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Ghostbusters
‘Paranormal team’ looks for supernatural at old county jail
By Stephanie Nelson (Contact) | Andalusia Star-News
Published Friday, July 10, 2009
‘Paranormal team’ looks for supernatural at old county jail
By Stephanie Nelson (Contact) | Andalusia Star-News
Published Friday, July 10, 2009
| Covington County Jail Andalusia, Alabama |
Courtesy photo
The old county jail is located
behind the Covington County
Courthouse.
The old county jail is located
behind the Covington County
Courthouse.
Standing outside the massive brick building half covered in vines, it’s easy to
imagine the inmates of the old Covington County Jail haunting its abandoned
cells – their moanings of perceived injustice echoing down the hallways.
Imagine no more, because according to the Alabama Paranormal Research
Team, it’s a fact the old county jail is haunted – and they have the audio and
video to back it up.
The group, which is based from Salem, Ala., was invited to the county by local
historical society member Sue Bass Wilson and a local police officer, Roger
Cender. There was no charge for the visit and each member works on a
volunteer basis.
Faith Serafin, co-founder of the team, said she and five other team members
made two trips to the old jail and were quite surprised at what they found inside.
imagine the inmates of the old Covington County Jail haunting its abandoned
cells – their moanings of perceived injustice echoing down the hallways.
Imagine no more, because according to the Alabama Paranormal Research
Team, it’s a fact the old county jail is haunted – and they have the audio and
video to back it up.
The group, which is based from Salem, Ala., was invited to the county by local
historical society member Sue Bass Wilson and a local police officer, Roger
Cender. There was no charge for the visit and each member works on a
volunteer basis.
Faith Serafin, co-founder of the team, said she and five other team members
made two trips to the old jail and were quite surprised at what they found inside.
Faith Serafin and Mike Donaldson monitor the jail for possible supernatural activity.
“At first impression, at night, that building is massive,” Serafin said. “It’s weird at night, so naturally we wanted to get in
there. Standing in front of it, we could get a feeling there was something odd about the building. (Bass) explained
some of the things that had happened there and we researched it a little more before we went in.”
What the group discovered was that the old county jail was added to the National Historic Register in 1989. It was
used beginning circa 1900, and closed until the current jail was built.
“This jail housed inmates from one-nighters to the most seasoned criminal,” she said. “And when we found out that
Hank Williams did an overnighter there drunk and disorderly, we knew we had to get in.”
Serafin, along with local team member and Opp resident Michelle Smith, also discovered the Covington County Jail
was involved in one of the few cases of martial law in the state, when on Dec. 6, 1901, Sheriff Bradshaw and Gov.
Jenks contacted the Greenville National Guard and warned them of a pending riot totaling about 400 men on the jail
after 25 black men were arrested for the murder of a merchant and a U.S. Marshall in Opp. The mob never made it to
the jail, but they left four men dead in their wake, killing three black men in Opp and another by tying him to a tree
and setting him on fire.
So it would stand to reason such a building would have one or two ghosts, especially when one considers it’s nearest
neighbor – the Magnolia Cemetery, she said.
“At first impression, at night, that building is massive,” Serafin said. “It’s weird at night, so naturally we wanted to get in
there. Standing in front of it, we could get a feeling there was something odd about the building. (Bass) explained
some of the things that had happened there and we researched it a little more before we went in.”
What the group discovered was that the old county jail was added to the National Historic Register in 1989. It was
used beginning circa 1900, and closed until the current jail was built.
“This jail housed inmates from one-nighters to the most seasoned criminal,” she said. “And when we found out that
Hank Williams did an overnighter there drunk and disorderly, we knew we had to get in.”
Serafin, along with local team member and Opp resident Michelle Smith, also discovered the Covington County Jail
was involved in one of the few cases of martial law in the state, when on Dec. 6, 1901, Sheriff Bradshaw and Gov.
Jenks contacted the Greenville National Guard and warned them of a pending riot totaling about 400 men on the jail
after 25 black men were arrested for the murder of a merchant and a U.S. Marshall in Opp. The mob never made it to
the jail, but they left four men dead in their wake, killing three black men in Opp and another by tying him to a tree
and setting him on fire.
So it would stand to reason such a building would have one or two ghosts, especially when one considers it’s nearest
neighbor – the Magnolia Cemetery, she said.
When the team arrived, they came armed with a variety of equipment.
“We brought everything from night surveillance equipment, thermal readers that measure
air temperature, digital cameras, electromagnetic frequency detectors,” she said. “We
even used dowsing rods or water-witch rods made of copper.”
What they were looking for were electromagnetic spikes that signified the presence of
paranormal activity, she said.
And did they find it.
“While we were inside, the solitary confinement cell on second floor was interesting,” she
said. “It really was an odd feeling, an off odd sensation. One of the places inside the jail
that had a lot of activity was the boiler room in basement.
“The challenge about the building is that it’s large, massive steel and concrete,” she said.
“Sound reverberates. Audio equipment use can hear inside a noisy room. It’s that good.
Inside the building, we were able to pick up what we call electronic voice phenomenon. It’s
sound you can’t hear with human ear. That’s why use real sensitive equipment.
“And we got some good ones,” she said. “Roger and I were standing inside of the general
population area, popping a set of hand cuffs. We asked out loud, ‘Are you upset a police
officer is in a room?’ Well, we didn’t hear anything then, but on the audio, it said, ‘Yep.’ It
was definite man’s voice.”
So when asked if the old jail is definitely haunted, Serafin said: “Absolutely. Ask anyone
on the team. That place is haunted beyond a shadow of a doubt. There’s too much
evidence, and it’s haunted by more than a few ghosts.”
To watch video, hear audio and to read more about the group’s trip to the old county jail,
visit their Web site at http://www.alabamaghosthunters.com/CovingtonCountyJail.html.
“We brought everything from night surveillance equipment, thermal readers that measure
air temperature, digital cameras, electromagnetic frequency detectors,” she said. “We
even used dowsing rods or water-witch rods made of copper.”
What they were looking for were electromagnetic spikes that signified the presence of
paranormal activity, she said.
And did they find it.
“While we were inside, the solitary confinement cell on second floor was interesting,” she
said. “It really was an odd feeling, an off odd sensation. One of the places inside the jail
that had a lot of activity was the boiler room in basement.
“The challenge about the building is that it’s large, massive steel and concrete,” she said.
“Sound reverberates. Audio equipment use can hear inside a noisy room. It’s that good.
Inside the building, we were able to pick up what we call electronic voice phenomenon. It’s
sound you can’t hear with human ear. That’s why use real sensitive equipment.
“And we got some good ones,” she said. “Roger and I were standing inside of the general
population area, popping a set of hand cuffs. We asked out loud, ‘Are you upset a police
officer is in a room?’ Well, we didn’t hear anything then, but on the audio, it said, ‘Yep.’ It
was definite man’s voice.”
So when asked if the old jail is definitely haunted, Serafin said: “Absolutely. Ask anyone
on the team. That place is haunted beyond a shadow of a doubt. There’s too much
evidence, and it’s haunted by more than a few ghosts.”
To watch video, hear audio and to read more about the group’s trip to the old county jail,
visit their Web site at http://www.alabamaghosthunters.com/CovingtonCountyJail.html.
Courtesy photo
Faith Serafin and Mike
Donaldson monitor the
jail for possible
supernatural activity.
Faith Serafin and Mike
Donaldson monitor the
jail for possible
supernatural activity.
| Pauly Jail and Court House. Union Springs, Alabama. September 2009 |
Paranormal research team investigates Pauly Jail
by: Jovani Fox (Union Springs Herald)
On a dark and rainy September night, a group of individuals set out to find what's bumping in the night at the
Pauly Jail and Bullock County Courthouse. The Alabama Paranormal Research Team (APRT) visited Union Springs
on Sept. 26, 2009 to investigate some possible paranormal activity within the two buildings.
The group, who collectively has over 40 years of paranormal research under their belts, found out about the
Union Springs structures through fellow team investigator Karen Davis, of Union Springs. Davis, having been a
paranormal investigator for many years suggested the courthouse and Pauly Jail were a great places to investigate.
"She (Davis) knew about the jail and was just like, "this is an ideal place for us to go, nobody has ever done it
before and Faith Serafin and CEO of the Alabama Paranormal Research Team. With help from Davis and Union
Springs native Barbara McLaurine, Serafin and the team loaded up on history and started out on their journey.
For several hours, the team split up into two groups and set out amongst the buildings fully equipped with night
vision cameras, digital voice recorders and electromagnetic meters, hoping to catch a glimpse or a conversation with
a ghost.
The APRT Junior Investigators, children of the adult members, also participated by tagging along on EVP
(Electronic Voice Phenomenon) sessions or by watching live footage from cameras set up in different areas of the jail.
"We are partial to small areas like this because there is so much history that hasn't necessarily been tapped
into." Serafin said. Upon arrival, Serafin and the team met with Sheriff Raymond Rodgers where he informed the team
of the legend of former Sheriff Red Williams roaming the halls of the courthouse.
The group is still studying all the evidence collected from Union Springs. They did pick up a substantial amount
of activity inside of the courthouse, including some questionable pictures taken by Serafin during an EVP session.
The Pauly Jail seemed to be quiet that night.
by: Jovani Fox (Union Springs Herald)
On a dark and rainy September night, a group of individuals set out to find what's bumping in the night at the
Pauly Jail and Bullock County Courthouse. The Alabama Paranormal Research Team (APRT) visited Union Springs
on Sept. 26, 2009 to investigate some possible paranormal activity within the two buildings.
The group, who collectively has over 40 years of paranormal research under their belts, found out about the
Union Springs structures through fellow team investigator Karen Davis, of Union Springs. Davis, having been a
paranormal investigator for many years suggested the courthouse and Pauly Jail were a great places to investigate.
"She (Davis) knew about the jail and was just like, "this is an ideal place for us to go, nobody has ever done it
before and Faith Serafin and CEO of the Alabama Paranormal Research Team. With help from Davis and Union
Springs native Barbara McLaurine, Serafin and the team loaded up on history and started out on their journey.
For several hours, the team split up into two groups and set out amongst the buildings fully equipped with night
vision cameras, digital voice recorders and electromagnetic meters, hoping to catch a glimpse or a conversation with
a ghost.
The APRT Junior Investigators, children of the adult members, also participated by tagging along on EVP
(Electronic Voice Phenomenon) sessions or by watching live footage from cameras set up in different areas of the jail.
"We are partial to small areas like this because there is so much history that hasn't necessarily been tapped
into." Serafin said. Upon arrival, Serafin and the team met with Sheriff Raymond Rodgers where he informed the team
of the legend of former Sheriff Red Williams roaming the halls of the courthouse.
The group is still studying all the evidence collected from Union Springs. They did pick up a substantial amount
of activity inside of the courthouse, including some questionable pictures taken by Serafin during an EVP session.
The Pauly Jail seemed to be quiet that night.
| Springvilla Mansion and Eagle Eye TV Ch 6 news in Auburn, Alabama |
| Cerrie Williams of Eagle Eye News in Auburn contacted APRT for a story on our very own local haunt Springvilla Mansion. We were happy to have aided them in this story as Springvilla is the face of many legends and ghost stories in Opelika. Please visit the eagle eye web site for live streaming every Monday night at: EagleEyeTV.com |