Not many people know just how creepy the places around us can be. Abandoned houses, scary woods, and strange, hidden tunnels are more frequently near you than you think. I’ve lived in Harding most of my life, and since there is nothing to do, I spend a large amount of time walking around and exploring. What I’ve found is there’s a huge amount of stuff I never knew about within just a 10 minute drive from my house that is spookier than a lot of horror movie sets. So, in the spirit of the holiday, I figured I’d share with the rest of you some information and personal accounts of these rather unsettling spots around us. Most of these are also okay to visit, if only from a distance, if you’re looking for a place for a Halloween picnic.
Our journey starts in the basement of the Harding Township School. Built in the 1920’s, the building is very old and occasionally very creepy. While elementary school rumors of haunted bathrooms or scary library books might not be worth investigating, there are some legitimately strange spots on the campus.
Let’s start with the fact that the school’s basement was made into a makeshift hospital during WWII, in case anybody decided to bomb the town. Of course this never happened, because there’ s nothing to bomb in Harding. So the hospital went unused, apparently… But who really knows? There are also old showers rusting away behind the doors of what looks like a closet in the lunchroom. I used to go in there to get pipe cleaners and glue for the after-school club and would run back out, scared of whatever ghosts were in there. Although these are probably just from an old gym, they still look pretty scary. In addition, there’s apparently a tunnel hidden within the building that I never even knew about when I went there. My sister was luckily able to snap some pictures of this and the showers for me, or I would have never believed her. Hidden tunnels are practically a cliché of creepy old buildings.
The Hurstmont Estate is also straight out of a horror movie. Originally constructed in 1886, it was once a very fancy mansion (similar, I’m sure, to the ones everybody thinks us Harding people live in.) However, it’s been vacant for a long time, awaiting renovations. From the outside it seems almost like nothing is amiss. Perhaps a new coat of paint or cutting the grass on the lawn would lighten up the place. The inside is very different. The plaster is beginning to fall off the ceiling and the wood is chipping away. In some rooms, old clothes still hang from a closet. It’s definitely a scary scene. I didn’t personally go to explore, and I’d advise against it as well. It’s private property for sure, and trespassing to snap pictures or just poke around could result in legal troubles. However, you can still enjoy the photos some braver souls have taken.
On a much smaller scale, there are a lot of abandoned houses around Harding. One in particular that sticks out in my mind is the one near The Farm in Green Village. It’s hidden behind trees and for the first 10 years of my life I had no idea it existed. I couldn’t get a picture of it and I’m not sure what house number it is, but it’s across from a street that leads to a dead end. It’s yellow and, if you can find it behind all the foliage, you can tell it’s abandoned. An old truck used to sit in the driveway, windows broken, rusting away. I’ve always wanted to go look around but I decided against it after one night when driving home I noticed that there was a light in the upstairs window. Needless to say I’m not going in there, because not only do I want to avoid whoever or whatever was/is living in there, it’s also private property. The lot was put up for sale not too long ago, but the signs only stayed for a few weeks for some unknown reason.
Bayley Ellard High School used to be a Catholic high school right here in Madison. Founded in the late 1800’s, it had to close in 2005 due to low enrollment. It’s another place I’ve never personally visited, but I’m sure some of you know about it. For those of you who don’t, rest assured it is quite a sight. I’ve been in the parking lot of the school and, similar to the Hurstmont Estate, all seems well from the outside. The windows are boarded up, but everything else seems okay. If memory serves me well there’s even lights. But inside it is mostly vacant classrooms littered with old desks and furniture. Grafitti now paints the walls. It’s a popular site for “urban explorers.” I’m not sure if it is private property, so visit at your own risk.
A little farther away from us is the old Greystone Hospital. The new hospital is a fully functional psychiatric facility, but the old Greystone is a classic terrifying asylum. When you stand at the bottom and look upwards the building looms over you, old tan stucco and strangely built. It is absolutely imposing. It’s another popular urban exploring site, but this one has incredibly stringent policies, with the police circling multiple times each day. It’s practically famous for its creepy interior, which appears exactly how you would expect an abandoned asylum to work.
Only a short walk from where I live, the sign for Dickson’s Mill is placed overlooking an expanse of field, forest, and brambles. Dickson’s Mill is way more unsettling than you would think. I’ve been here before way more than I should have been. Every time I decide to go explore back here bad things seem to happen. Whether it’s stepping on a bee’s nest with my dog, seeing bears, or just getting nerved out by the seemingly endless forest, Dickson’s Mill is bad news. If you’re brave enough to cross the small stream into the woods and fields, it just gets worse. An old, abandoned rope swing still hangs from a branch over the broken-glass-filled-water. When you follow the bridal path up into the woods, it’s clear that there are the remnants of tents, chairs, tables, and other bizarre things spread out among the trees. Once I found an old chair and table perched on the side of the hill in perfect balance, the remnants of some old book placed on top of them as if someone had decided to sit here every morning, had forgotten to do so once, and never looked back. Campfire rings are easy to spot even though I’ve never seen any other people back there. There’s the occasional piece of clothing too. But by far the creepiest scene out in the woods is the gazebo.
It’s visible from the street, just barely, but being the overly curious person I am I needed to see it up close. Prior attempts at this have always ended in getting scared out of my wits. The first time, I went to step into the water to cross the river and stopped dead at the sound of somebody whistling far back in the trees. Needless to say I got out of there incredibly quickly. The second time, however, was even worse. I had been following the trail and came across a small clearing. It seemed well-kept, there were decorative plants and the trail was better maintained than the rest, and I realized I had ended up once again near the gazebo. I was poking about around there when, and I’m not even joking here, I heard the sound of a chainsaw about 200 feet away. My blood ran cold. What was I supposed to do?! There was no way possible to sneak across the river without being seen by who was over there. I could hear whomever it was beginning to cut onto the limbs of trees. At least it wasn’t the limbs of people… yet. After a few moments of panic I quietly made my way down the hill and across the river, slowly as to not raise any suspicion but still prepared to break out running. I was terrified. I believe I gave up walking at some point and just ran at a full sprint up to the street and the safety of being within the range of everyone’s view. When I turned to head home, legs weak, I glanced back at where I had come from. I felt like I was being watched. Sure enough, I could see the stranger standing still and staring as I made my escape. When they realized I had noticed them, they ducked behind a tree, hiding.
But forget safety, I say, let’s go take a look at the gazebo!
The first thing I want to mention is that I wanted to stay on the bridal path to ensure I didn’t tread on anyone’s private property. I took photos from a distance as clearly as possible because I’m not sure if the gazebo is private property or not, and also because there was no way I was getting too close to that thing again. The first things you notice on the trail are small, wooden totem pole like statues. Candles are scattered around the outside of the gazebo along with small statues. Some also hang inside. The gazebo itself is very well maintained. It’s clear someone comes here often. Old glass bottles and signs fill the small space. There’s even a welcome sign, but for who I’m not sure. I’m not sure if the gazebo is owned by anyone, let alone anyone creepy. I would love more information on it but so far nobody I know knows anything about it. So for now, it sits back in Dickson’s Mill, still waiting for potential visitors.
I’m sure there are more places around that I have no idea about. These are the ones that I know and love, and I hope you will too. There are always unusual places hidden just behind view, so go out and explore this Halloween!..Just don’t trespass.
Editor’s note: If one drives through Watchung Reservation at night, one may or may not encounter rogue Greystone patients from days of old, or so the legend says…And, speaking of limb-cutting, check out Connor Riley’s article on the Return of Saw!