The Troubled History of Soldiers Orphanage

Psychics are often said to be naturally inquisitive and brave, with some of the bravest taking on the unknown personally in an attempt to guide the spirits of the dead to another realm where they can be at peace.  But there are some locations that are so haunted that they have been known to terrify psychics on the spot – even sending some fleeing by an unknown force.  One of these places is said to be Soldier’s Orphanage in Pennsylvania.

It’s the kind of place you suspect is haunted right from the moment you enter the building.  Soldier’s orphanage has been known to accept visitors and take them on tours for years, but some have been warned that if they are psychically inclined they may not wish to venture further – for there are forces at work there so terrifying that some psychic visitors have reported sudden feelings of terror gripping them.  Still others have visited repeatedly for years with no problems reported aside from interest generated from touching a piece of paranormal history.

But the history of Soldier’s Orphanage is a troubled one.  During the Civil War a man discovered with a photograph in his hand was brought to the attention of the media.  After a massive investigation, shortly after the woman’s identity was discovered and the public opened their hearts to her with donations.  The woman, named Phelinda used this money to build an orphanage to care for children whose parents had died during the massive onslaught of the Civil War.  It was as happy a place as an orphanage could be – for a time.  Then things changed.  

When Phelinda was forced to leave, the building had a new owner.  Her name was Rosa Carmichaels, and under her reign the orphanage soon became a place of misery.  The full extent of Carmichaels’ cruelty was not known until years later when one of the children escaped.  The escaped runaway came across a passerby who listened to the ghastly story she told of cruel and unusual punishments and took her to the authorities.  When the authorities arrived, they were shocked to find that the stories told were true.  The orphanage, its reputation tarnished forever as a house of horror, closed and remained so until it was declared a historical site and reopened to the public as a Museum.

Some say cruelty stays in a place long after the parties involved pass on.  And in passing they return to the location that once held a place in their minds, tethering them forever to this Earth.  And so when visitors began coming to the place they reported hearing the sounds of people talking, bone chilling screams emanating from nowhere, and took several photographs containing unexplained anomalies.

While some visitors have passed through without incident, others have reported a feeling of terror that has been attributed to the residual fear left behind – no doubt from the years when the orphanage was in the hands of Carmichaels.