Date: Wednesday, August 11, 1999
Time: Started around 8:30 PM and ended about 10:45-11:00 PM.
Location: Widow McCrea House, Frenchtown New Jersey
Equipment: Camera -- Cannon Snappy AF (Auto Focus) with the strap removed. Film -- Kodak Gold 400 speed. Tape Recorder -- Sony Portable Cassette Recorder with external microphone.
Weather: The outside temp was around 80-85* sky was clear with no rain, fog or haze. Inside temp was at 80*
History: All history on this location is pending. For more information, please visit the Widow McCrea website at www.frenchtown.com/widowmccrea
Those Present: Lew & Sharon G., and Rachel G.
Report: As we approached the house from the back, which is where the parking lot is located, I looked up at one of the second story windows. One in particular caught my attention. It was almost as if someone was standing there looking down on us but yet, no one was visibly there. I kept this feeling to myself.
Once inside, Burt, the owner, was very kind and seemed happy to meet us. The feeling was mutual. He informed us that the B&B was empty for the night and the only ones inside were himself, and who I assumed to be his wife Lynn, their dog and the three of us investigators. Burt also told us that we could have free rome of the place and that no rooms were off limits to us. This helps us a great deal and for that we were greatful.
Shortly after the introductions, we got started. All the while, Burt, Lynn and their dog stayed in their own section of the B&B which happens to be their own private residence.
Before we actually started investigating Rachel and I had to use the restroom. Burt had showed us where it was located just a few short moments ago. It had been directly at the top of the steps on the second floor. I made my way upstairs while Rachel and Lew finished getting their equipment together. As I reached the top of the stairs and was just about to enter the bathroom, I heard what sounded like someone shuffling around in the bedroom to my right (Taccamarigin room). I actually heard something moving in that room which was only about 4 feet from where I had been standing. I called out a "hello" but no one answered. I then walked over to the bedroom door and looked in. Immediatly I got the impression that someone was standing near the bed although no one was there. I shot off a few quick pictures and exited the room. I then went to use the restroom.
While I was using the restroom, Rachel must have come upstairs because I could hear her outside of the bathroom walking around in the hall. I opened the bathroom door and stepped out and found Rachel standing there waiting to get inside. She had asked me to wait for her until she was done. I did. I could tell something was up but didn't know what.
When Rachel came out of the bathroom she had asked me if I had a chance to enter any of the rooms yet. I told her no, not really. However, I did say that there was one room in particular that I had been interested in because I had heard someone shuffling around in there right before I had entered the bathroom. And, just as I said "the room I am talking about is (getting ready to show her)".....Rachel jumped right in and said that one, pointing to the room to the left of the bathroom, which would be the room on the right if you were facing the bathroom (she had been facing out of the bathroom and towards the steps, which would make the room to her left, of course).
Rachel said that as she stepped into that bedroom, while I was using the restroom, she felt as though she wasn't alone. She said she got the distinct impression that someone was in there. With the feeling being too strong, she exited the room to wait for someone else to enter it again with her. She did say that she took some pics.
After her short explanation of what happened to her, we entered that room once more. Again, I felt as though someone were standing near the bed but like before, no one was actually there. We flipped the lights on and searched around the room and found no one. I should also mention that Lew had been on the first floor this entire time. Rachel and I both took some pics and decided to check out the rest of the second floor.
There were two more bedrooms on the second floor and also there was an attic. We first made our way to the bedroom that was on the other side of the bathroom (Widow McCrea room). As soon as we entered, I could see that something was across the room, standing in the corner. One's first impression is that is was a person standing there. A very big person well over 6 feet tall. However, as our eyes adjusted to the dark we could see that it had been a coat hanger with some very heavy bed spreads hung over it. Shortly after, we headed for the attic.
Rachel and I opened the door to the attic and was met by a loud humming sound. I could see that there was a fan in the rafters of the attic and it had been on. This is where the sound was coming from. We immediatly knew that we could not record in this area. However we did make our way to the top of the stairs of the attic. We snapped off some pics from the top of the stairs and both Rachel and I agreed that we felt a little aprehensive about going any further. We also agreed that this feeling was probably due to the fact that we couldn't see a thing because we had been unable to find a light switch. Not wanting to trip and fall in the darkness, we then went back to the second floor.
As you come down out of the attic you run right into the next bedroom (Rittenhouse room). This room was the largest room of the three. Before we went into this room, I had decided that I wanted to place my recorder in the room in which I had heard the noise from earlier. I did this quickly and shut the bedroom door. We then entered the front bedroom by the attic and immediatly shot off some pics. However, we did not take the pics because we saw anything or got any impressions. We did this because we like to get some quick pics before the rooms get too disturbed by our being there.
Rachel and I decided to just sit there for a while to see if we could pick up any impressions and/or sightings. This did not happen. After about a half hour we decided that we would leave the room and go downstairs. However, Rachel did leave her recorder in this room.
As the two of us headed down the stairs, we could tell that Lew was still on the first floor. We then entered what I assume was the sitting room/TV room. This is the same room that Lew had been in. We took some pics, made some notes and headed back to the second floor. This room didn't really impress us. Meaning, that there was nothing unusual to note with the exception of one. Sitting in front of the fireplace had been a headstone. Obviously it had been a headstone of a child. It dated back to the mid 1800's and and did show that the child had only been a few months old at the time of death. We didn't know if it had or would have any significance to the house, investigation or stories within the house, so we made note of it anyway. After this we went back upstairs.
Rachel and I scoured over all of the rooms once again. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening. We then went into the other room on the other side of the bathroom, Widow McCrea room, and shut the door. We sat there on the bed and listened. As we sat there, Rachel was asking various questions outloud (just in case there was something in there with us). After about 10 minutes, we heard what sounded like a plastic cup rattle in the bathroom inside the Widow McCrea room. Rachel then asked a few more questions such as, "are you trying to communicate with us" (because of the noise in the bathroom), or something to that affect. She also asked that if it were trying to communicate, to please try a little harder for we were unsure that the noise in the bathroom had been intended for us. We also didn't know if the noise could have been caused by whatever may have been there. What we did know is that there was nothing in the bathroom that was out of place. So, what could have caused the noise? I'd say, about one minute later, we heard almost the exact same sound coming from the exact same area. Was this spirit trying to comminicate with us? We can't be sure. But, what are the chances of hearing almost the exact same sound only after we asked the spirit to try and communicate with us? We thought it odd.
Shortly afterwards, we heard someone shutting a door somewhere on the second floor. Since we never did hear anyone coming up the stairs, I got up to go check it out. Here it had been Lew. At this point, we had remembered that Burt told us about a basement that we could also have access to. So, we decided to go and check things out down there since all seemed to be quiet on the second and first floors.
All three of us entered the basement and shot off some pics. Nothing unusual to note here either. Shortly after entering the room, we exited. Burt then took us to the outside of the B&B to a small cottage on the property that he believes may be even older that the house itself. I never did get any impressions in here nor did anything unusual happen that I felt I needed to document.
After the cottage, we gathered up the rest of our equipment and thank Burt for being so kind and allowing us to investigate his beautiful home and business.
Impression: I personally feel that this location is worth a second investigation. The second time around I would like more of our investigators present so that we can utilize more of the equipment, such as the recorders. I would like to set up recorders in each of the rooms on the second floor.
I personally feel that someone (who has passed on) may still reside in the Taccamarigin room (room to the right as you are facing the bedroom). And, maybe also the Widow McCrea room (room on the other side of the bathroom).
A few things that I felt were worth noting:
1. The room that had caght my attention from the outside I later came to realize was the Taccamarigin room.
2. Don't know if it's of any significance but there was a picture of a very young American Indian girl (at least she looked Indian to me) on the second floor hanging on the wall. The pic was situated between the bathroom and the Taccamarigin room. The woman in the pic could not have been any older than 20. However, she looked to be closer to the age of 17. All night long I had been almost drawn to this picture. Like I felt the need to constantly look at it, stair at it. I don't know why I had these feelings. This is the reason for me making note of it. Maybe it will have meaning later, maybe not. Many times throughout the night I actually found myslef standing there staring at this pic for a good 5 minutes straight. I never once discussed this with the other members. It was more of a personal thing and I wanted to keep it to myself.
Sharon G.
Vice-president
8/13/99