Historic Haunts Special Events
Investigating the Castle Warden in St. Augustine, Florida w/T.A.P.S.
October 2009 investigation of the Castle Warden in St. Augustine Florida, better known as the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum with T.A.P.S. members Dave Tango and Dustin Pari. The place is very active and is featured in my book Historic Haunts Florida.
Paranormal Discussion w/ T.A.P.S. Member Steve Gonsalves
Had the great opportunity to do a paranormal talk with Steve Gonsalves of T.A.P.S. It was great to share my knowledge and experience with the guests attending the event and being part of it with a knowledgeable man in the field.
Investigation with John Zaffis
A truly amazing and gifted man, John Zaffis, demonologist and Haunted Collector. It was an honor to meet and work with him in 2010 during the investigation that night in St. Augustine, Florida and look forward to working with him again. He is the one who inspired me to start writing again.
Historic Haunts Florida Book Signing w/the Ladies of T.A.P.S.
On January, Friday the 13th, 2012 I had my first book signing at a T.A.P.S. event in St. Augustine Florida with Kris Williams and Amy Bruni. It was a sold out crowd and had great success with my book. Thank you everyone who came to the event!
Historic Haunts of the South Book Signing w/ Kris Williams & Amy Bruni
On September 27th and 28th former T.A.P.S. member Kris Williams and current member Amy Bruni conducted an investigation at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and a conference with guest from across North America. Jamie Roush Pearce had the opportunity to do her first book signing for her latest book Historic Haunts of the South.
Thank you everyone for a fantastic kick off for the new book!
Thank you everyone for a fantastic kick off for the new book!
Articles and TV Appearances for Historic Haunts Investigations
Clyde Spook Snoop Shares Ghostly Secrets
The Mountaineer
Carrie Hachadurian - Staff writer
Friday, October 31st, 2008
A Wal-Mart employee by day and paranormal investigator by trade, Jamie Roush, 29, of Clyde, has seen it all — from visions of the dead to encounters with spirits.
While some may refer to her as a ‘ghost buster,’ Roush said what paranormal investigators do versus what’s portrayed on television are very different.
“Most of the time, the stuff that’s on TV has so much acting” and special effects, she said. “I get sick of television pushing all this (stuff) down people’s throats. (People) think about evil when they think about ghosts, and most of the time, they’re not (evil).”
For example, some cultures believe in ancestral ghosts, or ancestors sent to guard living relatives.
“They’re there to protect you,” she said.
Other “reality” television shows like Ghost Hunters on the Sci-Fi network, she said, do “good work” when they go on investigations, “but you don’t see much of the stuff that really happens — you only see the exciting parts.”
During a typical investigation, she said, there can be hours of down time when nothing takes place before a few minutes of sometimes intense paranormal activity.
“You could go into an investigation for hours and not see or hear anything,” she said.
And most of the time, the investigators and camera crews on television end up playing pranks on each other rather than finding any hard evidence of the afterlife.
“When we go in, we joke around a little, but we’re very respectful to the spirits and to the people” who currently own the property, Roush said.
During a typical investigation, Roush said she will gather audio, video and photographic evidence to prove — or disprove — a spiritual being inhabits the building or area.
Some signs that a ghost may be living in a house or commercial building, she said, include items being moved without explanation, seeing apparitions or shadowy people, hearing unexplained noises and hearing and seeing phantom lights and sounds.
While most people in Western North Carolina are skeptical, people are more open-minded of spirits in other parts of the country.
“People are more willing to talk about it (in other areas),” she said. “People just need to understand that ghosts are beings, and they’re not all bad.”
A personal experience
Roush first encountered the living dead when she and her mother were shopping for antiques in Florida.
“As I made my way up the steps and through the first room of the upper level I noticed all the vintage clothing. I headed in to the back room of the upstairs and immediately started looking at a clothes rack. I was only there for about 30 seconds or so when I started smelling this horrible stench — it smelled like blood.
“I started feeling very nauseous and as if something was behind me. I turned around and to my surprise there was a woman lying on the floor in a pool of blood around her head,” Roush wrote on her Web site.
What she saw she describes as a placement ring, a feeling or vision of the person who died in a particular building or room of a house.
Why ghosts appear
There are many reasons why ghosts hang around a certain area.
“They’re just lost souls,” she said. “They’re trapped or they can’t move, or aren’t ready to move on. They want justice done. They just want to leave, but they’re attached to the home or someone who is still living,” she said.
Currently, Roush has two ghosts living in her house — one of which moved with her when she moved out of her house in Canton. Roush had a hard time selling the house, which she guessed was because of the ghost.
“A man had a heart attack (years ago), but his wife is still alive. So, we told the ghost he could go with us, and he did. The house sold the next day, and he’s still with us. We still smell his coffee brewing, we still smell his cigar smoke. We have checked, and his wife is still alive, (living in the area).”
When a ghost appears
Most of the time, Roush said, ghosts aren’t there to harm people.
“If you feel like they’re not trying to hurt you, then don’t worry about it. But if you want to prove you do, or you feel threatened by the ghost, call us,” she said.
If a particular ghost does threaten the home or business owner, there are ways to get rid of the ghosts, she said.
“We suggest you sit down with your family and really believe what your saying. You have to tell it to leave as a family. Most of the time, it will work. Praying sometimes works, too,” she said.
Roush and a team of other paranormal investigators can also come to the place in question and help their clients through the process.
While it’s unusual to have a ghost physically harm people, “they can make you feel threatened or make you feel uncomfortable, and then you end up hurting yourself.”
Haunted local areas
Roush said she has encountered only two “angry” ghosts, so far — one in Canton and the other in Charleston, S.C.
Her encounter in Canton happened after she said she went into a vacant home after receiving a call to investigate possible paranormal activity.
“We were pretty much choked and pushed up against a wall,” she said. “My mom was with me. We ended up leaving — the house is still vacant, too.”
Other proven haunted places in Western North Carolina include the Grove Park Inn and Helen’s Bridge, both in Asheville.
Grove Park Inn, she said, has had customers check out in the middle of the night.
“The ghosts (there) won’t harm anyone, but sometimes people just get freaked out.”
Around this time of year, Roush said she receives a lot of pictures people want her to analyze. She said she recently received a photograph of a building in the Cataloochee area that “looks promising.” However, her investigation of the area is not yet complete.
For more information on the types of ghosts, Scriptural references to the existence of ghosts, how to contact Jamie Pearce for an investigation or other ghost-related topics, visit www.historic-haunts.net
Carrie Hachadurian - Staff writer
Friday, October 31st, 2008
A Wal-Mart employee by day and paranormal investigator by trade, Jamie Roush, 29, of Clyde, has seen it all — from visions of the dead to encounters with spirits.
While some may refer to her as a ‘ghost buster,’ Roush said what paranormal investigators do versus what’s portrayed on television are very different.
“Most of the time, the stuff that’s on TV has so much acting” and special effects, she said. “I get sick of television pushing all this (stuff) down people’s throats. (People) think about evil when they think about ghosts, and most of the time, they’re not (evil).”
For example, some cultures believe in ancestral ghosts, or ancestors sent to guard living relatives.
“They’re there to protect you,” she said.
Other “reality” television shows like Ghost Hunters on the Sci-Fi network, she said, do “good work” when they go on investigations, “but you don’t see much of the stuff that really happens — you only see the exciting parts.”
During a typical investigation, she said, there can be hours of down time when nothing takes place before a few minutes of sometimes intense paranormal activity.
“You could go into an investigation for hours and not see or hear anything,” she said.
And most of the time, the investigators and camera crews on television end up playing pranks on each other rather than finding any hard evidence of the afterlife.
“When we go in, we joke around a little, but we’re very respectful to the spirits and to the people” who currently own the property, Roush said.
During a typical investigation, Roush said she will gather audio, video and photographic evidence to prove — or disprove — a spiritual being inhabits the building or area.
Some signs that a ghost may be living in a house or commercial building, she said, include items being moved without explanation, seeing apparitions or shadowy people, hearing unexplained noises and hearing and seeing phantom lights and sounds.
While most people in Western North Carolina are skeptical, people are more open-minded of spirits in other parts of the country.
“People are more willing to talk about it (in other areas),” she said. “People just need to understand that ghosts are beings, and they’re not all bad.”
A personal experience
Roush first encountered the living dead when she and her mother were shopping for antiques in Florida.
“As I made my way up the steps and through the first room of the upper level I noticed all the vintage clothing. I headed in to the back room of the upstairs and immediately started looking at a clothes rack. I was only there for about 30 seconds or so when I started smelling this horrible stench — it smelled like blood.
“I started feeling very nauseous and as if something was behind me. I turned around and to my surprise there was a woman lying on the floor in a pool of blood around her head,” Roush wrote on her Web site.
What she saw she describes as a placement ring, a feeling or vision of the person who died in a particular building or room of a house.
Why ghosts appear
There are many reasons why ghosts hang around a certain area.
“They’re just lost souls,” she said. “They’re trapped or they can’t move, or aren’t ready to move on. They want justice done. They just want to leave, but they’re attached to the home or someone who is still living,” she said.
Currently, Roush has two ghosts living in her house — one of which moved with her when she moved out of her house in Canton. Roush had a hard time selling the house, which she guessed was because of the ghost.
“A man had a heart attack (years ago), but his wife is still alive. So, we told the ghost he could go with us, and he did. The house sold the next day, and he’s still with us. We still smell his coffee brewing, we still smell his cigar smoke. We have checked, and his wife is still alive, (living in the area).”
When a ghost appears
Most of the time, Roush said, ghosts aren’t there to harm people.
“If you feel like they’re not trying to hurt you, then don’t worry about it. But if you want to prove you do, or you feel threatened by the ghost, call us,” she said.
If a particular ghost does threaten the home or business owner, there are ways to get rid of the ghosts, she said.
“We suggest you sit down with your family and really believe what your saying. You have to tell it to leave as a family. Most of the time, it will work. Praying sometimes works, too,” she said.
Roush and a team of other paranormal investigators can also come to the place in question and help their clients through the process.
While it’s unusual to have a ghost physically harm people, “they can make you feel threatened or make you feel uncomfortable, and then you end up hurting yourself.”
Haunted local areas
Roush said she has encountered only two “angry” ghosts, so far — one in Canton and the other in Charleston, S.C.
Her encounter in Canton happened after she said she went into a vacant home after receiving a call to investigate possible paranormal activity.
“We were pretty much choked and pushed up against a wall,” she said. “My mom was with me. We ended up leaving — the house is still vacant, too.”
Other proven haunted places in Western North Carolina include the Grove Park Inn and Helen’s Bridge, both in Asheville.
Grove Park Inn, she said, has had customers check out in the middle of the night.
“The ghosts (there) won’t harm anyone, but sometimes people just get freaked out.”
Around this time of year, Roush said she receives a lot of pictures people want her to analyze. She said she recently received a photograph of a building in the Cataloochee area that “looks promising.” However, her investigation of the area is not yet complete.
For more information on the types of ghosts, Scriptural references to the existence of ghosts, how to contact Jamie Pearce for an investigation or other ghost-related topics, visit www.historic-haunts.net
Ghost Hunting is a Real Life Career For Former Haywood Resident
The Mountaineer
Caroline Klapper- Staff Writer
Monday, October 31st, 2011
Spooky stories of ghosts and ghouls are an expected part of Halloween fun, but for some, tales of ghostly hauntings are more than just stories.
Jamie Roush, formerly of Clyde, is one such person. Not only does she believe in the existence of ghosts and other paranormal entities, but she actually hunts them.
Roush became interested in the paranormal at a young age. Although she moved to Haywood County with her family when she was 10, her experiences with the paranormal began when she was about 5.
At the time, her family was living in Florida and Roush remembers the ghost of an old woman coming into her bedroom at night. The woman would tuck her in, kiss her on the forehead and then disappear.
As she grew up, her experiences, and her interest in the paranormal, grew with her.
“I started getting more and more intrigued by it. I starting reading books about it and doing research,” she said.
Roush also learned that experiences with the paranormal weren’t unusual in her family. She found out her grandmother had been post-cognitive, meaning she could see things that happened in the past, and her mother is pre-cognitive and can see things that will happen in the future. Roush is post-cognitive like her grandmother.
In 2004, Roush’s interest led her to establish Historic Haunts Investigations, a group that investigates homes or businesses that might be haunted.
She said her goal in creating Historic Haunts was to try to help people who are experiencing the paranormal and to answer questions they might have. The investigations are done free of charge.
“We go in believing a place may or may not be haunted, and if we find real proof that it is, we will present it to you. If we think a place is not haunted, then we will explain to you why we believe that and what is causing the alleged paranormal activity,” Roush explains on her website at www.historic-haunts.net.
When the television show “Ghost Hunters” came out on the SyFy channel, the popularity of the paranormal exploded. It was at that time that Roush became aware that there are actual courses and classes in parapsychology, the study of paranormal psychological phenomena, such as telepathy or clairvoyance.
She took online courses to earn a certificate in Parapsychology and certification as a Paranormal Investigator, but throughout her studies, she continued to hunt ghosts in homes and buildings all over Haywood County.
Using equipment, such as EMF (electromagnetic field) meters, thermal cameras and digital recorders, Roush has captured a lot of evidence of the paranormal over the years. Her experiences have ranged from hearing mysterious music to seeing full-bodied apparitions, but sometimes an all-night investigation doesn’t result in any evidence.
“Sometimes you go to places and nothing happens,” she said, adding ghost hunting takes a lot of patience.
Eventually her dedication to studying and understanding the paranormal led to a job offer from GhoSt Augustine, a ghost tour outfit and ghost hunting equipment supplier based in St. Augustine, Florida.
“It’s a paying ghostly job,” she said with a laugh.
Roush has continued to run Historic Haunts Investigations from St. Augustine, where she has encountered ghosts in many of the places where she now gives tours.
But wherever she is living, her main goal in pursuing the paranormal has remained the same. She wants to try to help people.
“I try to help people answer questions. I try to make them more aware that there are things out there. They’re not crazy,” she said of people who might be experiencing paranormal activity.
Caroline Klapper- Staff Writer
Monday, October 31st, 2011
Spooky stories of ghosts and ghouls are an expected part of Halloween fun, but for some, tales of ghostly hauntings are more than just stories.
Jamie Roush, formerly of Clyde, is one such person. Not only does she believe in the existence of ghosts and other paranormal entities, but she actually hunts them.
Roush became interested in the paranormal at a young age. Although she moved to Haywood County with her family when she was 10, her experiences with the paranormal began when she was about 5.
At the time, her family was living in Florida and Roush remembers the ghost of an old woman coming into her bedroom at night. The woman would tuck her in, kiss her on the forehead and then disappear.
As she grew up, her experiences, and her interest in the paranormal, grew with her.
“I started getting more and more intrigued by it. I starting reading books about it and doing research,” she said.
Roush also learned that experiences with the paranormal weren’t unusual in her family. She found out her grandmother had been post-cognitive, meaning she could see things that happened in the past, and her mother is pre-cognitive and can see things that will happen in the future. Roush is post-cognitive like her grandmother.
In 2004, Roush’s interest led her to establish Historic Haunts Investigations, a group that investigates homes or businesses that might be haunted.
She said her goal in creating Historic Haunts was to try to help people who are experiencing the paranormal and to answer questions they might have. The investigations are done free of charge.
“We go in believing a place may or may not be haunted, and if we find real proof that it is, we will present it to you. If we think a place is not haunted, then we will explain to you why we believe that and what is causing the alleged paranormal activity,” Roush explains on her website at www.historic-haunts.net.
When the television show “Ghost Hunters” came out on the SyFy channel, the popularity of the paranormal exploded. It was at that time that Roush became aware that there are actual courses and classes in parapsychology, the study of paranormal psychological phenomena, such as telepathy or clairvoyance.
She took online courses to earn a certificate in Parapsychology and certification as a Paranormal Investigator, but throughout her studies, she continued to hunt ghosts in homes and buildings all over Haywood County.
Using equipment, such as EMF (electromagnetic field) meters, thermal cameras and digital recorders, Roush has captured a lot of evidence of the paranormal over the years. Her experiences have ranged from hearing mysterious music to seeing full-bodied apparitions, but sometimes an all-night investigation doesn’t result in any evidence.
“Sometimes you go to places and nothing happens,” she said, adding ghost hunting takes a lot of patience.
Eventually her dedication to studying and understanding the paranormal led to a job offer from GhoSt Augustine, a ghost tour outfit and ghost hunting equipment supplier based in St. Augustine, Florida.
“It’s a paying ghostly job,” she said with a laugh.
Roush has continued to run Historic Haunts Investigations from St. Augustine, where she has encountered ghosts in many of the places where she now gives tours.
But wherever she is living, her main goal in pursuing the paranormal has remained the same. She wants to try to help people.
“I try to help people answer questions. I try to make them more aware that there are things out there. They’re not crazy,” she said of people who might be experiencing paranormal activity.
First Book Signing For Historic Haunts Florida
On January, Friday the 13th, 2012 I Pearce had her first book signing at a T.A.P.S. event in St. Augustine Florida with Kris Williams and Amy Bruni. It was a sold out crowd and had great success with the book. Thank you everyone who came to the event!
Local Legend Lives On At Beaches Restaurant
Florida Times- Union Shorelines
Maggie FitzRoy
Saturday, January 27th, 2013
Some people see her looking out a window.
Some women see her shadow in the ladies room.
Sometimes she is sensed near the fireplace in the middle of the dining room.
Some people believe the ghost of Alpha Paynter still roams the building that for years was The Homestead, a restaurant in Jacksonville Beach that specialized in southern cooking.
Even though it is now Taco Lu, a Mexican restaurant that specializes in fresh tacos, Paynter may still inhabit the space.
That delights Orange Park author Jamie Pearce, who writes books about haunted places in the Sunshine State, including the Beaches. While investigating the restaurant for her book, Historic Haunts Florida, she believes she might even have encountered Paynter’s shadow herself. That was when the restaurant was briefly known as the Copper Top, before it became Taco Lu.
Last Saturday, Pearce, her husband, Deric, and friend Jeff Wilson had dinner at Taco Lu, which was so filled with customers by 4:30 p.m. that people had to wait for a table. They learned from waiter Nakivio Poole that Paynter is likely still around.
“One of my delivery guys came in and saw a lady at the bar,” Poole said. “There was no lady at the bar.”
He whipped out his cell phone, and showed the group a photo of the exterior of the building taken during the restaurant’s renovation. In the photo there appears to be a woman looking out a window, but no one was inside.
Paynter’s possible presence doesn’t worry Poole.
“I don’t worry about ghosts,” Poole said.
But based on what customers have told him, “she’s here,” he said. “Go into the ladies rest room for 10 minutes. The lights start flickering.”
The behavior isn’t uncommon for ghosts, according to Pearce.
“That’s pretty cool,” Pearce said. “They kind of hide out sometimes if it’s too loud, or they don’t know what’s going on.”
The story of Paynter is well known at the Beaches, and Pearce recounts it in her book, which is available for purchase at the Beaches Museum & History Park and The BookMark in Atlantic Beach, among other places. According to Pearce, Paynter was the original owner of the pine log building, which she built as her home in 1934. She ran a boarding house there, as well as a home for orphans. It became a home-style southern cooking restaurant in 1947. After Paynter sold the building in 1962 it went through a series of owners.
Since Paynter’s death, she’s been spotted in the building by several witnesses over the years. Some have spotted her at the fireplace, located in the oldest section of the building. Others hear her humming while tending to a fire, instances Pearce notes in her book. Some women have reported seeing her behind them when they look in the mirror in the ladies room.
While washing her hands in the ladies room when it was the Copper Top, Pearce said she saw a shadow, but there was no light to cast it. The shadow moved and eventually faded out.
Pearce said that sensing paranormal activities seems to run in her family. Her mother saw spirits, and so did her grandmother. The writer grew up in St. Petersburg and later moved to St. Augustine, where she led ghost tours. She moved to Orange Park two years ago and, in addition to writing ghost books, also runs a paranormal investigation company and blogs on historic-haunts.net.
Her first ghostly encounter happened when she was 5 years old, one evening after her mother tucked her into bed. She fell asleep, and when she woke up a little while later, an elderly woman was leaning over her, rearranging the covers.
“She kissed me on the forehead, stood up, and disappeared,” Pearce said.
Pearce said she wasn’t frightened, and claims to have had many “post cognitive” experiences since childhood, seeing “things from the past, different events.” Once while visiting Charleston, she “saw” men lying on the ground in an alley, bleeding. Her tour guide, who saw nothing, said during the Civil War about 10 soldiers were involved in a tavern brawl that took place in that very location.
“I saw it like it was literally right there in front of me,” she said.
Pearce, who self-published her first book using her maiden name, Jamie Roush, is planning to publish her second book, Historic Haunts of the South, in the spring.
She hopes to publish Historic Haunts, Southern Inns, by Halloween. That one will feature the Casa Marina Hotel in Jacksonville Beach, also famously haunted. Her paranormal team contacted three spirits there during a recent investigation, she said.
Deric Pearce, who is part of the team, said he was “on the fence” about the hauntings until he met his wife. After accompanying her to haunted places throughout the country, he has become a believer.
“There’s stuff we don’t understand out there,” he said.
Wilson, who is also on the team, went to Williamsburg and Jamestown, Va., and to Gettysburg, Pa., last spring to investigate hauntings with the Pearces. He has no doubts.
“I’ve always believed in ghosts,” he said. “There’s got to be more than what we see, and what we experience.”
Jamie Pearce said Paynter’s ghost doesn’t seem to mind the new interior decorations in Taco Lu. The owners kept the historic ambience and appearance intact, including the distinctive pine log cabin walls. But they added authentic Mexican images and artifacts, including colorful skulls that are everywhere around the rooms.
The skulls celebrate the Day of the Dead, or “Dia de los Muertos,” a popular holiday in Mexico that celebrates the lives of fallen loved ones.
Paynter “seems to be OK with [the changes]. She’s still in the bathroom anyway,” Jamie Pearce said.
“The owners seem to have a strong desire to maintain the place and keep its history alive,” Deric Pearce said. “So I’m sure she’s OK with that, too.”
Maggie FitzRoy
Saturday, January 27th, 2013
Some people see her looking out a window.
Some women see her shadow in the ladies room.
Sometimes she is sensed near the fireplace in the middle of the dining room.
Some people believe the ghost of Alpha Paynter still roams the building that for years was The Homestead, a restaurant in Jacksonville Beach that specialized in southern cooking.
Even though it is now Taco Lu, a Mexican restaurant that specializes in fresh tacos, Paynter may still inhabit the space.
That delights Orange Park author Jamie Pearce, who writes books about haunted places in the Sunshine State, including the Beaches. While investigating the restaurant for her book, Historic Haunts Florida, she believes she might even have encountered Paynter’s shadow herself. That was when the restaurant was briefly known as the Copper Top, before it became Taco Lu.
Last Saturday, Pearce, her husband, Deric, and friend Jeff Wilson had dinner at Taco Lu, which was so filled with customers by 4:30 p.m. that people had to wait for a table. They learned from waiter Nakivio Poole that Paynter is likely still around.
“One of my delivery guys came in and saw a lady at the bar,” Poole said. “There was no lady at the bar.”
He whipped out his cell phone, and showed the group a photo of the exterior of the building taken during the restaurant’s renovation. In the photo there appears to be a woman looking out a window, but no one was inside.
Paynter’s possible presence doesn’t worry Poole.
“I don’t worry about ghosts,” Poole said.
But based on what customers have told him, “she’s here,” he said. “Go into the ladies rest room for 10 minutes. The lights start flickering.”
The behavior isn’t uncommon for ghosts, according to Pearce.
“That’s pretty cool,” Pearce said. “They kind of hide out sometimes if it’s too loud, or they don’t know what’s going on.”
The story of Paynter is well known at the Beaches, and Pearce recounts it in her book, which is available for purchase at the Beaches Museum & History Park and The BookMark in Atlantic Beach, among other places. According to Pearce, Paynter was the original owner of the pine log building, which she built as her home in 1934. She ran a boarding house there, as well as a home for orphans. It became a home-style southern cooking restaurant in 1947. After Paynter sold the building in 1962 it went through a series of owners.
Since Paynter’s death, she’s been spotted in the building by several witnesses over the years. Some have spotted her at the fireplace, located in the oldest section of the building. Others hear her humming while tending to a fire, instances Pearce notes in her book. Some women have reported seeing her behind them when they look in the mirror in the ladies room.
While washing her hands in the ladies room when it was the Copper Top, Pearce said she saw a shadow, but there was no light to cast it. The shadow moved and eventually faded out.
Pearce said that sensing paranormal activities seems to run in her family. Her mother saw spirits, and so did her grandmother. The writer grew up in St. Petersburg and later moved to St. Augustine, where she led ghost tours. She moved to Orange Park two years ago and, in addition to writing ghost books, also runs a paranormal investigation company and blogs on historic-haunts.net.
Her first ghostly encounter happened when she was 5 years old, one evening after her mother tucked her into bed. She fell asleep, and when she woke up a little while later, an elderly woman was leaning over her, rearranging the covers.
“She kissed me on the forehead, stood up, and disappeared,” Pearce said.
Pearce said she wasn’t frightened, and claims to have had many “post cognitive” experiences since childhood, seeing “things from the past, different events.” Once while visiting Charleston, she “saw” men lying on the ground in an alley, bleeding. Her tour guide, who saw nothing, said during the Civil War about 10 soldiers were involved in a tavern brawl that took place in that very location.
“I saw it like it was literally right there in front of me,” she said.
Pearce, who self-published her first book using her maiden name, Jamie Roush, is planning to publish her second book, Historic Haunts of the South, in the spring.
She hopes to publish Historic Haunts, Southern Inns, by Halloween. That one will feature the Casa Marina Hotel in Jacksonville Beach, also famously haunted. Her paranormal team contacted three spirits there during a recent investigation, she said.
Deric Pearce, who is part of the team, said he was “on the fence” about the hauntings until he met his wife. After accompanying her to haunted places throughout the country, he has become a believer.
“There’s stuff we don’t understand out there,” he said.
Wilson, who is also on the team, went to Williamsburg and Jamestown, Va., and to Gettysburg, Pa., last spring to investigate hauntings with the Pearces. He has no doubts.
“I’ve always believed in ghosts,” he said. “There’s got to be more than what we see, and what we experience.”
Jamie Pearce said Paynter’s ghost doesn’t seem to mind the new interior decorations in Taco Lu. The owners kept the historic ambience and appearance intact, including the distinctive pine log cabin walls. But they added authentic Mexican images and artifacts, including colorful skulls that are everywhere around the rooms.
The skulls celebrate the Day of the Dead, or “Dia de los Muertos,” a popular holiday in Mexico that celebrates the lives of fallen loved ones.
Paynter “seems to be OK with [the changes]. She’s still in the bathroom anyway,” Jamie Pearce said.
“The owners seem to have a strong desire to maintain the place and keep its history alive,” Deric Pearce said. “So I’m sure she’s OK with that, too.”
Spooky Tales of Mayport's King House Known Far, Wide
Florida Times- Union Shorelines
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce February 16th, 2013
Mayport has many historic buildings, but, by far, one of its more famous is the King House at 4627 Ocean St. The first records of this property describe a building located on a former Spanish graveyard, which was used as a one-time boarding house for sailors and — reportedly — a house of ill repute before it was destroyed by a fire in 1881.
William King rebuilt the house, with its oversized balconies, on the same site in 1907. He resided in the home with his family. His father, Howard, and his son, John, who grew up in the house, loved telling ghost stories and trying to scare the other children in town. While the King men may have provided colorful stories in some cases, the history of the house, nearby events, and the King family provided plenty of material for real tales.
For example, an aunt of William King’s had reportedly been involved for a time with a sailor. This sailor become jealous after their breakup and pitchforked his past love to death as she sat in a rocking chair on the front porch. It’s believed he later threw her body into the nearby river.
This would not be the only time the King House would play host to a dead body. The house was used as a Catholic Church in the 1940s and mass was held there weekly. It was rumored that the occasional wake or funeral were also held there. The area around the King House also seems to have a sorrowful past, as car wrecks near the house have claimed at least a few lives.
The ghost stories told by John King may have fueled the fire, but the King House seems to be a hot bed of paranormal activity. Mediums investigating the King House have reported an atmosphere that attracts spirits of the dead. Apparently, it also draws the attention of those looking for the supernatural. Researchers from the Rhine Institute of Duke University and several other paranormal research groups have frequented the place, and it was featured recently on an episode of Syfy’s Haunted Collector.
One of the most famous reports of activity came from John King himself, among others, and seems to have been confirmed. It involves the murdered aunt of William King. She is believed to cause the rocking chair she was murdered in to rock on its own (blood and the pitchfork’s puncture marks can reportedly still be seen on the chair itself). King’s aunt is also frequently encountered in a long white dress with long dark hair walking through the house. A former owner of the King House reported seeing her reflection in the mirror several times. When he turned around, she would vanish. Many of the church-goers during the time the King House served as a Catholic Church reported hearing high-heels moving about in the attic when no one was there. Whether this was King’s aunt remains unknown.
What is known is that besides drawing congregants to its church services, the King House seems to draw other nearby spiritual energies. The ghost of a bride killed on her wedding day in a car crash near the house is said to have settled there. John King and many of his guests, experienced her in his kitchen where she has been seen cleaning and doing other house cleaning activities. This territorial “Lady in White” is known to wreak havoc on other female cooks in the house.
Besides the bride, frequent reports suggest the presence of a “Little Butler,” who is said to open doors for visitors. In addition, the current owners of the house reportedly have a bird who repeatedly says the word “Howard,” even when no one is in the room. No one in the new owner’s family is named Howard, but Howard King reportedly died in the home. This just goes to show you that perhaps even animals can experience the paranormal.
SOMETHING SPOOKY
Jamie Roush Pearce of Orange Park is a paranormal investigator and the author of Historic Haunts Florida. She is working on two additional books, Historic Haunts of the South, and Historic Haunts Southern Inns. Her website is www.historic-haunts.net and her email is historichaunts@yahoo.com
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce February 16th, 2013
Mayport has many historic buildings, but, by far, one of its more famous is the King House at 4627 Ocean St. The first records of this property describe a building located on a former Spanish graveyard, which was used as a one-time boarding house for sailors and — reportedly — a house of ill repute before it was destroyed by a fire in 1881.
William King rebuilt the house, with its oversized balconies, on the same site in 1907. He resided in the home with his family. His father, Howard, and his son, John, who grew up in the house, loved telling ghost stories and trying to scare the other children in town. While the King men may have provided colorful stories in some cases, the history of the house, nearby events, and the King family provided plenty of material for real tales.
For example, an aunt of William King’s had reportedly been involved for a time with a sailor. This sailor become jealous after their breakup and pitchforked his past love to death as she sat in a rocking chair on the front porch. It’s believed he later threw her body into the nearby river.
This would not be the only time the King House would play host to a dead body. The house was used as a Catholic Church in the 1940s and mass was held there weekly. It was rumored that the occasional wake or funeral were also held there. The area around the King House also seems to have a sorrowful past, as car wrecks near the house have claimed at least a few lives.
The ghost stories told by John King may have fueled the fire, but the King House seems to be a hot bed of paranormal activity. Mediums investigating the King House have reported an atmosphere that attracts spirits of the dead. Apparently, it also draws the attention of those looking for the supernatural. Researchers from the Rhine Institute of Duke University and several other paranormal research groups have frequented the place, and it was featured recently on an episode of Syfy’s Haunted Collector.
One of the most famous reports of activity came from John King himself, among others, and seems to have been confirmed. It involves the murdered aunt of William King. She is believed to cause the rocking chair she was murdered in to rock on its own (blood and the pitchfork’s puncture marks can reportedly still be seen on the chair itself). King’s aunt is also frequently encountered in a long white dress with long dark hair walking through the house. A former owner of the King House reported seeing her reflection in the mirror several times. When he turned around, she would vanish. Many of the church-goers during the time the King House served as a Catholic Church reported hearing high-heels moving about in the attic when no one was there. Whether this was King’s aunt remains unknown.
What is known is that besides drawing congregants to its church services, the King House seems to draw other nearby spiritual energies. The ghost of a bride killed on her wedding day in a car crash near the house is said to have settled there. John King and many of his guests, experienced her in his kitchen where she has been seen cleaning and doing other house cleaning activities. This territorial “Lady in White” is known to wreak havoc on other female cooks in the house.
Besides the bride, frequent reports suggest the presence of a “Little Butler,” who is said to open doors for visitors. In addition, the current owners of the house reportedly have a bird who repeatedly says the word “Howard,” even when no one is in the room. No one in the new owner’s family is named Howard, but Howard King reportedly died in the home. This just goes to show you that perhaps even animals can experience the paranormal.
SOMETHING SPOOKY
Jamie Roush Pearce of Orange Park is a paranormal investigator and the author of Historic Haunts Florida. She is working on two additional books, Historic Haunts of the South, and Historic Haunts Southern Inns. Her website is www.historic-haunts.net and her email is historichaunts@yahoo.com
Is Ginger Dropping Dimes At 33 Star
Florida Times- Union Shorelines
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce April 6th, 2013
You don’t have to be a rock star to enter 33 Star — a Jacksonville Beach store full of eclectic, funky clothing and more — but the decor sure makes you feel like one. The building that is home to 33 Star was built in the 1950s as OC Supermarket, and now features sparkly evening gowns, leather jackets and more.
Some people believe it may even have a ghost.
When Thressa Anderson bought the building in 2011, she turned it into an amazing Rock-N-Roll boutique and concert venue. While remodeling, the building went through some major renovations. Just like debris from the building, renovations can sometimes also stir up the paranormal world.
Funny thing is, the ghost who visits there on a frequent basis is not some long-gone rocker or ghostly groupie, but seems to actually come from next door at Ginger’s Place, a favorite Jacksonville Beach drinking establishment. While Ginger’s ghost has been spotted at both locations, her history and the bar that bears her name is a ghostly tale for another day. Still, one thing you must know about Ginger is that when she lived, she was all about sparkle and glitz. With all the rhinestones, bejeweled chandeliers, and even the glamorous stage found at 33 Star, it’s easy to see why Ginger might make frequent personal appearances.
For Anderson and her crew, the activity began when they were in the middle of the remodel. They started finding dimes throughout the store in the strangest places. They would completely clean and sweep an area and turn around to find a dime. Customers have even had a dime appear out of nowhere, right in front of them. The staff insists that with only a brief interruption, the sudden appearance of the dimes has continued with customers and workers even to this day.
“The place often has that you’re-not-alone feeling,” said Eddy Kalanoc, 33 Star’s operations manager, who’s also experienced the dimes appearing out of nowhere. “We kept finding these dimes so I decided to Google it and see what it meant.”
Kalanoc’s research coincided with many of my past experiences: dimes and small change are a way for many spirits to say hello. I have experienced this with pennies in the past.
Keith O’Rourke, 33 Star’s internet sales manager, elaborated further on the dime drops.
“I went into the convenience store to get a drink, pulled out my wallet, and there was a dime inside my wallet,” he said. “This is the kind of strange stuff that happens around here.”
It was a funny coincidence that, while O’Rourke was recently sharing his story with me, the light directly above his head (a brand new 7-year LED light bulb) got really bright, then went completely out. O’Rourke confirmed that, apparently, Ginger also messes with the lights.
In addition to the lights, the staff has reported the dressing room doors opening and slamming shut on their own. One customer got spooked when she was patted on the back while trying on clothes. Most of the paranormal experiences described by customers and staff seem to be centered on drawing attention. Sometimes this happens even when there’s no one there to receive attention from. One morning when the staff came in, there was a shelf lying on the floor and shirts were everywhere. The staff checked video captured from the store’s security cameras (outfitted with night vision) to see what happened. Anderson, O’Rourke and Kalonoc all shared the same story about what the video showed them.
“There was a ball of light floating around in front of the shelf sporadically with no definite direction,” Anderson said. “Then all of a sudden — wham! It slammed into the shelf, the shelf collapsed and shirts went everywhere.”
The activity at 33 Star recently drew the attention of Jacksonville paranormal investigator Steve Christian and his Local Haunts TV show. Local Haunts investigated here and actually captured a full body apparition walking through the wall as if it were leaving and heading next door to Ginger’s Place. Maybe it was Ginger stopping by for her daily visit, or maybe she was checking on some great vintage concert gear?
Like the staff at 33 Star, and the Local Haunts team, I too had an interesting experience while researching this story. After doing the interviews for this article I had to run a few errands. Like many of us I ran my errands with debit cards and credit cards, I had no cash on me at all. When I got home, I discovered several dimes in my pocket that weren’t there before. Coincidence? Only Ginger knows for sure.
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce April 6th, 2013
You don’t have to be a rock star to enter 33 Star — a Jacksonville Beach store full of eclectic, funky clothing and more — but the decor sure makes you feel like one. The building that is home to 33 Star was built in the 1950s as OC Supermarket, and now features sparkly evening gowns, leather jackets and more.
Some people believe it may even have a ghost.
When Thressa Anderson bought the building in 2011, she turned it into an amazing Rock-N-Roll boutique and concert venue. While remodeling, the building went through some major renovations. Just like debris from the building, renovations can sometimes also stir up the paranormal world.
Funny thing is, the ghost who visits there on a frequent basis is not some long-gone rocker or ghostly groupie, but seems to actually come from next door at Ginger’s Place, a favorite Jacksonville Beach drinking establishment. While Ginger’s ghost has been spotted at both locations, her history and the bar that bears her name is a ghostly tale for another day. Still, one thing you must know about Ginger is that when she lived, she was all about sparkle and glitz. With all the rhinestones, bejeweled chandeliers, and even the glamorous stage found at 33 Star, it’s easy to see why Ginger might make frequent personal appearances.
For Anderson and her crew, the activity began when they were in the middle of the remodel. They started finding dimes throughout the store in the strangest places. They would completely clean and sweep an area and turn around to find a dime. Customers have even had a dime appear out of nowhere, right in front of them. The staff insists that with only a brief interruption, the sudden appearance of the dimes has continued with customers and workers even to this day.
“The place often has that you’re-not-alone feeling,” said Eddy Kalanoc, 33 Star’s operations manager, who’s also experienced the dimes appearing out of nowhere. “We kept finding these dimes so I decided to Google it and see what it meant.”
Kalanoc’s research coincided with many of my past experiences: dimes and small change are a way for many spirits to say hello. I have experienced this with pennies in the past.
Keith O’Rourke, 33 Star’s internet sales manager, elaborated further on the dime drops.
“I went into the convenience store to get a drink, pulled out my wallet, and there was a dime inside my wallet,” he said. “This is the kind of strange stuff that happens around here.”
It was a funny coincidence that, while O’Rourke was recently sharing his story with me, the light directly above his head (a brand new 7-year LED light bulb) got really bright, then went completely out. O’Rourke confirmed that, apparently, Ginger also messes with the lights.
In addition to the lights, the staff has reported the dressing room doors opening and slamming shut on their own. One customer got spooked when she was patted on the back while trying on clothes. Most of the paranormal experiences described by customers and staff seem to be centered on drawing attention. Sometimes this happens even when there’s no one there to receive attention from. One morning when the staff came in, there was a shelf lying on the floor and shirts were everywhere. The staff checked video captured from the store’s security cameras (outfitted with night vision) to see what happened. Anderson, O’Rourke and Kalonoc all shared the same story about what the video showed them.
“There was a ball of light floating around in front of the shelf sporadically with no definite direction,” Anderson said. “Then all of a sudden — wham! It slammed into the shelf, the shelf collapsed and shirts went everywhere.”
The activity at 33 Star recently drew the attention of Jacksonville paranormal investigator Steve Christian and his Local Haunts TV show. Local Haunts investigated here and actually captured a full body apparition walking through the wall as if it were leaving and heading next door to Ginger’s Place. Maybe it was Ginger stopping by for her daily visit, or maybe she was checking on some great vintage concert gear?
Like the staff at 33 Star, and the Local Haunts team, I too had an interesting experience while researching this story. After doing the interviews for this article I had to run a few errands. Like many of us I ran my errands with debit cards and credit cards, I had no cash on me at all. When I got home, I discovered several dimes in my pocket that weren’t there before. Coincidence? Only Ginger knows for sure.
Ginger's Place Serves Up Cocktails, Strange Tales
Florida Times- Union Shorelines
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce June 1st, 2013
Have you ever seen a mermaid? If you’ve visited Ginger’s Place at 304 Third
St. S. in Jacksonville Beach, it’s a real possibility.
In this case the mermaid would be Darlene Edith Payson, known as “Ginger”
Payson to many who knew her. Pictures of Ginger in her prime adorn the walls of
this popular Beaches bar. During her younger days, before opening the bar, she
was also known as “Ginger Lani” or as “Tiza, The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl.”
Ginger not only did mermaid and underwater shows in a portable tank, but was
also a star of vaudeville burlesque shows. She traveled up and down the East
Coast performing and gaining notoriety for her unique talents. When she retired,
she and her husband, Ziggy, bought the building now known as Ginger’s Place.
Ginger ran it almost until her death, but some people think she never really
left. Some believe the place is haunted, and that one of the spirits at Ginger’s Place is, of course, Ginger.
Like its owner, Ginger’s Place had an interesting past prior to her purchase
of it in 1976 and the opening of the bar. It reportedly was built sometime
around 1950 and over the years has housed several different businesses. Many of
these businesses came and went as quickly as Ginger’s traveling shows. Among
them are a fast-food store, a glass bar, a grocery store and a dress shop. Oddly
enough, the provocative silhouettes of the dress shop mannequins helped draw
interest to this casual Beaches bar when they were thought to be “looking” from
the upstairs windows.
One other successful business of note that occupied the space during the
1960s was Ossi’s Grocery Store. Ossi’s eventually sought easier access and
parking and had a new building built just next door. This building would
eventually become another Jacksonville Beach fixture, 33 Star (featured in the
last Ghostly Shores column in the April 6 Shorelines).
Still, despite the many incarnations, my research unearthed only a few tales
of paranormal activity in Ginger’s Place until after her death from a stroke in
2003 at age 79.
Ironically, Ginger never believed in ghosts and actually had friendly
arguments with her granddaughter, Amanda Sams, about the topic. But after
talking to members of Ginger’s family and the bar’s staff, and researching
stories from visitors and bar patrons, it seems Ginger’s spirit might be
present. She seems to not only make paranormal appearances to her public at 33
Star, but even more frequently at the bar that bears her name.
The April piece on 33 Star detailed reports about Ginger’s ghost and the
appearance of dimes throughout the store. The sudden and unexplained appearance
of dimes and spare change is thought by many in the paranormal field to be a
means of communication, a way for many spirits to say hello. As at 33 Star,
dimes often appear at Ginger’s Place typically under many of the same
unexplained circumstances. However, after talking to Ginger’s family, I learned
they may have discovered an even more pleasant reason for the ghostly spare
change.
Sams, who is a manager and bartender at Ginger’s, said she finds the dimes at
work and home. She told me that, when they were renovating the building, they
found an old price sign from the bar when drinks were 10 cents each.
“I wonder if maybe Ginger is buying drinks for people she likes,” said Sams.
“She did used to do that when she was alive.”
Ginger seems to have other means besides dimes to make her presence known.
Samantha Robenolt, another of Ginger’s granddaughters and a fellow
manager/bartender at the bar, has experienced some of the same things as her
sister, Amanda. Robenolt said her grandmother would often tap her on the leg to
get her attention. She did this to her family and friends, and Sams and Robenolt
have both experienced this sensation at the bar multiple times, with no visible source.
Robenolt and Sams have other reasons why they believe their grandmother’s
spirit is present at Ginger’s Place. There is a calendar on the wall with an
adjustable area to enter “today’s date” and the year, so the bartenders know
drinkers are of age when checking ID. The calendar has a tendency to change the
date on its own. Not to a random date, but to Sept. 27, Ginger’s birthday.
Further, both women have seen a beer sign on the back of the register flip up in
the air and over the tip jar. A new employee also witnessed the flip, then had
a strange feeling of a hand being run through his hair.
It isn’t just Ginger’s family that encounters her ghost. Another bartender
shared an interesting experience with a new patron to the bar.
“This woman I had never seen before came into the bar and ordered a drink,”
he said. “I poured it for her, and she asked about the woman behind the bar in
the doorway who was staring at me. I turned around and saw a woman who I knew
was Ginger. She floated from the doorway to the back and vanished. I turned back around to the woman at the bar. The money for her tab was on the counter and
she was leaving. She was as white as a ghost.”
Others have claimed to see a female apparition the same height and size as
Ginger sometimes floating on air or walking through doors. When they catch a
glimpse of her out of the corner of their eyes, and go to investigate, she’s
gone.
While working on this story, Robenolt sent me a message that a friend of hers
had recently gone to the cigarette machine in the bar and bought a pack of
cigarettes. If you put only bills in the machine, it gives fifty cents change.
In this particular case, Samantha’s friend didn’t get her two quarters change
and never heard the change drop, so she checked the machine anyway. She found
three dimes, a pretty neat trick since Robenolt told me this particular machine
isn’t capable of giving dimes as change. Was someone playing a trick, or was
Ginger making her presence known again?
Whether tapping legs, flipping signs or dispensing dimes, Ginger’s ghost and
stories of other spirits at Ginger’s Place have drawn interest from many,
including some ghostly research groups. Fortunately, there is nothing malicious
about the reports of Ginger, or other alleged spirits. A medium visited the bar,
and claims that there are 13 different spirits residing there. Whether this is
true or not, I don’t know, but I do know that a bar can certainly serve up some
spirits.
My paranormal team, Historic Haunts Investigations, plans to investigate the
building. After so generously sharing their stories, Ginger’s granddaughters
have graciously allowed us to set up an investigation. I am anxious to see what
we turn up, and find out more about Ginger and some of the other spirits. Maybe
I should empty my change purse first?
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce June 1st, 2013
Have you ever seen a mermaid? If you’ve visited Ginger’s Place at 304 Third
St. S. in Jacksonville Beach, it’s a real possibility.
In this case the mermaid would be Darlene Edith Payson, known as “Ginger”
Payson to many who knew her. Pictures of Ginger in her prime adorn the walls of
this popular Beaches bar. During her younger days, before opening the bar, she
was also known as “Ginger Lani” or as “Tiza, The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl.”
Ginger not only did mermaid and underwater shows in a portable tank, but was
also a star of vaudeville burlesque shows. She traveled up and down the East
Coast performing and gaining notoriety for her unique talents. When she retired,
she and her husband, Ziggy, bought the building now known as Ginger’s Place.
Ginger ran it almost until her death, but some people think she never really
left. Some believe the place is haunted, and that one of the spirits at Ginger’s Place is, of course, Ginger.
Like its owner, Ginger’s Place had an interesting past prior to her purchase
of it in 1976 and the opening of the bar. It reportedly was built sometime
around 1950 and over the years has housed several different businesses. Many of
these businesses came and went as quickly as Ginger’s traveling shows. Among
them are a fast-food store, a glass bar, a grocery store and a dress shop. Oddly
enough, the provocative silhouettes of the dress shop mannequins helped draw
interest to this casual Beaches bar when they were thought to be “looking” from
the upstairs windows.
One other successful business of note that occupied the space during the
1960s was Ossi’s Grocery Store. Ossi’s eventually sought easier access and
parking and had a new building built just next door. This building would
eventually become another Jacksonville Beach fixture, 33 Star (featured in the
last Ghostly Shores column in the April 6 Shorelines).
Still, despite the many incarnations, my research unearthed only a few tales
of paranormal activity in Ginger’s Place until after her death from a stroke in
2003 at age 79.
Ironically, Ginger never believed in ghosts and actually had friendly
arguments with her granddaughter, Amanda Sams, about the topic. But after
talking to members of Ginger’s family and the bar’s staff, and researching
stories from visitors and bar patrons, it seems Ginger’s spirit might be
present. She seems to not only make paranormal appearances to her public at 33
Star, but even more frequently at the bar that bears her name.
The April piece on 33 Star detailed reports about Ginger’s ghost and the
appearance of dimes throughout the store. The sudden and unexplained appearance
of dimes and spare change is thought by many in the paranormal field to be a
means of communication, a way for many spirits to say hello. As at 33 Star,
dimes often appear at Ginger’s Place typically under many of the same
unexplained circumstances. However, after talking to Ginger’s family, I learned
they may have discovered an even more pleasant reason for the ghostly spare
change.
Sams, who is a manager and bartender at Ginger’s, said she finds the dimes at
work and home. She told me that, when they were renovating the building, they
found an old price sign from the bar when drinks were 10 cents each.
“I wonder if maybe Ginger is buying drinks for people she likes,” said Sams.
“She did used to do that when she was alive.”
Ginger seems to have other means besides dimes to make her presence known.
Samantha Robenolt, another of Ginger’s granddaughters and a fellow
manager/bartender at the bar, has experienced some of the same things as her
sister, Amanda. Robenolt said her grandmother would often tap her on the leg to
get her attention. She did this to her family and friends, and Sams and Robenolt
have both experienced this sensation at the bar multiple times, with no visible source.
Robenolt and Sams have other reasons why they believe their grandmother’s
spirit is present at Ginger’s Place. There is a calendar on the wall with an
adjustable area to enter “today’s date” and the year, so the bartenders know
drinkers are of age when checking ID. The calendar has a tendency to change the
date on its own. Not to a random date, but to Sept. 27, Ginger’s birthday.
Further, both women have seen a beer sign on the back of the register flip up in
the air and over the tip jar. A new employee also witnessed the flip, then had
a strange feeling of a hand being run through his hair.
It isn’t just Ginger’s family that encounters her ghost. Another bartender
shared an interesting experience with a new patron to the bar.
“This woman I had never seen before came into the bar and ordered a drink,”
he said. “I poured it for her, and she asked about the woman behind the bar in
the doorway who was staring at me. I turned around and saw a woman who I knew
was Ginger. She floated from the doorway to the back and vanished. I turned back around to the woman at the bar. The money for her tab was on the counter and
she was leaving. She was as white as a ghost.”
Others have claimed to see a female apparition the same height and size as
Ginger sometimes floating on air or walking through doors. When they catch a
glimpse of her out of the corner of their eyes, and go to investigate, she’s
gone.
While working on this story, Robenolt sent me a message that a friend of hers
had recently gone to the cigarette machine in the bar and bought a pack of
cigarettes. If you put only bills in the machine, it gives fifty cents change.
In this particular case, Samantha’s friend didn’t get her two quarters change
and never heard the change drop, so she checked the machine anyway. She found
three dimes, a pretty neat trick since Robenolt told me this particular machine
isn’t capable of giving dimes as change. Was someone playing a trick, or was
Ginger making her presence known again?
Whether tapping legs, flipping signs or dispensing dimes, Ginger’s ghost and
stories of other spirits at Ginger’s Place have drawn interest from many,
including some ghostly research groups. Fortunately, there is nothing malicious
about the reports of Ginger, or other alleged spirits. A medium visited the bar,
and claims that there are 13 different spirits residing there. Whether this is
true or not, I don’t know, but I do know that a bar can certainly serve up some
spirits.
My paranormal team, Historic Haunts Investigations, plans to investigate the
building. After so generously sharing their stories, Ginger’s granddaughters
have graciously allowed us to set up an investigation. I am anxious to see what
we turn up, and find out more about Ginger and some of the other spirits. Maybe
I should empty my change purse first?
Spooky Goings-on In Jacksonville Beach House, Neighborhood
Florida Times- Union Shorelines
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce July 28th, 2013
Some people believe a building has to be very old to be haunted. Well, that
isn’t always the case. A short time ago I came across a private residence that
was constructed less than 50 years ago, and is known to be more paranormally
active than other homes that are more than 200 years old or older.
Built in the 1970s, the house is the Jacksonville Beach residence of Caterina
Lionti, a well-known local artist, and her family. I recently traveled with my
team, Historic Haunts Investigations, to Lionti’s home where we had the honor of
researching and investigating. We learned that there are other homes in the
neighborhood that are reportedly haunted, as well. While historical accounts
vary, we discovered that the area may have been tied in to a long-gone farmhouse
property, and that it has something of a paranormal history with residual
energy and intelligent haunts still lingering there.
The activity and strange phenomena in Leonti’s home began as soon as she and
her husband moved in. They never believed in ghosts before and, at first, she
wondered if she was “going a little loopy.”
Little things occurred in the beginning; paint brushes floating across her
art studio and people hearing their names being called, but then a full body
apparition of a man in Colonial garb was seen by her family. Guests to the home
also started experiencing and describing the same thing. More spirits started
appearing, disembodied voices were repeatedly encountered and, in some cases,
arguments were overheard. In addition, more items in the house were being moved.
After discussing this with nearby residents and hearing a few neighbors share
their haunted stories, Lionti knew she wasn’t losing it, she knew there was
something going on.
She went to St. Augustine when she heard that members of a popular,
nationally televised, ghost hunting group were filming on location there.
Through one of the group’s members, she came into contact with C.A.P.E., a local paranormal investigative group led by Vishi Garig. Lionti allowed C.A.P.E., and
several other groups, to investigate her home a number of times and has even
allowed a local paranormal TV show to film an episode in the home.
Collectively, the groups have captured a large amount of paranormal evidence.
Hundreds of electronic voice phenomena, or EVPs, have been gathered. Psychics
or mediums involved with the investigations and research claim there are as
many as 13 spirits who reside in the Lionti home. Lionti set up live web cams
in the most haunted hot spots of her house, and hosts a live chat through her
website www.hauntedartist.com where she is online most evenings with her “arm chair paranormal investigators,” as she affectionately refers to those who join her.
During the investigations, psychics and mediums have come up with names for
several of the spirits. There are two men, Douglas and Cliff, who seem to be
from the 1940s and wear pinstripe suits and fedoras. Robert is known to sit in
the living room; Annie is a little girl who plays with the balloon Lionti keeps
in the art studio and with her dolls. Denise is another spirit often experienced
in the art studio, with whom I connected during my own investigation. During my
first meeting with Lionti, she invited me to sit in her art studio and get a
feel for the room and the activity that occurs there. As I entered, I moved to
turn off the lights. As I did, to the left of my head, I saw a green ball of
light which darted into the closet behind me. It also was seen by a guest on the
live chat website.
The spirits seemed to interfere with our investigation. During the initial
setup, one of our main cameras wouldn’t function, but when I returned home, the
camera worked just fine. In addition, other pieces of equipment and batteries,
all new and triple-checked shortly before arriving for the investigation, were
now dead or not functioning. Spirits are believed to draw energy from these
types of items as well as storms and other energy sources, but this was pretty
extreme. We salvaged what equipment we could and asked questions of the spirits. I
picked up on the presence of a very private spirit named Denise.
Later, we felt a child’s presence. We decided to ask, “If you want us to
leave, please turn the flash light on for yes.” The flash light turned on. We
respected the wishes of whichever spirit was there and left the studio.
Later in the living room, we encountered some mild responses with our K2 EMF
meter picking up on spirits manipulating the electromagnetic field, but we
received better responses with the flash light. When we asked questions, spirits
seemed to turn on the flashlight at the appropriate times.
Overall, our interactions led us to believe that spirits seem to be very
interested in Lionti and her art work. She is in the process of publishing her
memoirs, and I look forward to reading them.
She is considering the title, One House, Two Husbands, and Thirteen
Ghosts, A Memoir.
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce July 28th, 2013
Some people believe a building has to be very old to be haunted. Well, that
isn’t always the case. A short time ago I came across a private residence that
was constructed less than 50 years ago, and is known to be more paranormally
active than other homes that are more than 200 years old or older.
Built in the 1970s, the house is the Jacksonville Beach residence of Caterina
Lionti, a well-known local artist, and her family. I recently traveled with my
team, Historic Haunts Investigations, to Lionti’s home where we had the honor of
researching and investigating. We learned that there are other homes in the
neighborhood that are reportedly haunted, as well. While historical accounts
vary, we discovered that the area may have been tied in to a long-gone farmhouse
property, and that it has something of a paranormal history with residual
energy and intelligent haunts still lingering there.
The activity and strange phenomena in Leonti’s home began as soon as she and
her husband moved in. They never believed in ghosts before and, at first, she
wondered if she was “going a little loopy.”
Little things occurred in the beginning; paint brushes floating across her
art studio and people hearing their names being called, but then a full body
apparition of a man in Colonial garb was seen by her family. Guests to the home
also started experiencing and describing the same thing. More spirits started
appearing, disembodied voices were repeatedly encountered and, in some cases,
arguments were overheard. In addition, more items in the house were being moved.
After discussing this with nearby residents and hearing a few neighbors share
their haunted stories, Lionti knew she wasn’t losing it, she knew there was
something going on.
She went to St. Augustine when she heard that members of a popular,
nationally televised, ghost hunting group were filming on location there.
Through one of the group’s members, she came into contact with C.A.P.E., a local paranormal investigative group led by Vishi Garig. Lionti allowed C.A.P.E., and
several other groups, to investigate her home a number of times and has even
allowed a local paranormal TV show to film an episode in the home.
Collectively, the groups have captured a large amount of paranormal evidence.
Hundreds of electronic voice phenomena, or EVPs, have been gathered. Psychics
or mediums involved with the investigations and research claim there are as
many as 13 spirits who reside in the Lionti home. Lionti set up live web cams
in the most haunted hot spots of her house, and hosts a live chat through her
website www.hauntedartist.com where she is online most evenings with her “arm chair paranormal investigators,” as she affectionately refers to those who join her.
During the investigations, psychics and mediums have come up with names for
several of the spirits. There are two men, Douglas and Cliff, who seem to be
from the 1940s and wear pinstripe suits and fedoras. Robert is known to sit in
the living room; Annie is a little girl who plays with the balloon Lionti keeps
in the art studio and with her dolls. Denise is another spirit often experienced
in the art studio, with whom I connected during my own investigation. During my
first meeting with Lionti, she invited me to sit in her art studio and get a
feel for the room and the activity that occurs there. As I entered, I moved to
turn off the lights. As I did, to the left of my head, I saw a green ball of
light which darted into the closet behind me. It also was seen by a guest on the
live chat website.
The spirits seemed to interfere with our investigation. During the initial
setup, one of our main cameras wouldn’t function, but when I returned home, the
camera worked just fine. In addition, other pieces of equipment and batteries,
all new and triple-checked shortly before arriving for the investigation, were
now dead or not functioning. Spirits are believed to draw energy from these
types of items as well as storms and other energy sources, but this was pretty
extreme. We salvaged what equipment we could and asked questions of the spirits. I
picked up on the presence of a very private spirit named Denise.
Later, we felt a child’s presence. We decided to ask, “If you want us to
leave, please turn the flash light on for yes.” The flash light turned on. We
respected the wishes of whichever spirit was there and left the studio.
Later in the living room, we encountered some mild responses with our K2 EMF
meter picking up on spirits manipulating the electromagnetic field, but we
received better responses with the flash light. When we asked questions, spirits
seemed to turn on the flashlight at the appropriate times.
Overall, our interactions led us to believe that spirits seem to be very
interested in Lionti and her art work. She is in the process of publishing her
memoirs, and I look forward to reading them.
She is considering the title, One House, Two Husbands, and Thirteen
Ghosts, A Memoir.
The Spirited Beaches Museum and Historic Center
Florida Times- Union Shorelines
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce October 5th, 2013
While doing research in 2011 for my first book, Historic Haunts Florida, at The Beaches Museum and History Center, I learned the museum was haunted. With other stories taking up my research time, I didn’t include it in the book, but kept the story in the back of my mind and vowed to return to it later.
As I wrapped up research on the stories of my second book Historic Haunts of the South and waited eagerly for its release, I finally found the time to keep my vow and research the stories and history of the building a little more thoroughly. What I discovered and found myself asking was whether the paranormal activity in the building could be attributed to the history, specific spirits, the land, or all the artifacts inside? Regardless of what direction I found myself leaning, one thing I knew was that paranormal occurrences happen here on a frequent basis!
After studying the history I learned that the museum was built in 2006, on property that once housed private residences. In fact, the area that makes up the main portion of the museum today was once a private residence from the mid-1940's. A structure which strangely disappeared from the records in 1960. A Mrs. McCormick started a beaches archive in a small building on the property and gave the land and the building to the museum.
As for the specific spirits, many paranormal investigation teams have explored the building looking for answers as to why the building is haunted and by whom. Drawn perhaps by the stories of visitors and even museum employees and volunteers, Operations Coordinator, Joshua Edwards, for example, has had experiences of his own. He described instances of several days in a row where chairs in the downstairs hallway would move on their own or go completely missing, only to return later to where they were originally supposed to be.
Taryn Rodriguez Boette, who also works at the museum in the archives room has heard many reports of paranormal activity involving the women's restroom upstairs. Known as the green bathroom, ladies have often reported an unnerving and unnatural feeling, especially in the handicap stall. Some describe a feeling akin to that of being watched while in the restroom alone. Adding further to this uncomfortable sensation is the fact that the door has also been known to open and close of its own accord.
Mrs. Boette's interview reminded me of an odd occurrence of my own. While previously researching another location at the museum for my books, my mom, Gayel Roush, decided to go with me to see the museum herself. She lived in Jacksonville in the 1960's and visited the beaches often. I didn’t tell her anything about the alleged ghost stories and was curious to see if she felt anything on her own. When I was done researching my story she came up to me and said, “That upstairs bathroom really wigged me out! You didn’t tell me the place was haunted!” I asked her why she felt “wigged out” and she said, “It's just creepy when you're in the restroom and you feel like someone is watching you.” I asked her which stall she was in and she told me it had been the handicap one.
While the stories from the visitors and employees were very compelling, I also knew the museum housed many artifacts from the beach's past and that it was possible that something might be holding on to some sort of energy. I explored for myself examining the artifacts, but found inconclusive results. What little evidence I did find led me to believe that there was nothing malicious here, and whatever spirit or spirits were in the building, they were more playful than anything. As I often like to say ghosts-like living people-don't necessarily perform on command. I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to return and continue looking for evidence like so many research groups before me.
If you or your group want to try and experience something paranormal for yourself (and I encourage you to do so), the museum is available to rent for investigations at a very reasonable fee and the money helps keep the museum and archives going. Regardless of the paranormal aspect, I hope all readers will check out the Beaches Museum by day for its rich detailed history of the area and the amazing treasures contained within.
Ghostly Shores
By: Jamie Roush Pearce October 5th, 2013
While doing research in 2011 for my first book, Historic Haunts Florida, at The Beaches Museum and History Center, I learned the museum was haunted. With other stories taking up my research time, I didn’t include it in the book, but kept the story in the back of my mind and vowed to return to it later.
As I wrapped up research on the stories of my second book Historic Haunts of the South and waited eagerly for its release, I finally found the time to keep my vow and research the stories and history of the building a little more thoroughly. What I discovered and found myself asking was whether the paranormal activity in the building could be attributed to the history, specific spirits, the land, or all the artifacts inside? Regardless of what direction I found myself leaning, one thing I knew was that paranormal occurrences happen here on a frequent basis!
After studying the history I learned that the museum was built in 2006, on property that once housed private residences. In fact, the area that makes up the main portion of the museum today was once a private residence from the mid-1940's. A structure which strangely disappeared from the records in 1960. A Mrs. McCormick started a beaches archive in a small building on the property and gave the land and the building to the museum.
As for the specific spirits, many paranormal investigation teams have explored the building looking for answers as to why the building is haunted and by whom. Drawn perhaps by the stories of visitors and even museum employees and volunteers, Operations Coordinator, Joshua Edwards, for example, has had experiences of his own. He described instances of several days in a row where chairs in the downstairs hallway would move on their own or go completely missing, only to return later to where they were originally supposed to be.
Taryn Rodriguez Boette, who also works at the museum in the archives room has heard many reports of paranormal activity involving the women's restroom upstairs. Known as the green bathroom, ladies have often reported an unnerving and unnatural feeling, especially in the handicap stall. Some describe a feeling akin to that of being watched while in the restroom alone. Adding further to this uncomfortable sensation is the fact that the door has also been known to open and close of its own accord.
Mrs. Boette's interview reminded me of an odd occurrence of my own. While previously researching another location at the museum for my books, my mom, Gayel Roush, decided to go with me to see the museum herself. She lived in Jacksonville in the 1960's and visited the beaches often. I didn’t tell her anything about the alleged ghost stories and was curious to see if she felt anything on her own. When I was done researching my story she came up to me and said, “That upstairs bathroom really wigged me out! You didn’t tell me the place was haunted!” I asked her why she felt “wigged out” and she said, “It's just creepy when you're in the restroom and you feel like someone is watching you.” I asked her which stall she was in and she told me it had been the handicap one.
While the stories from the visitors and employees were very compelling, I also knew the museum housed many artifacts from the beach's past and that it was possible that something might be holding on to some sort of energy. I explored for myself examining the artifacts, but found inconclusive results. What little evidence I did find led me to believe that there was nothing malicious here, and whatever spirit or spirits were in the building, they were more playful than anything. As I often like to say ghosts-like living people-don't necessarily perform on command. I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to return and continue looking for evidence like so many research groups before me.
If you or your group want to try and experience something paranormal for yourself (and I encourage you to do so), the museum is available to rent for investigations at a very reasonable fee and the money helps keep the museum and archives going. Regardless of the paranormal aspect, I hope all readers will check out the Beaches Museum by day for its rich detailed history of the area and the amazing treasures contained within.
Neighbor to Neighbor Article by: Jamie Pearce
Neighbor to Neighbor
October 2013
Green Cove Springs Paranormal Melting Pot by: Jamie Pearce
Check out page 3 of Neighbor to Neighbor, Jamie Roush Pearce, author of Historic Haunts Florida and Historic Haunts of the South, talks about Green Cove Springs being a paranormal melting pot with several haunted locations in the area known as the historic triangle.
http://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=178264
October 2013
Green Cove Springs Paranormal Melting Pot by: Jamie Pearce
Check out page 3 of Neighbor to Neighbor, Jamie Roush Pearce, author of Historic Haunts Florida and Historic Haunts of the South, talks about Green Cove Springs being a paranormal melting pot with several haunted locations in the area known as the historic triangle.
http://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=178264
The Buzz, Boos & Brews Article by: Jamie Pearce
The Buzz
October 2013
Boos and Brews by: Jamie Pearce
Check out the October issue of The Buzz, page 14 Boos and Brews by Historic Haunts Investigations Founder Jamie Roush Pearce. The article features haunted pubs across northeast Florida.
http://www.iwantabuzz.com/magazine.php?MAGID=201310
October 2013
Boos and Brews by: Jamie Pearce
Check out the October issue of The Buzz, page 14 Boos and Brews by Historic Haunts Investigations Founder Jamie Roush Pearce. The article features haunted pubs across northeast Florida.
http://www.iwantabuzz.com/magazine.php?MAGID=201310
EU, Haunts of Northeast Florida Article by: Jamie Pearce
EU Jacksonville
October 2013
Haunts of Northeast Florida by: Jamie Pearce
Check out page 9 of the October 2013 issue of EU Jacksonville for Jamie Roush Pearce's featured article on haunted locations across northeast Florida. Some amazing haunted hot spots for all the fans of the paranormal. http://www.eujacksonville.com/
October 2013
Haunts of Northeast Florida by: Jamie Pearce
Check out page 9 of the October 2013 issue of EU Jacksonville for Jamie Roush Pearce's featured article on haunted locations across northeast Florida. Some amazing haunted hot spots for all the fans of the paranormal. http://www.eujacksonville.com/
Paranormal Investigator Releases Second Book
The Mountaineer Guide
By: Jessi Stone
October 23rd, 2013
Jamie Roush Pearce, formerly of Clyde, experienced something unexplainable when she was 5.
It was an experience that would lead her to a passion and a career in paranormal investigations. She lived in many houses as a child because her mother flipped houses for a living in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“One house we lived in in St. Petersburg, I awoke in the middle of the night and saw an elderly woman who was transparent standing next to my bed,” she recalled. “I wasn’t scared, actually felt very peaceful. She pulled up my covers, tucked me in, knelt down and kissed me on the forehead and vanished. That had me hooked.”
After doing a lot of genealogical research, Pearce discovered that the women in her family have had more paranormal experiences than most. In fact, Pearce describes herself as post cognitive, meaning she can see things from the past, while her other is pre cognitive, meaning she has premonitions. These abilities also run in her maternal family.
Pearce lived in Clyde for seven years until she moved back to Florida four years ago to manage one of the largest ghost tour companies in St. Augustine. She left that position a year ago to focus 100 percent on her paranormal lectures, school group trips, books and investigations.
“I also used to work at the Walmart in Waynesville by day and did my paranormal investigations by night,” she said.
Pearce developed a passion for history and the paranormal. She began to research and investigate paranormal sites and stories. She established Historic Haunts Investigations in 2004 to display her research and findings, and provide an outlet where others could share their stories.
She is a regular contributor to the Florida Times-Union and has been featured in the award-winning Jacksonville Magazine. In addition, she’s been featured on the cable television shows “Most Terrifying Places in America,” and “My Ghost Story.” She has worked with Chip Coffey, John Zaffis, and Ghost Hunter's TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society). She consults with several noted paranormal authors and experts, as well as a number of paranormal groups.
Clients come to her for answers to things they can’t explain. She performs extensive interviews with the family members and researches the history of the home.
“If I come to the decision that the client is legit I set up a meeting then set up an investigation if needed,” Pearce said. “My team Historic Haunts Investigations and I will go in and do a base reading.”
Her team performs temperature readings for electromagnetic fields. Pearce said homes that don’t have electrical wiring that is grounded correctly or with high voltage can actually make people sick or cause them to hallucinate seeing or hearing ghosts. Her team can capture apparitions speaking using digital recording devices and can even get photos of spirits using infrared cameras.
“Once we determine if a location is or is not haunted we sit down with the client and talk with them,” she said. “Sometimes we do have cases that it is all in the clients head and we approach that delicately and we actually do have a psychiatrist we recommend and a priest if need be.”
She has many stories she could share about seeing full-body apparitions, has a recorded conversation with a spirit and even a ghost ship sighting at Jekyll Island. As for the skeptics, it’s just something she has to deal with on a daily basis. She was even lectured during a book signing about how she was writing about the devil.
“Some people don’t believe because they have never seen a ghost… just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” she said.
For those who want to believe, pick up a copy of Pearce’s book, “Historic Haunts Florida” or her newest book, “Historic Haunts of the South,” chronicling her investigations and personal experiences. The first in the series is already in its third printing. At 109 pages, the new book is a quick and gripping read for $13 at most locations.
Helen’s Bridge in Asheville is just one southern haunted location featured in the second book. Both books are available at www.historic-haunts.net.Now she is working on three new books all at the same time — “Historic Haunts of the South 2,” “Historic Haunts of the North” and “Historic Haunts Scotland” for the 20th Anniversary of the NEFL Scottish Games.
By: Jessi Stone
October 23rd, 2013
Jamie Roush Pearce, formerly of Clyde, experienced something unexplainable when she was 5.
It was an experience that would lead her to a passion and a career in paranormal investigations. She lived in many houses as a child because her mother flipped houses for a living in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“One house we lived in in St. Petersburg, I awoke in the middle of the night and saw an elderly woman who was transparent standing next to my bed,” she recalled. “I wasn’t scared, actually felt very peaceful. She pulled up my covers, tucked me in, knelt down and kissed me on the forehead and vanished. That had me hooked.”
After doing a lot of genealogical research, Pearce discovered that the women in her family have had more paranormal experiences than most. In fact, Pearce describes herself as post cognitive, meaning she can see things from the past, while her other is pre cognitive, meaning she has premonitions. These abilities also run in her maternal family.
Pearce lived in Clyde for seven years until she moved back to Florida four years ago to manage one of the largest ghost tour companies in St. Augustine. She left that position a year ago to focus 100 percent on her paranormal lectures, school group trips, books and investigations.
“I also used to work at the Walmart in Waynesville by day and did my paranormal investigations by night,” she said.
Pearce developed a passion for history and the paranormal. She began to research and investigate paranormal sites and stories. She established Historic Haunts Investigations in 2004 to display her research and findings, and provide an outlet where others could share their stories.
She is a regular contributor to the Florida Times-Union and has been featured in the award-winning Jacksonville Magazine. In addition, she’s been featured on the cable television shows “Most Terrifying Places in America,” and “My Ghost Story.” She has worked with Chip Coffey, John Zaffis, and Ghost Hunter's TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society). She consults with several noted paranormal authors and experts, as well as a number of paranormal groups.
Clients come to her for answers to things they can’t explain. She performs extensive interviews with the family members and researches the history of the home.
“If I come to the decision that the client is legit I set up a meeting then set up an investigation if needed,” Pearce said. “My team Historic Haunts Investigations and I will go in and do a base reading.”
Her team performs temperature readings for electromagnetic fields. Pearce said homes that don’t have electrical wiring that is grounded correctly or with high voltage can actually make people sick or cause them to hallucinate seeing or hearing ghosts. Her team can capture apparitions speaking using digital recording devices and can even get photos of spirits using infrared cameras.
“Once we determine if a location is or is not haunted we sit down with the client and talk with them,” she said. “Sometimes we do have cases that it is all in the clients head and we approach that delicately and we actually do have a psychiatrist we recommend and a priest if need be.”
She has many stories she could share about seeing full-body apparitions, has a recorded conversation with a spirit and even a ghost ship sighting at Jekyll Island. As for the skeptics, it’s just something she has to deal with on a daily basis. She was even lectured during a book signing about how she was writing about the devil.
“Some people don’t believe because they have never seen a ghost… just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” she said.
For those who want to believe, pick up a copy of Pearce’s book, “Historic Haunts Florida” or her newest book, “Historic Haunts of the South,” chronicling her investigations and personal experiences. The first in the series is already in its third printing. At 109 pages, the new book is a quick and gripping read for $13 at most locations.
Helen’s Bridge in Asheville is just one southern haunted location featured in the second book. Both books are available at www.historic-haunts.net.Now she is working on three new books all at the same time — “Historic Haunts of the South 2,” “Historic Haunts of the North” and “Historic Haunts Scotland” for the 20th Anniversary of the NEFL Scottish Games.
Coffey Talk with Chip Coffey at the Casa Marina
Deric, Chip, and Jamie
A fantastic investigation and book signing with Chip Coffey at the Casa Marina in Jacksonville Beach Florida.
The psychic reading took place and we all saw Chip tell guests some amazing things.
Then Jamie Roush Pearce did a signing for Historic Haunts Florida and Historic Haunts of the South.
The psychic reading took place and we all saw Chip tell guests some amazing things.
Then Jamie Roush Pearce did a signing for Historic Haunts Florida and Historic Haunts of the South.
Jamie Roush Pearce @ 2014 Ancient City Con, Jacksonville FL
Author Jamie Roush Pearce, Founder of Historic Haunts Investigations spoke at the 2014 Ancient City Con in Jacksonville Florida.
Pearce spoke about her books, Historic Haunts Florida and Historic Haunts of the South then about researching the paranormal.
Pearce spoke about her books, Historic Haunts Florida and Historic Haunts of the South then about researching the paranormal.
Jamie Pearce @ 2014 CONjure, Orlando FL
Jamie Pearce appeared on several paranormal panels at CONjure Florida, August 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 2014.
She spoke about personal experience, investigation techniques, and tools of the trade.
Pearce is looking forward to the 2015 event and knows it will be even bigger and better than the inaugural event.
She spoke about personal experience, investigation techniques, and tools of the trade.
Pearce is looking forward to the 2015 event and knows it will be even bigger and better than the inaugural event.
Make Some Paranormal Friends on Aviles Street
Historic City News
By: Jamie Pearce
August 24th, 2014
Antiques and Uniques Collectibles, located at 7 Aviles Street in St Augustine, was originally built between 1885 and 1888 by A.H. Cornish as the St. Augustine City Jail. It was built above the Los Remedios Catholic Cathedral Cemetery, which dates to the 1700s.
During its stint as a jail it housed small time crooks and drunks. By 1893, the jail was closed, and additions would be made to the building by the tenants and businesses that followed. In the years after the jails closure the building housed a Chinese laundry, offices, and a variety of shops.
In 2003, Larry and Denise Altman fell in love with the town and the building during a visit to St. Augustine. Afterwards they felt themselves drawn back time and time again. They were finally able to fulfill their dream and buy the building in 2010, opening the antique shop that resides there today.
From the moment they took over, paranormal incidents began occuring. Through the last several years they’ve been on a first name basis with many of their resident ghosts. The store is so active that they’ve installed cameras throughout to capture what goes on day and night, and for use in live web broadcasts. Fans of the paranormal and armchair investigators often report what they witness.
One camera actually captured the door of the refrigerator (located behind the counter) open wide as if someone were getting a drink out. So far the Altmans and my team have been unable to debunk this video. In fact, my team, Historic Haunts Investigations, and I have tried to capture our own evidence here many times, the building seldom lets us down.
During one of our investigations, three team members and I were in the garage area and the door into the shop opened on its own. When we investigated further we discovered that there was no way for the door to do this on its own. The door is actually tilted in a way that would have caused it to swing in the opposite direction.
During another investigation we caught EVP’s mentioning four of the team members there in the room. One investigator stated she had never been in the room to which a captured spirit EVP replied, “You have to” in a very irritated tone. The team member stated again she hadn’t and another EVP said “Have so”. Three of my team members and I informed the spirit she had been in the shop before, but not the area we were in. The EVP we recorded immediately following confirmed, “Exactly”. It was clear we had an intelligent haunt on our hands.
There are at least two ghosts of children here. Many believe they are related to a former Sheriff or jailer. Denise and Larry keep a few children’s toys in the closet for these spirits to play with and paranormal equipment to try and capture the activity going on.
Sometimes when inquiries are made about whether the building is haunted or not the Altmans will point out a hot spot and share the stories of their resident ghosts. They allow the building to be rented for paranormal investigations at a very reasonable fee. We recommend it because every time we’ve been here, we’ve captured some kind of evidence.
Besides the phantom EVP’s from the spirits of former living souls, other unusual events often occur. For example, there is reportedly a ghost cat haunting here. The last time we investigated five members of my team heard two distinct “meows” inside the store, a store with no cats.
Phantom smells are sometimes encountered at this location. On one of our investigations the room filled with the smell of bacon, with no plausible explanation. With incidents like these it’s easy to see why the store is a great place to shop, see a piece of St. Augustine’s history, and possibly make a few new paranormal friends.
By: Jamie Pearce
August 24th, 2014
Antiques and Uniques Collectibles, located at 7 Aviles Street in St Augustine, was originally built between 1885 and 1888 by A.H. Cornish as the St. Augustine City Jail. It was built above the Los Remedios Catholic Cathedral Cemetery, which dates to the 1700s.
During its stint as a jail it housed small time crooks and drunks. By 1893, the jail was closed, and additions would be made to the building by the tenants and businesses that followed. In the years after the jails closure the building housed a Chinese laundry, offices, and a variety of shops.
In 2003, Larry and Denise Altman fell in love with the town and the building during a visit to St. Augustine. Afterwards they felt themselves drawn back time and time again. They were finally able to fulfill their dream and buy the building in 2010, opening the antique shop that resides there today.
From the moment they took over, paranormal incidents began occuring. Through the last several years they’ve been on a first name basis with many of their resident ghosts. The store is so active that they’ve installed cameras throughout to capture what goes on day and night, and for use in live web broadcasts. Fans of the paranormal and armchair investigators often report what they witness.
One camera actually captured the door of the refrigerator (located behind the counter) open wide as if someone were getting a drink out. So far the Altmans and my team have been unable to debunk this video. In fact, my team, Historic Haunts Investigations, and I have tried to capture our own evidence here many times, the building seldom lets us down.
During one of our investigations, three team members and I were in the garage area and the door into the shop opened on its own. When we investigated further we discovered that there was no way for the door to do this on its own. The door is actually tilted in a way that would have caused it to swing in the opposite direction.
During another investigation we caught EVP’s mentioning four of the team members there in the room. One investigator stated she had never been in the room to which a captured spirit EVP replied, “You have to” in a very irritated tone. The team member stated again she hadn’t and another EVP said “Have so”. Three of my team members and I informed the spirit she had been in the shop before, but not the area we were in. The EVP we recorded immediately following confirmed, “Exactly”. It was clear we had an intelligent haunt on our hands.
There are at least two ghosts of children here. Many believe they are related to a former Sheriff or jailer. Denise and Larry keep a few children’s toys in the closet for these spirits to play with and paranormal equipment to try and capture the activity going on.
Sometimes when inquiries are made about whether the building is haunted or not the Altmans will point out a hot spot and share the stories of their resident ghosts. They allow the building to be rented for paranormal investigations at a very reasonable fee. We recommend it because every time we’ve been here, we’ve captured some kind of evidence.
Besides the phantom EVP’s from the spirits of former living souls, other unusual events often occur. For example, there is reportedly a ghost cat haunting here. The last time we investigated five members of my team heard two distinct “meows” inside the store, a store with no cats.
Phantom smells are sometimes encountered at this location. On one of our investigations the room filled with the smell of bacon, with no plausible explanation. With incidents like these it’s easy to see why the store is a great place to shop, see a piece of St. Augustine’s history, and possibly make a few new paranormal friends.
Jamie Pearce in the Buzz, Jacksonville, October 2014 Issue
Make sure to check out the October issue of The Buzz in Northeast Florida. Jamie Pearce was a featured author in this issue.
http://issuu.com/iwantabuzz.com/docs/oct_magazine_digitial__1_/13?e=11846751/9527585
http://issuu.com/iwantabuzz.com/docs/oct_magazine_digitial__1_/13?e=11846751/9527585
Jamie PEarce's Article in the Jacksonville Magazine, October 2014
Don't forget to get your copy of the October issue of Jacksonville Magazine. Jamie Pearce talks about a few of her favorite haunts in northeast Florida.
http://trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?i=227141&pre=1
http://trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?i=227141&pre=1
Jamie Pearce's Article for Scuba Dive Magazine October 2014
Jamie Pearce recently wrote an article of some of the top haunted dive sites in the world. Author and Paranormal investigator Jamie Pearce doesn't only have a passion for the paranormal, but she is also a certified scuba diver and loves the open waters. Make sure to check out her article here:
http://www.scubadiving.com/keywords/underwater-photography/diving-worlds-most-haunted-wrecks
http://www.scubadiving.com/keywords/underwater-photography/diving-worlds-most-haunted-wrecks
Jamie Pearce (left) scuba diving the Breakers.
Jamie Pearce's Blog for Visit Florida October 2014
Jamie Pearce, founder of Historic Haunts Investigations and author of 3 books in her Historic Haunts series was born in Florida and knows some of the greatest haunted hot spots in the state.
She recently did a blog for Visit Florida on the Top 10 Haunted Sites in Florida. Make sure to check it out before you go on your next road trip across the sunshine state.
http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/articles/2014/insider-off-the-beaten-path/florida-haunts.html?CID=SM_Facebook_Insiders_OffTheBeatenPath
She recently did a blog for Visit Florida on the Top 10 Haunted Sites in Florida. Make sure to check it out before you go on your next road trip across the sunshine state.
http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/articles/2014/insider-off-the-beaten-path/florida-haunts.html?CID=SM_Facebook_Insiders_OffTheBeatenPath
Jamie PEarce Talks with the New Age Thinkers about the Paranormal
I had a fantastic paranormal chat with the New Age Thinkers this past Saturday. It was an amazing group and we talk about some of my favorite personal experiences and some of my Historic Haunts Investigations team’s best evidence captured over the past 10+ years. We even discussed my upcoming book, Historic Haunts of the South 2, which will be out the end of October or early November.
Thank you so much to Donna and her wonderful group for inviting me down!
www.newagethinkers.org
~Jamie Pearce
Author/Founder of Historic Haunts Investigations
Thank you so much to Donna and her wonderful group for inviting me down!
www.newagethinkers.org
~Jamie Pearce
Author/Founder of Historic Haunts Investigations
Spirits at the Balsam Mountain Inn by: Jamie Pearce
The Mountaineer, The Guide
October 22-28, 2014
The Balsam Mountain Inn sits at 3,500 feet in elevation looks out over a range of mountains. Construction on this amazing Inn started in 1905, and was undertaken by brothers-in-law Joseph Kennedy and Walter Christy. It began as a spacious 100 room hotel which was completed and opened in 1908. The hotel boasted beautiful views and 100 foot long porches with fresh spring water that many believed had “healing” properties. At the time the hotel opened (originally as the Balsam Springs Hotel), springs were extremely popular and many flocked here for the rejuvenating waters and the fresh mountain air.
Unlike many other Inns that perished in the middle of the 20th century due to fires, negligence or age, the Balsam Mountain Inn withstood the test of time. That is until the late 1980s, when a declining number of guests and maintenance issues saw it go downhill fast and fall into disrepair. Merrily Teasley, an innkeeper from East Tennessee, spotted the hotel and bought it and began restoration. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and has been beautifully restored. It is perhaps during these restorations, as is often the case, which the paranormal gets stirred up.
My first paranormal experience at the inn was in 2000 at a Christmas party. I left the party for a few minutes to walk around and explore this grand hotel with my mom (who was attending the party with me). We heard footsteps ahead of us moving farther down the hallway. Curious, we went down the hallway to see who or what was causing it. We found no living person making the footsteps, and yet they inexplicably continued. We followed the sounds of the footsteps down the hall until they stopped. We also stopped, looked at each other, and looked up to see we were standing in front of Room #207.
Amazed and excited we turned around to head back to the party. Just then the doorknob started to jiggle. No one came out of the room, but the footsteps began again as if someone had left from inside. The footsteps headed back down the hallway and towards the party and we followed them as we also headed back to the party.
When we returned to the festivities we were still chatting about what we had experienced when a woman approached us. She was attending the party with her husband and mentioned that she was a little scared by the place. She said she was coming back from the restrooms when she heard someone following her down the hallway but when she turned no one was there.
I started doing research on the location a couple of days later and found out what we experienced wasn’t anything new, in fact many others have reported it. The activity seems to focus around rooms #205 and #207. According to eyewitness reports and employee testimonials, there doesn't seem to be anything harmful causing the activity. From the descriptions it seems like residual energy. Perhaps whatever spirits still haunt the Inn, they are continuing to do their own thing, oblivious to everyone around them as they perform their habitual activity.
October 22-28, 2014
The Balsam Mountain Inn sits at 3,500 feet in elevation looks out over a range of mountains. Construction on this amazing Inn started in 1905, and was undertaken by brothers-in-law Joseph Kennedy and Walter Christy. It began as a spacious 100 room hotel which was completed and opened in 1908. The hotel boasted beautiful views and 100 foot long porches with fresh spring water that many believed had “healing” properties. At the time the hotel opened (originally as the Balsam Springs Hotel), springs were extremely popular and many flocked here for the rejuvenating waters and the fresh mountain air.
Unlike many other Inns that perished in the middle of the 20th century due to fires, negligence or age, the Balsam Mountain Inn withstood the test of time. That is until the late 1980s, when a declining number of guests and maintenance issues saw it go downhill fast and fall into disrepair. Merrily Teasley, an innkeeper from East Tennessee, spotted the hotel and bought it and began restoration. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and has been beautifully restored. It is perhaps during these restorations, as is often the case, which the paranormal gets stirred up.
My first paranormal experience at the inn was in 2000 at a Christmas party. I left the party for a few minutes to walk around and explore this grand hotel with my mom (who was attending the party with me). We heard footsteps ahead of us moving farther down the hallway. Curious, we went down the hallway to see who or what was causing it. We found no living person making the footsteps, and yet they inexplicably continued. We followed the sounds of the footsteps down the hall until they stopped. We also stopped, looked at each other, and looked up to see we were standing in front of Room #207.
Amazed and excited we turned around to head back to the party. Just then the doorknob started to jiggle. No one came out of the room, but the footsteps began again as if someone had left from inside. The footsteps headed back down the hallway and towards the party and we followed them as we also headed back to the party.
When we returned to the festivities we were still chatting about what we had experienced when a woman approached us. She was attending the party with her husband and mentioned that she was a little scared by the place. She said she was coming back from the restrooms when she heard someone following her down the hallway but when she turned no one was there.
I started doing research on the location a couple of days later and found out what we experienced wasn’t anything new, in fact many others have reported it. The activity seems to focus around rooms #205 and #207. According to eyewitness reports and employee testimonials, there doesn't seem to be anything harmful causing the activity. From the descriptions it seems like residual energy. Perhaps whatever spirits still haunt the Inn, they are continuing to do their own thing, oblivious to everyone around them as they perform their habitual activity.
Jamie Pearce Book Signing at The Coffee Bard, Jacksonville FL
Photo by Kilted Photography
Author Jamie Pearce enjoyed a morning book signing at the Coffee Bard on Saturday, January 17th, 2015.
A great cup of tea and a fascinating book on the paranormal makes for a wonderful Saturday morning.
Even if you missed the book signing, it doesn't mean you have to miss the coffee, stop by and tell Henry hello and enjoy a cup, and if you missed the signing, you can order your copy of any and all the books int he Historic Haunts series from this website.
A great cup of tea and a fascinating book on the paranormal makes for a wonderful Saturday morning.
Even if you missed the book signing, it doesn't mean you have to miss the coffee, stop by and tell Henry hello and enjoy a cup, and if you missed the signing, you can order your copy of any and all the books int he Historic Haunts series from this website.
Paranormal Reality Experience, Ocala Florida
Steve DiSchiavi and Jamie Pearce
Historic Haunts Investigations founder and author, Jamie Pearce recently did an event in Ocala Florida called Paranormal Reality Experience in Ocala Florida.
With some of the top names in the paranormal field, it was a great experience for guests to learn more about the subject.
It was held at the historic and haunted Marion Theatre. It was a great night for everyone and learning so much about a fascinating topic.
With some of the top names in the paranormal field, it was a great experience for guests to learn more about the subject.
It was held at the historic and haunted Marion Theatre. It was a great night for everyone and learning so much about a fascinating topic.
Ghost Hunt Weekends at the Old Green Cove Jail & Courthouse
We had an amazing time with Ghost Hunt Weekends at the Old Clay County Courthouse and Old Jail in Green Cove Springs on January 31st, 2015.
Both locations are featured in my Historic Haunts series.
It was great seeing Amy Bruni and Shawn Porter again and meeting Chad Morin and his crew.
The event was a great success and we are looking forward to working with Chad and the Ghost Hunt Weekends Crew again in the future.
~Jamie Pearce
Author/Founder of Historic Haunts Investigations
Both locations are featured in my Historic Haunts series.
It was great seeing Amy Bruni and Shawn Porter again and meeting Chad Morin and his crew.
The event was a great success and we are looking forward to working with Chad and the Ghost Hunt Weekends Crew again in the future.
~Jamie Pearce
Author/Founder of Historic Haunts Investigations
Jamie Pearce is Guest Speaker at 2015 Dragon Con on the Paranormal
Jamie Pearce spoke on a few panels at Dragon Con on the paranormal, her investigations, and her books.
She even spoke on a panel with Brandy Green from Ghost Hunters International about Paranormal in TV and Movies, How it has Helped and Hurt the Field.
Great convention and Pearce is looking forward to next year.
She even spoke on a panel with Brandy Green from Ghost Hunters International about Paranormal in TV and Movies, How it has Helped and Hurt the Field.
Great convention and Pearce is looking forward to next year.
Jamie Pearce's Article for Historic City News September 2015
My Spirited House Guest
In 2009 I moved back to Florida and moved into an apartment building in St. Augustine. It was originally built in the 1940s as a barracks for the Naval Academy. The building is located just a couple of blocks from two historic sites, behind the old jail and next to the Fountain of Youth.
When I first moved in, the place felt a little unusual to me. It was much smaller and different than anything I'd ever lived in, but I decided I'd do my best to make it a comfy home. However, it wasn’t long after I moved in that strange things started to happen.
The corridor I lived on was on the 2nd floor and there was only my apartment and one other across from me. At the time I first moved in this other apartment was empty. So I thought it was very peculiar that I would hear footsteps walk down the hall and stop and open the door. The first time this happened, I thought maybe someone had moved in while I was at work or that the apartment's management were checking in or showing the place, none of these it turns out, was the case. Still I clearly heard the footsteps and the door open repeatedly on several different occasions. Each time I looked through the peep hole in the door to see who could be next door I saw nothing! This phenomenon and the sounds of other disembodied noises began to occur. It was then that I saw the misty figure of a very tall man (at least 6 feet 4).
Other unusual activity began to occur. I often saw shadows in the courtyard out my back window during a time of night when there was normally no one "living" present to create the shadows. I even went outside to explore and see if someone was there or whether something else could be creating the shadow. The investigator in me was eager to debunk this unusual occurrence. I ruled out every obvious explanation I could, but sometimes with no help from moonlight or other shadow-casting light source I would still see the shadow even with nothing there to have cast it.
On another occasion, I had just gotten home from work and a terrible storm was about to blow through. As was usually my habit I locked the door as I came in and turned on the lights while going into my bedroom to change clothes. Soon the rain, lightning and thunder began, It was so loud the entire building shook, then the downpour started.
During an intense part of the storm I turned around in my bedroom facing the hall. There was an almost palpable change to the air in the room, I could feel the energy in the apartment like the atmosphes) who appeared to be native American. It startled me since I knew I was alone in the place and the storm made the sudden surprise even more unsettling. Being able to gaze right through my new translucent "house guest" made me realize I was dealing with an apparition and not a real life threatening intruder. I told the spirit to get out of my apartment and he vanished immediately!
After this incident I was determined to discover the origin or possible connections to my ghostly visitor. I went to the historic library and realized at one point Indian remains had been found on the property many decades ago. I also learned that Indians were believed to have lived nearby (next door of fact).
I continued living in that apartment, but that stormy night was the only time I was slightly spooked while living there. The paranormal activity did continue to occur, just not to the extant it was that night. I saw Indian apparitions again and other manifestations in general on the grounds of the apartment building. After questioning my fellow apartment dwellers I learned I was not the only one who had experienced paranormal activity.
I believe there are many different spirits at this location connected to the building's past, and possibly to the nearby "Fountain of Youth." St. Augustine and many of her historic attractions (including the Fountain of Youth) are thought to be haunted. I'm sure I'm not the first one who can begin a ghostly tale of the area with " It was a dark and stormy night".
In 2009 I moved back to Florida and moved into an apartment building in St. Augustine. It was originally built in the 1940s as a barracks for the Naval Academy. The building is located just a couple of blocks from two historic sites, behind the old jail and next to the Fountain of Youth.
When I first moved in, the place felt a little unusual to me. It was much smaller and different than anything I'd ever lived in, but I decided I'd do my best to make it a comfy home. However, it wasn’t long after I moved in that strange things started to happen.
The corridor I lived on was on the 2nd floor and there was only my apartment and one other across from me. At the time I first moved in this other apartment was empty. So I thought it was very peculiar that I would hear footsteps walk down the hall and stop and open the door. The first time this happened, I thought maybe someone had moved in while I was at work or that the apartment's management were checking in or showing the place, none of these it turns out, was the case. Still I clearly heard the footsteps and the door open repeatedly on several different occasions. Each time I looked through the peep hole in the door to see who could be next door I saw nothing! This phenomenon and the sounds of other disembodied noises began to occur. It was then that I saw the misty figure of a very tall man (at least 6 feet 4).
Other unusual activity began to occur. I often saw shadows in the courtyard out my back window during a time of night when there was normally no one "living" present to create the shadows. I even went outside to explore and see if someone was there or whether something else could be creating the shadow. The investigator in me was eager to debunk this unusual occurrence. I ruled out every obvious explanation I could, but sometimes with no help from moonlight or other shadow-casting light source I would still see the shadow even with nothing there to have cast it.
On another occasion, I had just gotten home from work and a terrible storm was about to blow through. As was usually my habit I locked the door as I came in and turned on the lights while going into my bedroom to change clothes. Soon the rain, lightning and thunder began, It was so loud the entire building shook, then the downpour started.
During an intense part of the storm I turned around in my bedroom facing the hall. There was an almost palpable change to the air in the room, I could feel the energy in the apartment like the atmosphes) who appeared to be native American. It startled me since I knew I was alone in the place and the storm made the sudden surprise even more unsettling. Being able to gaze right through my new translucent "house guest" made me realize I was dealing with an apparition and not a real life threatening intruder. I told the spirit to get out of my apartment and he vanished immediately!
After this incident I was determined to discover the origin or possible connections to my ghostly visitor. I went to the historic library and realized at one point Indian remains had been found on the property many decades ago. I also learned that Indians were believed to have lived nearby (next door of fact).
I continued living in that apartment, but that stormy night was the only time I was slightly spooked while living there. The paranormal activity did continue to occur, just not to the extant it was that night. I saw Indian apparitions again and other manifestations in general on the grounds of the apartment building. After questioning my fellow apartment dwellers I learned I was not the only one who had experienced paranormal activity.
I believe there are many different spirits at this location connected to the building's past, and possibly to the nearby "Fountain of Youth." St. Augustine and many of her historic attractions (including the Fountain of Youth) are thought to be haunted. I'm sure I'm not the first one who can begin a ghostly tale of the area with " It was a dark and stormy night".
Jamie Pearce's Article for October 2015 Neighbor to Neighbor
You Don't know Jack! But he's back.
You've no doubt heard people say sometimes that they're happy to visit or move back to " their old haunt". What if their old haunt involved a new one? There is a cute little three bedroom, two bathroom home off of Aurora St. in Orange Park that was never known to be haunted, that is until the Roush family of North Carolina moved in.
Gayel and James Roush moved back to Florida from North Carolina in 2012. They thought they'd left their happy resident haunt at their old home in city of Clyde. To their surprise, the spirit came with them.
For several years the Roush family lived with an active spirit in their former residence. When strange things originally started happening in their NC home they wanted to know who or what could be the source. Fortunately, they had easy access to someone who could try to find out, their daughter and the author of this article. At the time I lived in the house with my parents. I was into the paranormal at a very early age along with genealogy and historic research and dug into the history of our former home. After extensive background studies I determined the "resident" ghost was most likely the spirit of Jack Rector.
Jack had passed away in the Roush’s former home in 1984 of a heart attack. The house had changed hands a few times, but it seemed one resident had remained. Most paranormal investigators believe spirits can sometime be stirred to activity by new arrivals, renovations or changes at the location to which the spirit is attached.
A short while after we moved into the house in Clyde, the paranormal incidents began to occur. We heard disembodied footsteps and the sounds of an old Victrola playing. We also spotted shadow figures and apparitions and experienced the phantom smells of coffee (despite the lack of any coffee being brewed, present at the time or having been left out or nearby). These bouts of activity were also sometimes remarkable because of the incidents of items in the house being moved or removed only to reappear later elsewhere.
Long after I'd moved out and after the Roushs moved to Orange Park it didn’t take long for things to start up again. Gayel, my mother and the matriarch of the family, once again reported the phantom smells of coffee brewing, so common in their former home and now apparently manifesting here. Shortly after that, things started to vanish and reappear in odd places and which had already been thoroughly searched. The Roushs' have even reported seeing shadows from time to time in one of the bedrooms. Gayel happens to be part of my Historic Haunts Investigations team and as such has access to our equipment. Using it she has even gotten activity with the K2 EMF Meter (a device which picks up on electromagnetic field fluctuations thought to be manipulated by spirits).
In this instance researching the source for the activity might be unnecessary. It seems that before the Roushs left North Carolina to be closer to their daughter (yours truly) they told their resident haunt Jack he could come with them. Apparently he did!
You've no doubt heard people say sometimes that they're happy to visit or move back to " their old haunt". What if their old haunt involved a new one? There is a cute little three bedroom, two bathroom home off of Aurora St. in Orange Park that was never known to be haunted, that is until the Roush family of North Carolina moved in.
Gayel and James Roush moved back to Florida from North Carolina in 2012. They thought they'd left their happy resident haunt at their old home in city of Clyde. To their surprise, the spirit came with them.
For several years the Roush family lived with an active spirit in their former residence. When strange things originally started happening in their NC home they wanted to know who or what could be the source. Fortunately, they had easy access to someone who could try to find out, their daughter and the author of this article. At the time I lived in the house with my parents. I was into the paranormal at a very early age along with genealogy and historic research and dug into the history of our former home. After extensive background studies I determined the "resident" ghost was most likely the spirit of Jack Rector.
Jack had passed away in the Roush’s former home in 1984 of a heart attack. The house had changed hands a few times, but it seemed one resident had remained. Most paranormal investigators believe spirits can sometime be stirred to activity by new arrivals, renovations or changes at the location to which the spirit is attached.
A short while after we moved into the house in Clyde, the paranormal incidents began to occur. We heard disembodied footsteps and the sounds of an old Victrola playing. We also spotted shadow figures and apparitions and experienced the phantom smells of coffee (despite the lack of any coffee being brewed, present at the time or having been left out or nearby). These bouts of activity were also sometimes remarkable because of the incidents of items in the house being moved or removed only to reappear later elsewhere.
Long after I'd moved out and after the Roushs moved to Orange Park it didn’t take long for things to start up again. Gayel, my mother and the matriarch of the family, once again reported the phantom smells of coffee brewing, so common in their former home and now apparently manifesting here. Shortly after that, things started to vanish and reappear in odd places and which had already been thoroughly searched. The Roushs' have even reported seeing shadows from time to time in one of the bedrooms. Gayel happens to be part of my Historic Haunts Investigations team and as such has access to our equipment. Using it she has even gotten activity with the K2 EMF Meter (a device which picks up on electromagnetic field fluctuations thought to be manipulated by spirits).
In this instance researching the source for the activity might be unnecessary. It seems that before the Roushs left North Carolina to be closer to their daughter (yours truly) they told their resident haunt Jack he could come with them. Apparently he did!
Jamie Pearce Interviewed by Greenwich Affair Magazine in NY
Make sure you check out the October 2015 issue of Greenwich Affair. Author and Historic Haunts Investigations founder Jamie Pearce was interview for the Spooky Stays article which features many haunted hotels across the United States and many Pearce has investigated.
This issue can be purchased online at www.greenwichaffair.com or in the NYC area.
This issue can be purchased online at www.greenwichaffair.com or in the NYC area.
Jamie Pearce Interview by Steampunk World Magazine
Hauntings in Paperback
By Delphina Wickingham
Halloween is approaching and we here at Steampunk World Magazine know that haunted happenings play a pivotal part in the world of Steam. Especially this time of year. We recently had the distinct pleasure of visiting with the esteemed author and paranormal investigator, Jamie Roush Pearce, whose books about the Historical Haunted places around the South and Florida have become favorites to everyone who delights in the paranormal realms.
Jamie's Adventures have taken her to places where only the ghosts of the past remain. We asked her about some of her first experiences and about her most frightful moments on this journey into the forgotten places, including the headquarters of one of our favorite ghost hunters, Nigel Pennington, at the Historic Howey Mansion!
"As for my first experience. When I was about 5 years old we had just moved into a new place. My mom had tucked me in and I went to sleep but woke up late in the night. When I did, there was an elderly woman leaning over me. She bent down and pulled the blanket up over me and kissed me on the forehead. She then stood up and disappeared. It didn't scare me, it actually made me curious. I got up and my parents were the only other ones in the house and they were asleep. After that I wanted to know more about ghosts and who they were and why they were here etc. Thank heavens my mom believed in them too and never thought I was crazy or poo poo'd the idea."
"As for my worst experience, that was at the May Stringer House in May 2012. I was scratched on the arm by one of their spirits named Mr. Nasty. The very next day I blacked out at work and have been in and out of doctors ever since. One parapsychologist even said I could have had a micro seizure from the encounter. I have suffered from chronic migraines ever since and have been to 26 doctors with no one able to tell me what is causing them etc."
Keep exploring and writing those ghastly tales of the spirit world, Jamie. There are plenty of places left awaiting your camera, pen and keen observation skills.
You can learn more about Jamie and her spectral spectacles on her amazing website www.historic-haunts.net
Start collecting her phantasm filled tombs there, and visit her facebook page as well.
https://www.facebook.com/HistoricHaunts?fref=ts
Feel free to email her your questions at historichaunts@yahoo.com or you can send a message to Historic Haunts, P.O. Box 2322, Orange Park, FL 32067.
www.historic-haunts.net
By Delphina Wickingham
Halloween is approaching and we here at Steampunk World Magazine know that haunted happenings play a pivotal part in the world of Steam. Especially this time of year. We recently had the distinct pleasure of visiting with the esteemed author and paranormal investigator, Jamie Roush Pearce, whose books about the Historical Haunted places around the South and Florida have become favorites to everyone who delights in the paranormal realms.
Jamie's Adventures have taken her to places where only the ghosts of the past remain. We asked her about some of her first experiences and about her most frightful moments on this journey into the forgotten places, including the headquarters of one of our favorite ghost hunters, Nigel Pennington, at the Historic Howey Mansion!
"As for my first experience. When I was about 5 years old we had just moved into a new place. My mom had tucked me in and I went to sleep but woke up late in the night. When I did, there was an elderly woman leaning over me. She bent down and pulled the blanket up over me and kissed me on the forehead. She then stood up and disappeared. It didn't scare me, it actually made me curious. I got up and my parents were the only other ones in the house and they were asleep. After that I wanted to know more about ghosts and who they were and why they were here etc. Thank heavens my mom believed in them too and never thought I was crazy or poo poo'd the idea."
"As for my worst experience, that was at the May Stringer House in May 2012. I was scratched on the arm by one of their spirits named Mr. Nasty. The very next day I blacked out at work and have been in and out of doctors ever since. One parapsychologist even said I could have had a micro seizure from the encounter. I have suffered from chronic migraines ever since and have been to 26 doctors with no one able to tell me what is causing them etc."
Keep exploring and writing those ghastly tales of the spirit world, Jamie. There are plenty of places left awaiting your camera, pen and keen observation skills.
You can learn more about Jamie and her spectral spectacles on her amazing website www.historic-haunts.net
Start collecting her phantasm filled tombs there, and visit her facebook page as well.
https://www.facebook.com/HistoricHaunts?fref=ts
Feel free to email her your questions at historichaunts@yahoo.com or you can send a message to Historic Haunts, P.O. Box 2322, Orange Park, FL 32067.
www.historic-haunts.net
Jamie Pearce Speaks w/The Parapsychology Club at The Villages
Pearce was asked to speak to the Parapsychology Club on the paranormal at their October meeting.
It was a great turn out of over 100 attendees and ghosts were definitely a hot topic.
Pearce is hoping to return again next year and is hoping to becoming a member of the Parapsychology Club in 2016.
It was a great turn out of over 100 attendees and ghosts were definitely a hot topic.
Pearce is hoping to return again next year and is hoping to becoming a member of the Parapsychology Club in 2016.
Hampton Roads Authors Celebrate the Spooky
The Virginia Daily Press
Leah Price- Contact Reporter
Monday, October 19th, 2015
Did you know that Halloween is one of our nation's favorite holidays — second or third, according to my (very unscientific) analysis of several online polls. As stated on thetoptens.com, which ranks Halloween second, "Who doesn't like free candy?" I'll rephrase as, "Who doesn't like scary stories?" Here's a sampling from our local authors.
For many, the idea of frightening stories conjures up the name Stephen King. Williamsburg biographer George Beahm first wrote about King in his 1989 "Stephen King Companion" and followed it up with several more titles over the next decade. This year he has returned to the king of horror with his third iteration of the companion text. If you own the original, you'll want to check out the update. More than 200 pages have been added, bringing this version to almost 600 pages.
Aptly titled "The Stephen King Companion: Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror," the new book breaks King's life down into eight parts, starting with King's roots in Maine and ending with "A Chronology of Stephen King's Life: Personal and Professional, 1947-2015." In between are more than 120 chapters that detail King's rise from his earliest literary attempts to his current world-wide success, and offer multiple ways to get to know King, such as top websites for King fans. And if you want images, you got 'em. Throughout the book, black-and-white photos, graphics and sketchings illustrate King's dominance over the world of horror fiction. The book, published by St. Martin's Griffin, is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book in prices ranging from about $26 to $13, respectively. Go to georgebeahm.com to learn more.
While local authors might not have reached King's legendary status, their stories might get your pulse racing as well. Whether you're looking for light-hearted comedy, or a true scream-fest, you might find a new favorite.
"Under A Blood Moon" by Rachel Graves, of Williamsburg. Urban Fantasy. When Mallory Mors, death witch and detective with Baton Rouge's Supernatural Investigative Unit, is called to the city's first zombie attack, the case quickly escalates to kidnappings and murders. Aided by her boyfriend, a 600-year-old vampire, and the supernatural citizens of her city, Mallory fights to end the blood-drenched crime spree. "Under a Blood Moon" is available from the publisher and major online retailers in trade paperback for $16.99 and in e-book for $5.99. After vacationing Williamsburg for many years, Rachel Graves became a resident in 2012.
Allie Marie of Chesapeake will release "Teardrops of the innocent: The White Diamond Story" on Oct. 27. The light paranormal with romantic elements is set in Olde Towne Portsmouth, where heroine Stephanie Kincaid encounters the ghost of a young Colonial child and an evil spirit determined to keep family secrets concealed. With new love Gage Dunbar at her side, Stephanie weathers a violent hurricane while discovering how easily long-hidden secrets can be uncovered. Marie, a native of Portsmouth, found a career in writing fiction after retiring from law enforcement. For more, go to alliemariebooks.wordpress.com.
From Kristine Overbrook, paranormal romantic suspense "Redeeming the Night" (Crimson Romance). Ashley, a succubus, risks the wrath of The Sisterhood when she teams up with private investigator Eric Adams, a newly turned werewolf, to free kidnapped girls from the clutches of a serial killer. Can love hold them together when her very nature may rip them apart? Overbrook grew up in Norfolk and lives in Virginia Beach with husband and children. "Redeeming the Night," her most recent release, is available at major online retailers in e-book and paperback in prices ranging from about $5 to $15.
"Blood Moon" by Leah St. James is a paranormal suspense short story included in "Mysteries of the Macabre | A Halloween Anthology" (Edward Allen Publishing). Book reviewer Ronnie fears the Harvest Moon Slasher, who terrorized a strip of oceanfront in Virginia Beach 50 years earlier, has returned. St. James is the pen name of Leah Price, Daily Press book columnist. The anthology is available in paperback and e-book from major online retailers in prices ranging from $4 to $13.
If you're not content to read about ghosts and are ready to go hunting in your neighborhood, there's no shortage of books to guide you to the perfect spot.
Newport News author Tamy Kay Thompson recently released "Curiosities of Hampton Roads: Ghostly Colonists, Hidden Crypts, the Black Swan of Westover and More" (The History Press). From John Smith to Blackbeard, from Surry to Gloucester, Thompson touches on the familiar (and not-so-familiar) tales of the supernatural that have kept local residents wondering for years. The volume is about 125 pages but reads like more and is illustrated. It is available in e-book and print from major online retailers for about $6 to $22.
Jamie Pearce, who describes herself as "a proud descendant of the Randolphs and former Williamsburg resident," is a real-life ghost hunter and has written about her experiences in several books. Among them: "Historic Haunts of the South" and its two follow-up books (II and III), which feature sites in our area, including many in Williamsburg's historic district, Berkley Plantation, Red Hill, Tuckahoe Plantation and Bacon's Castle. Pearce wrote in an email, "Many of the locations I have investigated myself or have at least had a personal experience while visiting them" The books are available in print at major online retailers and www.historic-haunts.net
Chesterfield author Pamela K. Kinney has released a number of books about Virginia haunts, including "Virginia's Haunted Historic Triangle: Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, and Other Haunted Locations" (Schiffer Publishing). In her latest, "Paranormal Petersburg, Virginia, and the Tri-Cities Area," she explores that area's legends, including sightings of still-battling Civil War soldiers, tales of runaway slaves sipping tea at a local parlor, and the "Goatman" who stalks young lovers. The paperback is available at online retailers for about $15. Kinney is a frequent writer guest at Williamsburg's Marscon.
A listing of local "ghost" writers wouldn't be complete without a nod to L.B. Taylor, Jr. who, before his death in March 2014, penned 25 books on ghosts in Virginia. If you haven't yet read them, hunt them down at your local library. Or go to Amazon.com and search "L.B. Taylor in books" and you'll find them still available. The Williamsburg author didn't constrain himself to writing ghost stories. According to his obituary that ran in the Daily Press, he wrote 50 nonfiction books and more than 300 magazine articles. A scan of his Amazon author page reveals three pages of titles in additional subjects from to terrorism to electronic surveillance.
Price can be reached by phone at 757-247-4745.
Price writes about local authors and local reader events. If you have news to share, contact her at ldprice@dailypress.com.
Leah Price- Contact Reporter
Monday, October 19th, 2015
Did you know that Halloween is one of our nation's favorite holidays — second or third, according to my (very unscientific) analysis of several online polls. As stated on thetoptens.com, which ranks Halloween second, "Who doesn't like free candy?" I'll rephrase as, "Who doesn't like scary stories?" Here's a sampling from our local authors.
For many, the idea of frightening stories conjures up the name Stephen King. Williamsburg biographer George Beahm first wrote about King in his 1989 "Stephen King Companion" and followed it up with several more titles over the next decade. This year he has returned to the king of horror with his third iteration of the companion text. If you own the original, you'll want to check out the update. More than 200 pages have been added, bringing this version to almost 600 pages.
Aptly titled "The Stephen King Companion: Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror," the new book breaks King's life down into eight parts, starting with King's roots in Maine and ending with "A Chronology of Stephen King's Life: Personal and Professional, 1947-2015." In between are more than 120 chapters that detail King's rise from his earliest literary attempts to his current world-wide success, and offer multiple ways to get to know King, such as top websites for King fans. And if you want images, you got 'em. Throughout the book, black-and-white photos, graphics and sketchings illustrate King's dominance over the world of horror fiction. The book, published by St. Martin's Griffin, is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book in prices ranging from about $26 to $13, respectively. Go to georgebeahm.com to learn more.
While local authors might not have reached King's legendary status, their stories might get your pulse racing as well. Whether you're looking for light-hearted comedy, or a true scream-fest, you might find a new favorite.
"Under A Blood Moon" by Rachel Graves, of Williamsburg. Urban Fantasy. When Mallory Mors, death witch and detective with Baton Rouge's Supernatural Investigative Unit, is called to the city's first zombie attack, the case quickly escalates to kidnappings and murders. Aided by her boyfriend, a 600-year-old vampire, and the supernatural citizens of her city, Mallory fights to end the blood-drenched crime spree. "Under a Blood Moon" is available from the publisher and major online retailers in trade paperback for $16.99 and in e-book for $5.99. After vacationing Williamsburg for many years, Rachel Graves became a resident in 2012.
Allie Marie of Chesapeake will release "Teardrops of the innocent: The White Diamond Story" on Oct. 27. The light paranormal with romantic elements is set in Olde Towne Portsmouth, where heroine Stephanie Kincaid encounters the ghost of a young Colonial child and an evil spirit determined to keep family secrets concealed. With new love Gage Dunbar at her side, Stephanie weathers a violent hurricane while discovering how easily long-hidden secrets can be uncovered. Marie, a native of Portsmouth, found a career in writing fiction after retiring from law enforcement. For more, go to alliemariebooks.wordpress.com.
From Kristine Overbrook, paranormal romantic suspense "Redeeming the Night" (Crimson Romance). Ashley, a succubus, risks the wrath of The Sisterhood when she teams up with private investigator Eric Adams, a newly turned werewolf, to free kidnapped girls from the clutches of a serial killer. Can love hold them together when her very nature may rip them apart? Overbrook grew up in Norfolk and lives in Virginia Beach with husband and children. "Redeeming the Night," her most recent release, is available at major online retailers in e-book and paperback in prices ranging from about $5 to $15.
"Blood Moon" by Leah St. James is a paranormal suspense short story included in "Mysteries of the Macabre | A Halloween Anthology" (Edward Allen Publishing). Book reviewer Ronnie fears the Harvest Moon Slasher, who terrorized a strip of oceanfront in Virginia Beach 50 years earlier, has returned. St. James is the pen name of Leah Price, Daily Press book columnist. The anthology is available in paperback and e-book from major online retailers in prices ranging from $4 to $13.
If you're not content to read about ghosts and are ready to go hunting in your neighborhood, there's no shortage of books to guide you to the perfect spot.
Newport News author Tamy Kay Thompson recently released "Curiosities of Hampton Roads: Ghostly Colonists, Hidden Crypts, the Black Swan of Westover and More" (The History Press). From John Smith to Blackbeard, from Surry to Gloucester, Thompson touches on the familiar (and not-so-familiar) tales of the supernatural that have kept local residents wondering for years. The volume is about 125 pages but reads like more and is illustrated. It is available in e-book and print from major online retailers for about $6 to $22.
Jamie Pearce, who describes herself as "a proud descendant of the Randolphs and former Williamsburg resident," is a real-life ghost hunter and has written about her experiences in several books. Among them: "Historic Haunts of the South" and its two follow-up books (II and III), which feature sites in our area, including many in Williamsburg's historic district, Berkley Plantation, Red Hill, Tuckahoe Plantation and Bacon's Castle. Pearce wrote in an email, "Many of the locations I have investigated myself or have at least had a personal experience while visiting them" The books are available in print at major online retailers and www.historic-haunts.net
Chesterfield author Pamela K. Kinney has released a number of books about Virginia haunts, including "Virginia's Haunted Historic Triangle: Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, and Other Haunted Locations" (Schiffer Publishing). In her latest, "Paranormal Petersburg, Virginia, and the Tri-Cities Area," she explores that area's legends, including sightings of still-battling Civil War soldiers, tales of runaway slaves sipping tea at a local parlor, and the "Goatman" who stalks young lovers. The paperback is available at online retailers for about $15. Kinney is a frequent writer guest at Williamsburg's Marscon.
A listing of local "ghost" writers wouldn't be complete without a nod to L.B. Taylor, Jr. who, before his death in March 2014, penned 25 books on ghosts in Virginia. If you haven't yet read them, hunt them down at your local library. Or go to Amazon.com and search "L.B. Taylor in books" and you'll find them still available. The Williamsburg author didn't constrain himself to writing ghost stories. According to his obituary that ran in the Daily Press, he wrote 50 nonfiction books and more than 300 magazine articles. A scan of his Amazon author page reveals three pages of titles in additional subjects from to terrorism to electronic surveillance.
Price can be reached by phone at 757-247-4745.
Price writes about local authors and local reader events. If you have news to share, contact her at ldprice@dailypress.com.
Pearce Tells About Her Former House on Haunted Hill
The Mountaineer
Jamie Pearce Author/Founder of Historic Haunts Investigations
Monday, October 26th, 2015
As a Florida girl, I love the sunshine, the surf, warm weather, scuba diving, and Walt Disney World. Still I will never forget my time living in North Carolina. Especially living in a haunted house!
We used to jokingly call our place the House on Haunted Hill (which is my favorite Vincent Price movie). The house sat at the top of a hill in Canton overlooking downtown. We had a gorgeous view of the town and the mountains.
The house was originally built in 1909 and at the time consisted of only four rooms. It was also situated further down the hill. Later it was moved up the hill and shortly after the move several more rooms were added. When my parents bought the house in 1993 it was in sad shape and needed a lot of work. Many things had to be done before we could even move in.
Eventually, after a lot of hard work and elbow grease we were able to move in and continue working while we lived there. Our very first night in the house is when the unusual activity started. We heard footsteps on a hardwood floor above us as if someone were walking around upstairs. The problem with this was, there was no upstairs or hardwood floor anywhere in the house. When we moved in we had brand new thick carpet and padding installed throughout the house. There also was no entry into an attic.
As time passed we experienced more and more paranormal activity. We would often hear an old Victrola playing music, the sound of a percolator brewing coffee and we could actually experience the phantom smells of the coffee. We noted that things started disappearing and reappearing in other rooms. Eventually a shadow figure began appearing. A male entity would manifest which even our cat Cosmo would witnessed and react to.
The paranormal activity kept increasing, and culminated one night around 2 a.m. I had to get up and use the restroom. Along the way to my surprise, I encountered a ghost sitting on top of the ladder in the dining room, the transparent apparition of an older man looking down at me (my mom had been painting and had left the ladder in the room). I looked up at him and smiled and he smiled back and nodded his head at me, then vanished. I wasn’t "scared" startled perhaps since I wasn’t expecting it, but the next morning I couldn’t wait to tell my mom what I had seen.
Encountering the apparition of the old man seemed to motivate the genealogist in me and I felt the urge to deeply research the situation. I was determined to find out more about the history of the house. I learned where it was originally located and I came across the former owner who died in the house including discovering his obituary and photo (which looked just like the man I had seen in the dining room). The man who I'm going to dub "Jack" since he still has family in the Haywood County area had passed in the home in 1984 of a heart attack. We knew him to be a very friendly spirit and before learning his name we often affectionately referred to him as Casper.
After my research, when things started to disappear we would now call out, “Jack, give that back!” Nine times out of ten, the items would show up within a few minutes in another room. Despite the fact that we now seemed to have a handle on our resident spirit and his activities, when my parents finished flipping the house and tried to sell it in 2000, everyone who came and looked at it loved it, but no one wanted to buy it. In some cases citing some inexplicable reason or feeling that it was not for them.
I told my mom we needed to sit down and tell our ghostly resident that if the house sells he could go with us. She laughed, but we sat down and talked to our spirit and the very next day a woman came to the house loved it, and bought it! Needless to say…"Jack" came with us.
There have been several owners since my parents sold the house and it seems spirits can get attached to people (and I don’t mean possess them). None of the more current residents in the home-as far as I know-have experienced Jack’s ghost. He seems to have moved once again with my parents as he's continued to do through several house flips. My parents are now back here in Florida ten minutes down the road from me. I guess he is still enjoying keeping an eye on my family as my mom still tells me stories of his activity.
One last parting comment, my mom does have a few artifacts from the home. She kept one of the glass door knobs, an iron cross from the top of the old fence, and the key face plates from the old door on the home. Could "Jack" have some attachment to the objects or is he just enjoying relocation? As an author of several books on ghosts in the sunshine state, I can tell you Florida does seem to draw a lot of people later in their lives (or in their hereafter).
Jamie Pearce Author/Founder of Historic Haunts Investigations
Monday, October 26th, 2015
As a Florida girl, I love the sunshine, the surf, warm weather, scuba diving, and Walt Disney World. Still I will never forget my time living in North Carolina. Especially living in a haunted house!
We used to jokingly call our place the House on Haunted Hill (which is my favorite Vincent Price movie). The house sat at the top of a hill in Canton overlooking downtown. We had a gorgeous view of the town and the mountains.
The house was originally built in 1909 and at the time consisted of only four rooms. It was also situated further down the hill. Later it was moved up the hill and shortly after the move several more rooms were added. When my parents bought the house in 1993 it was in sad shape and needed a lot of work. Many things had to be done before we could even move in.
Eventually, after a lot of hard work and elbow grease we were able to move in and continue working while we lived there. Our very first night in the house is when the unusual activity started. We heard footsteps on a hardwood floor above us as if someone were walking around upstairs. The problem with this was, there was no upstairs or hardwood floor anywhere in the house. When we moved in we had brand new thick carpet and padding installed throughout the house. There also was no entry into an attic.
As time passed we experienced more and more paranormal activity. We would often hear an old Victrola playing music, the sound of a percolator brewing coffee and we could actually experience the phantom smells of the coffee. We noted that things started disappearing and reappearing in other rooms. Eventually a shadow figure began appearing. A male entity would manifest which even our cat Cosmo would witnessed and react to.
The paranormal activity kept increasing, and culminated one night around 2 a.m. I had to get up and use the restroom. Along the way to my surprise, I encountered a ghost sitting on top of the ladder in the dining room, the transparent apparition of an older man looking down at me (my mom had been painting and had left the ladder in the room). I looked up at him and smiled and he smiled back and nodded his head at me, then vanished. I wasn’t "scared" startled perhaps since I wasn’t expecting it, but the next morning I couldn’t wait to tell my mom what I had seen.
Encountering the apparition of the old man seemed to motivate the genealogist in me and I felt the urge to deeply research the situation. I was determined to find out more about the history of the house. I learned where it was originally located and I came across the former owner who died in the house including discovering his obituary and photo (which looked just like the man I had seen in the dining room). The man who I'm going to dub "Jack" since he still has family in the Haywood County area had passed in the home in 1984 of a heart attack. We knew him to be a very friendly spirit and before learning his name we often affectionately referred to him as Casper.
After my research, when things started to disappear we would now call out, “Jack, give that back!” Nine times out of ten, the items would show up within a few minutes in another room. Despite the fact that we now seemed to have a handle on our resident spirit and his activities, when my parents finished flipping the house and tried to sell it in 2000, everyone who came and looked at it loved it, but no one wanted to buy it. In some cases citing some inexplicable reason or feeling that it was not for them.
I told my mom we needed to sit down and tell our ghostly resident that if the house sells he could go with us. She laughed, but we sat down and talked to our spirit and the very next day a woman came to the house loved it, and bought it! Needless to say…"Jack" came with us.
There have been several owners since my parents sold the house and it seems spirits can get attached to people (and I don’t mean possess them). None of the more current residents in the home-as far as I know-have experienced Jack’s ghost. He seems to have moved once again with my parents as he's continued to do through several house flips. My parents are now back here in Florida ten minutes down the road from me. I guess he is still enjoying keeping an eye on my family as my mom still tells me stories of his activity.
One last parting comment, my mom does have a few artifacts from the home. She kept one of the glass door knobs, an iron cross from the top of the old fence, and the key face plates from the old door on the home. Could "Jack" have some attachment to the objects or is he just enjoying relocation? As an author of several books on ghosts in the sunshine state, I can tell you Florida does seem to draw a lot of people later in their lives (or in their hereafter).
Seeking Spooks and Specters: Ghost Hunting with Jamie Pearce
The National Trust For Historic Preservation
It was truly an honor to be interviewed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Anyone who knows me know how much I love history and preserving the past and I want to thank the NTHP for the interview.
Please check out the article at their website and all the work they do preserving the past.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation
By: Lauren Walser
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015
https://savingplaces.org/stories/seeking-spooks-and-specters-ghost-hunting-with-jamie-pearce#.Vji87ysWDm5
Anyone who knows me know how much I love history and preserving the past and I want to thank the NTHP for the interview.
Please check out the article at their website and all the work they do preserving the past.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation
By: Lauren Walser
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015
https://savingplaces.org/stories/seeking-spooks-and-specters-ghost-hunting-with-jamie-pearce#.Vji87ysWDm5
Author/Investigation, Jamie Pearce Speaks @ Spooky Empire
Jamie Pearce talked about the Paranormal at the 2015 Spooky Empire Convention in Orlando Florida. This year it was held Halloween weekend and it the first Halloween in decades Pearce hasn't dressed up for the holiday. "I was afraid people wouldn't take my lectures seriously if I was dressed as Bat Girl," she said laughing.
2016 Ghost Hunt Weekend at Old Clay County Jail & Courthouse
Another great event with Chad Morin and Ghost Hunt Weekends. They almost host an amazing paranormal event and Jamie Pearce loves being part of it.
"I just hate missing the investigation part of it. I am 6 1/2 months pregnant and don't want to take any chances. It has taken my husband long enough to get pregnant and I don't want to risk it." I am sure everyone had a great investigations. We have investigated the Old Clay County Courthouse and Jail numerous times and it has never let us down."
"I just hate missing the investigation part of it. I am 6 1/2 months pregnant and don't want to take any chances. It has taken my husband long enough to get pregnant and I don't want to risk it." I am sure everyone had a great investigations. We have investigated the Old Clay County Courthouse and Jail numerous times and it has never let us down."
Jamie Pearce, Guest SPeaker at 2016 Dragon Con, Atlanta GA
Yet again, Jamie Pearce was invited to Dragon Con as a guest to speak on the paranormal in Atlanta Georgia. This year, Pearce spoke on the same panel with well known psychic and author, Michelle Bellanger.
Pearce is hoping to return to Dragon Con in 2017 with the next book in her Historic Haunts series.
Pearce is hoping to return to Dragon Con in 2017 with the next book in her Historic Haunts series.
2016 Florida Heritage Book Festival
Author Jamie Pearce was a guest author at the 2016 Heritage Book Festival in St. Augustine Florida. Book festivals are a great way to pick up new books, meet authors, and make new friends while discussing your own work.
Pearce is looking forward to next year's event.
Pearce is looking forward to next year's event.
Jamie Pearce Hosts Private Ghost Tour in St. Augustine, FL
Author/Historic Haunts Investigations founder, Jamie Pearce, recently hosted her first private ghost tour since becoming a mum. Plus, it was her daughter's first ghost tour.
Pearce's tours tour the historic streets of St. Augustine Florida, possible the U.S.'s most haunted city.
If you are interested in having a private ghost tour you can email Pearce at historichaunts@yahoo.com for prices and availability.
Pearce's tours tour the historic streets of St. Augustine Florida, possible the U.S.'s most haunted city.
If you are interested in having a private ghost tour you can email Pearce at historichaunts@yahoo.com for prices and availability.
Jamie Pearce Speaks @ Her Former Elementary School
Jamie Pearce spoke (10/3/2016) at her former elementary school in Largo Florida. Camelot Elementary School holds many fond memories and Pearce was excited to be able to go back and chat with her former teacher and principal and the 5th grade class.
Paranormal Lecture at Friends of the Main Library
October 2018
We had a great paranormal lecture and book signing with the Friends of the Main Library on St. Augustine. We talked about ghosts and some of St. Augustine's most famous haunted hot spots.
We had a great paranormal lecture and book signing with the Friends of the Main Library on St. Augustine. We talked about ghosts and some of St. Augustine's most famous haunted hot spots.
Jamie Pearce Book Signing @ Tuckahoe Plantation, Richmond Virginia
I was honored to do a book signing at my ancestor's home, Tuckahoe Plantation during Thomas Jefferson's birthday bash, April 14th, 2019. My 9th great grandparents built the house and it was featured in Historic Haunts of the South II.
Jamie Pearce Book Signing @ Colonial Williamsburg Virginia
April 15th, 2019, A long time goal has finally been achieved. On April 14th, 2019, I did my first book signing at Colonial Williamsburg. I look forward to going back in October and supporting the Foundation. My ancestors, the Randolphs and Thomas Jefferson were a very important part of Williamsburg history and was honored to do my first signing there.
8th June 2019 Historic Haunts St. Augustine Ghost Tour with Author Jamie Pearce
The 8th June 2019 late afternoon Historic Haunts St. Augustine Ghost Tour was a fun tour. It was a smaller group and really hot but as we walked the bay front portion of the tour, a pod of dolphins and a turtle swam by. That wasn’t paranormal but we did have one interesting occurrence. One guest had been complaining about her ankle was hurting throughout the tour. When I told the story of the voodoo queen and how she was a healer, within a few minutes my guest say her ankle wasn’t bothering her any more. Could Minnie have healed her from beyond the grave? The tour guest actually contacted me today and said she still had no pain in her ankle.
At another location myself and the guests felt like we were being watched so I snapped a few photos of the window and we all thought we saw something, but upon closer examination of the photo, the design in the lace curtains was just matrixing and it looked as if someone where there.
Another great tour and looking forward to the next.
At another location myself and the guests felt like we were being watched so I snapped a few photos of the window and we all thought we saw something, but upon closer examination of the photo, the design in the lace curtains was just matrixing and it looked as if someone where there.
Another great tour and looking forward to the next.
Jamie Pearce Book Signing @ The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, Charleston SC
The 4th of July produced a great book signing at my favorite location in Charleston SC, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon.
It was a great turn out and a lot of people were interested in Historic Haunts. The Exchange was feature in Historic Haunts of the South.
It was a great turn out and a lot of people were interested in Historic Haunts. The Exchange was feature in Historic Haunts of the South.
Dragon Con 2019, Atlanta Georgia
Another great year of panels at Dragon Con in Atlanta. This year’s focus for our lectures was mainly on paranormal evidence.
Please email Dragon Con at xtrack@dragoncon.org and ask them to expand the paranormal panels to help support what we do in the paranormal and our lectures.
Thank you to all who came out.
Jamie Pearce
Please email Dragon Con at xtrack@dragoncon.org and ask them to expand the paranormal panels to help support what we do in the paranormal and our lectures.
Thank you to all who came out.
Jamie Pearce
Story & Song Book Store, Paranormal Talk, Fernandina Beach, FL
Jamie Pearce did a paranormal talk with the Women of Nassau at Story and Song Book Store and Bistro in Fernandina Beach, FL September 27th, 2019.
Pearce shared many personal experiences from her 25 plus years in the field and info about her Historic Haunts book series. Amazing food, in a fantastic book store, with a great group of ladies.
Pearce shared many personal experiences from her 25 plus years in the field and info about her Historic Haunts book series. Amazing food, in a fantastic book store, with a great group of ladies.
Palmetto Club, Paranormal Lecture, Daytona Beach FL
Friday, October 4th, Jamie Pearce, author and Historic Haunts founder spoke with the Palmetto Club in Daytona Beach Florida on the paranormal. She shared many of her experiences in her over 25 years involved in the paranormal.
Another spooktacular talk with a great bunch of ladies.
Another spooktacular talk with a great bunch of ladies.
Fleming Island Public Library Historic Haunts Book Talk
Saturday, October 5th, author Jamie Pearce spoke with a great group at the Fleming Island Library. She always enjoys meeting her readers and chatting about her Historic Haunts book series.
Paranormal Book Talk @ the James Madison Library, Lovingston VA
Pearce recently spoke at the James Madison Library in Lovingston Virginia. She discussed her Historic Haunts Investigations and her book series.
It was a great group of people and she looks forward to seeing them again.
It was a great group of people and she looks forward to seeing them again.
Colonial Williamsburg Book Signing
Yet another amazing book signing at Colonial Williamsburg, but this time it was during the Haunting on DoG Street. Great Halloween festivities for the whole family.
Fantastic people as always and it’s always great to be home. Looking forward to next year.
Fantastic people as always and it’s always great to be home. Looking forward to next year.
Paranormal & Book Talk @ the Richmond Public Library, Richmond, VA
Jamie Pearce recently spoke at the Richmond Public Library on the paranormal and her Historic Haunts series. While there, Pearce learned that the library it’s self is haunted. She is looking forward to another event next year.
Dr. Pearce Does Williamsburg Library Book Talk
Great book talk with Dr. Jamie Pearce PhD at the Williamsburg Library discussing her 25 years involved in the paranormal and some of her favorite Historic Haunts in Colonial Williamsburg.
Jamie Pearce, Two Book Signings at Colonial Williamsburg
Two great book signings at Colonial Williamsburg over 4th of July weekend. One at the new Brick and Vine and one at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center. One of the most historic and haunted cities in the United States and where Dr. Pearce will always call home.
Jamie Pearce at the Book Warehouse, Williamsburg Virginia
It was a fantastic 4th of July 2021 book signing at the Book Warehouse in Williamsburg Virginia. Plus, I found out the store was haunted. We ended up conducting a mini investigation during the signing. I am looking forward to going back and conducting a full blown investigation.
Dr. Jamie Pearce @ Bold City Con, Jacksonville FL
Dr. Jamie Pearce was a guest at Bold City Con in Jacksonville, Florida in February 2022. Fantastic talks about the paranormal amongst other things.
Dr. Jamie Pearce @ Michigan Para Con 2022
Bold City Con 2023 Jacksonville, Florida
Metaphysical Mingle 2023, Brooksville Florida
Ghost Hunt Weekends Event w/ Tennessee Wrath Chasers, Green Cove Springs, Florida
Enchantment Con 2023, St. Augustine Florida
Magazine Articles About Dr. Jamie Pearce
Remembering Many Signing Events Over the Years
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