshire too. Could Tom be your husband telling his own story and forgot to tell you he was submitting his own story? Could it be another person who also works at the same mill with your husband? All quite interesting, and either one or both mills would be fun to investigate.

Does this mill have a house near by or did it have one in the past if one does not exist now. Many times the owner and/or miller of the mill had a house built next to the mill. Maybe these young Victorian girls were the daughters of the owner and/or miller of the mill. This sounds like a residual haunting.

I appreciate your mill haunting story,--Abby
Shane (13 stories) (1258 posts)
 
17 years ago (2007-08-15)
Whoa cool, this sounds exactly like the same location as the other old mill story. Maybe you two need to get together and compare notes. Would be interesting to see What you both have experienced.
Thanks for sharing your story.

Peace, Love, and Luck be with you.

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