PaRAMnormal Activity - legends of FSU ghouls and ghosts

Dylan Pichnarcik / THE GATEPOST

By Dylan Pichnarcik 

Associate Editor 

During the day Framingham State is a lively and picturesque New England college campus.

Old brownstones surround Crocker Grove, as the statue of Sam the Ram stands proudly as the colors of fall surround it. It can be hard to believe something may be lurking in the night when the full moon rises in Framingham. 

Framingham State is over 185 years old - through that long history, many members of the student body have reported unexplainable occurrences at FSU. 

Most of these sightings have occurred in Peirce and Horace Mann Halls - the two oldest residence halls on campus. 

While Horace Mann Hall may only be just over 100 years old, according to the University website, the land it sits on is much older - and is no stranger to tragedy. 

In 1914, Normal Hall, a dormitory for students and the home of the incumbent University President caught fire and subsequently burned down, according to Colleen Previte, University archivist. 

Campus lore recounts that a  student died in the tunnel system under Normal Hall in the tragedy and now inhabits Horace Mann as an eternal home. 

According to FSU Alumna Debra Reid, who spoke to The Gatepost in an article published on Oct. 28 1994, she experienced the blankets on her bed being tugged by an unknown force. 

Reid said, “I had only been in bed maybe two minutes, so I know that I was not dreaming this. Something or should I say someone, was pulling my blankets away from me.” 

Similar to Reid’s experience, FSU Alumna, Lisa Oxman spoke to The Gatepost in the same article. 

She said while using a Ouija board in Peirce Hall, she connected with a spirit that identified herself as “Nelly” who - while communicating via the Ouija board - repeated the same message, “fire out.” 

According to The Gatepost article, the fire was caused by an issue with the building's fireplace. 

According to historical records and periodicals from the time period all students were evacuated from Normal Hall during the incident, said Previte. 

“Framingham pulled together during that time and others, like residents, opened their homes to these [students] that had to leave quickly out of the fire,” she said. 

In the end, who knows? Could there be a lost soul of a former FSU student roaming the buildings around Crocker Grove to this day? 

Sophomore Sarah Snyder, a Horace Mann resident, claims she has seen the “figure of a woman” in one of the building's bathroom facilities. 

“I would see it multiple times … it wouldn’t be like I was looking, it would be in the corner of my eye at least three times,” she said. 

Snyder said the apparition appeared to have long dark hair and wore a white dress. 

Similarly, students in Peirce Hall, including Senior Aili Schiavoni, said they have heard stories of paranormal activity occurring in the buildings. 

Schiavoni said she was told a rocking chair in the lobby of Peirce Hall would begin rocking on its own at approximately 1 a.m. 

She added she and her friend Sophomore Sage Sampson heard a person exclaim “Hey” from different areas of the building. 

Both Sampson and Schiavoni - who were in separate rooms at the time - claimed the noise came from opposite sides of the building. 

Sampson said in addition to this experience with Schiavoni, she heard strange noises throughout the building and felt a “spooky” energy near one of the stairwells that lead to the building's basement. 

Another paranormal experience in Peirce Hall occurred in 2005, according to an article published by The Boston Globe on Oct. 30, 2005. 

Twenty-two year old Aimee Wagner, a former FSU student, was washing her face in one of the Peirce Hall bathrooms when she noticed a “red handprint on her bare arm, as if someone had squeezed her hard.” 

Wagner recounted being skeptical at first, believing she may have caused the mark in her sleep but “she put her own hand next to her arm … but the mysterious hand had longer fingers than she does,” the article read. 

Who is this mysterious figure that lurks between Peirce and Horace Mann Halls? The answer could be below our feet. 

Underneath Peirce and Horace Mann are tunnels, now used by the Department of Facilities for various reasons including housing, steam pipes across campus and electrical equipment, said Ken Brasili, director of the boiler plant and utilities operation while walking through the cramped tunnels. 

According to Brasili, there are tunnels connecting Peirce, Horace Mann, Crocker, and May halls, some of which have been sealed for safety reasons.

Previte said, in the past, these tunnels were regularly used by students to get between buildings without being exposed to inclement weather. 

These tunnels were in operation during the time the apparition known as Nelly attended FSU. 

According to Brasili, he has not experienced any paranormal activity while working in the tunnels.