For many years now, people working in Southampton’s Rogers Mansion have noticed creepy activity: footsteps in empty halls, shadowy figures, and ghostly presences. Last October, Southampton History Museum, who occupies the mansion, called in Long Island Paranormal Investigators (LIPI) to investigate further. LIPI investigators along with 20 guests spent from 9PM to 1AM at the mansion, and after reviewing all the evidence they gathered and talking to attendees, they have concluded that the mansion is definitely haunted.
Tonight, LIPI personnel will be back at the mansion testing further, this time without any guests. In the future, though, guests may be able to attend investigations. We here at Behind the Hedges pride ourselves on being rational, logical, skeptical people, but given the evidence LIPI was able to gather, we’re dying to attend one of these sessions!
In an audio clip capture, what paranormal researchers call Electronic Voice Phenomena or EVPs, below, Connor Flanagan, Director of Education for Southampton History, is talking. He says, “Were you part of the Parrish family?” If you turn up your volume as much as you can and listen carefully, you can hear a ghostly voice reply, “No.”
Credit: Long Island Paranormal Investigations
Next, hear Shannon Collins, one of LIPI’s investigators, ask the spirit if it was upset they were in their house. Answer: yes.
Credit: Long Island Paranormal Investigations
Below, Connor is explaining some history of the house where a spirit voice says around the 15 second mark, “Can I hurt ya?”
Credit: Long Island Paranormal Investigations
Finally, two LIPI investigators, Tom O’Connell and Will Fox, were recording in the basement. Tom says, “If you want us to leave, make a loud noise and we will leave.” Then a lightbulb smashes. (Language a little NSFW after that, but who can blame them?)
Credit: Long Island Paranormal Investigations
After that, Tom and Will went to find Connor, and no one could explain why the light bulb would break as part of an accident. No one and nothing was near it. The people in the basement felt “a strange energy in the air” as if someone was moving around frantically and Connor felt someone grab his hand–but no one was there.
We asked Connor, “Are you nervous or intrigued about the findings? And did something really grab your hand?” He says, “I would say it’s like half nervous, half intriguing. I’ve always loved the idea of ghosts and the paranormal and love watching shows like Ghost Adventures, but I do consider myself to be more skeptical than anything. Working at the museum for the three years prior to that night, I had some creepy moments but never really attributed it to anything. But the experiences I had that night and then later hearing the EVPs really have been shocking. The whole grabbing of my hand thing is still really weird for me and was quick and sudden. I say it happened because I believe it did, but now with some time removed it could have been my brain playing tricks on me. So I am excited to do more investigations, so I can have it happen again.”
Wow! This is fascinating. Please make sure to check out Southampton History’s page on the ghost hunt for even more EVPs and take a look at Long Island Paranormal Investigations as well. And stay tuned.
