Date: 8/27/98
Time: Began about 8 P.M., lasted until nearly 11:00 P.M.
Location: The Bolton Mansion, Levittown, PA
Equipment: Canon Sure Shot 60zoom camera with Kodak Gold 800 MAX Film, EPD Raynger ST4L Infrared Thermometer
Weather: It was a warm, humid night - about 82 degrees. A breeze appeared as the night went on.
History: The Bolton Mansion is one of the older historic mansions in the area, having been first occupied by a close friend of William Penn. The building is currently undergoing restoration, so that there are few furnishings, and the upstairs is basically bare of everything. There have been many hauntings associated with the mansion, the most famous of which involves the ghost of Mary who can sometimes be seen running across the lawn. A previous investigation (1971) apparently had positive results as pictures taken here showed several anomalies, including a male and female figure on the staircase.
Those Present: Andy K., Sharon and Lew G., Danny and Nancy S., Kenny and Donna B., Bob and Ilene R., Debbie D., Joani S., Damarys L., Barb, and Jen J.
Report: The mansion is very impressive from the outside and you can sense the history almost immediately. After listening to some background information from our host, we walked around to a side door where we entered a kitchen. I chose to wait outside until the crowd spread out a bit.
I must say two things immediately - During our entire visit, I never registered any dramatic temperature changes with my scanner, so I will not include temperature information in the report. Second, I never received any real strong impressions in the house. I did sense something, but it always seemed kind of distant and I had difficulty "tuning in" to it.
I began my exploration at the front of the house. I had no impressions in any of the three front rooms on the first floor. After exploring a bit, I came upon Lew who told me that he had seen some movement with his night vision scope in the very back room of the house - a small, dark, kitchen. He led me back to the room. I entered and found myself becoming nervous, but I believe it was because of the extreme darkness in the room. A great deal happened in this room during the investigation, and I would return to it later.
I next went into the first small basement in the back of the house. I felt nothing in this basement.
After emerging from the basement and again walking around the first floor, another member (I don't remember who it was) told me that people were experiencing a lot of activity in the main basement at the front of the house. It was in this basement that I got my strongest feelings and experienced the most activity. It was crowded when I first went down. I made my way to the portion of the basement that was unfinished. In here I definitely sensed something, but again I did not get a clear impression. In the other half of the basement (the finished section), I did get a slight chill near a small enclosed room (ice room?). Later, when standing near a post, I felt like something brushed against my neck. I would later learn that another member, Danny S., had experienced a great deal in this basement - he associated it with a little girl ghost whose hand another member (Kenny) saw in Danny's hand with the night vision scope.
After leaving the basement I was joined by Joanie S. and Sharon G. and I followed them upstairs. I wandered the bare rooms while they checked out their tape recorder which mysteriously died (it would work fine later). They returned downstairs to get new batteries. While I was upstairs, I did not get any strong impressions. I walked down to the first small landing of the staircase and sat on a window ledge where I could see clearly upstairs into the front room. While I was sitting here, and while all other members were downstairs, I thought I saw movement in the upstairs room several times. I heard someone asking about me downstairs and someone else replied that they could hear me upstairs. They could not have heard me since I was not walking around and had not moved for about five minutes. I believe that what they heard may have coincided with what I thought I was seeing.
After Joani and Sharon returned upstairs, we went back downstairs and I joined Joani for an investigation of that small kitchen again. The door was closed because someone was taping in there. We went inside and closed the door behind us - it was very dark. Joani began moving towards the far corner and came running back because something brushed her arm. We stayed here for a short while, but I did not get any strong impressions. Shortly after we left, someone reported that the tape recorders in that room had had their wires tangled - I can guarantee that we did not do this.
Joani and I investigated the small middle basement - I did not feel anything. It was shortly after this that it was suggested that we take up different positions around the house and then shut out all of the lights. I chose to go into the basement along with three other members (Joani S., Danny S. and Kenny B.). Joani and I sat out in the finished section near the small enclosed room and the other two members went into the unfinished section. When the lights went out it was completely black in the basement. Danny immediately began to have contact with the little girl ghost. At one point I saw a small orange light circling around to my left and shortly after I saw a bluish light near where Danny was located. Joani verified that she also saw these lights and the guys verified that they were not using any equipment that might make such a light. Shortly afterwards, I got a very cold chill-this lasted only about ten seconds. I also felt that something brushed my back. I must also say that several times we detected a very strong odor in the basement (I am not sure how to describe it) that seemed to come and go. Just before the lights were turned back on, Joani and I heard a moan coming from the area behind me and to my right - no one from our group was back there. After the lights went back on, the investigation ended.
Impressions: There certainly seems to be activity at the Bolton Mansion and another investigation would seem to be a good idea. As I stated, I never got a clear impression of what I was feeling in different places of the house, but I believe that this was because I usually get my strongest impressions when I am alone or in a small group. The basement seems to be very active, and I also believe that the upstairs is active but that the spirits here may be shy (they seemed to be active when no one was wandering around up there). The back kitchen may also be a very active location.
Andy K.
8/30/98