Milltown Rural Cemetery Investigation -- Milltown Road, Brewster, New York
The Milltown Rural Cemetery is a beautiful burial ground situated on the southern edge of Brewster, New York. The cemetery was established in 1878, and contains a number of interesting headstones and monuments. The most famous 'inhabitant' of the cemetery is Seth B. Howes--'Father of the American Circus'.
"Seth Benedict Howes a native of Brewster, Putnam, N.Y., came from a family of showmen and started life as a circus rider-acrobat, initially working for his brother Nathan but becoming a partner in 1831. When the company disbanded in 1840 he went into partnership with the Mabie brothers for eight years, then had a short partnership with P.T. Barnum during which period he imported the first herd of elephants and the first drove of camels. He left Barnum in 1855 having already purchased the Franconies Hippodrome in New York in 1853 to set up on his own. He took on his partner Joseph ‘Col’ Cushing in 1856 and together they set sail from New York to Liverpool, England on the 25 March 1857 bringing with them 72 horses, plus 50 performers and assistants.
The circus had a huge success in England traveling nationwide for a year prior to opening at the Alahambra Palace, London where Queen Victoria and the royal family paid them a visit. Having made their base at the Alahambra for twelve months they then tented through England and Ireland for a few years before returning to New York in 1864. They proved so popular that at one time there were three of their companies on tour in Great Britain." (1) Howes retired from the big-top in 1870 and built a castle in his hometown of Brewster on Turk Hill that he named 'Morningthorpe'. He lived on the estate with his wife until his death in 1901.
The Investigation
The Milltown Rural Cemetery investigation is an ongoing paranormal research project. By taking a number of groups of investigators to the cemetery over a long period of time, I hope to document patterns of shared experience by a variety of people in specific areas of the cemetery.
Two groups of investigators joined me at the cemetery on consecutive weekends--Saturday, October 26 and Saturday, November 2, 2019--and both groups walked around the entire cemetery making notes of their intuitive impressions. They carried digital recorders to capture EVP, a map of the cemetery, and an EMF meter and a digital thermometer. The group on Day 1 was larger, so they split into two groups and I divided my time between them. The group on Day 2 stayed together, and I was with them the entire time.
During the investigation, both groups voiced their intuitive impressions as they made their way through the cemetery. Although a number of investigators took photos, none showed any anomalies. The major piece of evidence collected was an impressive number of EVP clips recorded on both days of the investigation by various team members.
Intuitive Impressions
The 1909 Mausoleum -- This is the location where I captured an eerie EVP a few years ago, and was one of the main reasons why I chose this particular cemetery to investigate. I was curious to see if any of the team members would feel anything unusual at this spot.
Half of the participants from the Day 1 group reacted strongly when in the vicinity of the 1909 monument. On Day 2, just one member had a strong reaction to the spot. Interestingly, ALL of the impressions about the mausoleum were negative, and everyone who felt something in this spot agreed that it was a male presence. Some of the comments recorded at the 1909 mausoleum were:
As we were standing near the 1909 mausoleum, a Day 1 member said, "I’m being pulled over this way, to the left of the 1909. I keep getting pulled over here where there are some gravestones, including the one with the little cherub on top. Somewhere in here I keep getting a little kid or a baby. Very strong. Not that I see that there’s anyone here, but that’s what I’m feeling. A lot. I feel a baby or a little kid. It made me come over here. The cherub is what called me over, like to come this way. But I can’t really say it’s definitive of any of these particular stones, but it’s right in here. All I’m feeling is a baby or a little toddler."
Upon inspecting the inscriptions on the stones in this area, one listed a child who lived from 1911-1913. The feeling that a child spirit was trying to make contact with this team member stayed with her as she made her way around the cemetery. In an area on the opposite side of the cemetery, she said that she felt as if she was repeatedly being told, 'Don't forget about the baby.'
Just past this area, investigator Aunt Cookie said that she thought she saw someone behind a tree; as if they had been walking but ducked away when they saw us coming. Another member of the same team said that she also saw a figure in this area. We investigated, but no one was about. When I said that I wanted to do an EVP session in that spot, I picked up a male voice saying, "Yeah!". During the EVP session, a strange sounding voice was picked up when I asked, "Can you tell us your name?" It seems to be saying, "I'm not!", as if to say 'I'm not telling you my name'.
As we continued to walk up the pathway away from the 1909 mausoleum and towards the Brewster side of the cemetery, investigator Charlie felt drawn to an area on the right near a headstone with the name Smalley. Making our way to that spot, we discovered that there were over 14 flags placed on various graves in the area indicating that those who were buried there had been firefighters. Upon seeing the flags it became obvious to Charlie why he was drawn to the spot. Charlie is a volunteer firefighter. We stopped to record at this spot, but it did not produce any EVP.
Near the end of the investigation, Charlie and another investigator revisited this spot and had an unusual experience. Charlie said, "A pretty cool thing just happened. In that area where I was drawn to, I heard a clicking sound over there. I immediately thought that there were branches falling. There are already branches on the ground, and I stayed there to listen some more. We were all starting to leave and he heard the same thing as we were going. There are no branches that fell off the tree. There's nothing there to click." The investigator who was with Charlie at the time said that he also heard the clicking sound, and that there was no explanation for it.
The "Seth B. Howes" mausoleum is by far the most impressive in the cemetery, and during both investigations the groups spent a good deal of time admiring the tomb and discussing Mr. Howes' many accomplishments. One investigator commented that she felt that Mr. Howes was amused by our group, as if he was saying, "Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"
Heading away from the Brewster side of the cemetery is an area that contains older headstones. It lies to the north of the large obelisk at the center of the cemetery. One member felt like crying near the Theodore Foster headstone. Near this same area, investigator Francine felt a sharp pain on her left temple when she stood by the Ramerez grave. She got the impression that the person buried in this spot died from brain cancer.
Near the Milltown Road side in this area, an investigator commented that she kept hearing the 'Wicked Witch of the West' theme in her head! Sometimes, unusual impressions such as this one are symbolic, so it's a mystery as to what message the spirit was trying to convey. Another member picked up an excellent EVP of the name 'Allie' (short for Alison) as she walked through this area.
Not all of the impressions the investigators picked up were sad or negative. At the obelisk, one member reported having a 'good, happy' feeling near the McQuay stone. Others also commented that the area around the obelisk had a warm feeling to it. There are two headstones made entirely out of rose quartz. Many commented on feeling good in these areas as well.
Investigators Brian and Joe from Day 1 picked up an excellent EVP near the obelisk. The investigator asked, "How many spirits are here with us. Give me a number", and a voice answered, "Call papa". Although the spirit didn't answer the question, it seems that it was more important to get this message across.
Past the obelisk on the Danbury side of the cemetery one member reported feeling pains her head as if she had a sudden strong headache. The pain went away as she moved away from the area. In this same area, Marisa was drawn to an area under cedar trees that bordered the road. She felt sadness/depression on this spot. Brian reported that he picked up an impression when he touched a 'large, low, flat marble box' on this side of the cemetery. He said that the stone had an Italian last name carved on it, and that he felt that the person who was buried there was in the construction business.
On the way back to the 1909 mausoleum, Marisa mentioned that she had experienced a strong feeling of nausea when she first approached the structure.
The Milltown Rural Cemetery investigation is an ongoing paranormal research project. By taking a number of groups of investigators to the cemetery over a long period of time, I hope to document patterns of shared experience by a variety of people in specific areas of the cemetery.
Two groups of investigators joined me at the cemetery on consecutive weekends--Saturday, October 26 and Saturday, November 2, 2019--and both groups walked around the entire cemetery making notes of their intuitive impressions. They carried digital recorders to capture EVP, a map of the cemetery, and an EMF meter and a digital thermometer. The group on Day 1 was larger, so they split into two groups and I divided my time between them. The group on Day 2 stayed together, and I was with them the entire time.
During the investigation, both groups voiced their intuitive impressions as they made their way through the cemetery. Although a number of investigators took photos, none showed any anomalies. The major piece of evidence collected was an impressive number of EVP clips recorded on both days of the investigation by various team members.
Intuitive Impressions
The 1909 Mausoleum -- This is the location where I captured an eerie EVP a few years ago, and was one of the main reasons why I chose this particular cemetery to investigate. I was curious to see if any of the team members would feel anything unusual at this spot.
Half of the participants from the Day 1 group reacted strongly when in the vicinity of the 1909 monument. On Day 2, just one member had a strong reaction to the spot. Interestingly, ALL of the impressions about the mausoleum were negative, and everyone who felt something in this spot agreed that it was a male presence. Some of the comments recorded at the 1909 mausoleum were:
- “My hair’s standing up on the back of my neck; as soon as I came over here.”
- "When I touched the mausoleum on that side I didn’t feel well. I didn’t like the feeling I got. I just didn’t have a good feeling. Physically … I didn’t feel good touching it.”
- “Someone’s angry. I don’t know. It’s not comfortable. That’s just the first thing I felt.”
- "It feels like someone is trying to get out."
- Brian from Day 1 said, "I didn't feel anything at the 1909 stone building until I placed the palm of my hand on its wall to see if I'd get anything, and a negative feeling shot into me. It did not feel good. I felt apprehensive for a bit that I did it, but it passed. I was very cautious about touching anthing for a while after that."
- A member of the second group felt very nauseous when she first went near the 1909 mausoleum.
- A member of the Day 1 group said that she felt as if a male presence was sitting on top of the monument mocking our group.
As we were standing near the 1909 mausoleum, a Day 1 member said, "I’m being pulled over this way, to the left of the 1909. I keep getting pulled over here where there are some gravestones, including the one with the little cherub on top. Somewhere in here I keep getting a little kid or a baby. Very strong. Not that I see that there’s anyone here, but that’s what I’m feeling. A lot. I feel a baby or a little kid. It made me come over here. The cherub is what called me over, like to come this way. But I can’t really say it’s definitive of any of these particular stones, but it’s right in here. All I’m feeling is a baby or a little toddler."
Upon inspecting the inscriptions on the stones in this area, one listed a child who lived from 1911-1913. The feeling that a child spirit was trying to make contact with this team member stayed with her as she made her way around the cemetery. In an area on the opposite side of the cemetery, she said that she felt as if she was repeatedly being told, 'Don't forget about the baby.'
Just past this area, investigator Aunt Cookie said that she thought she saw someone behind a tree; as if they had been walking but ducked away when they saw us coming. Another member of the same team said that she also saw a figure in this area. We investigated, but no one was about. When I said that I wanted to do an EVP session in that spot, I picked up a male voice saying, "Yeah!". During the EVP session, a strange sounding voice was picked up when I asked, "Can you tell us your name?" It seems to be saying, "I'm not!", as if to say 'I'm not telling you my name'.
As we continued to walk up the pathway away from the 1909 mausoleum and towards the Brewster side of the cemetery, investigator Charlie felt drawn to an area on the right near a headstone with the name Smalley. Making our way to that spot, we discovered that there were over 14 flags placed on various graves in the area indicating that those who were buried there had been firefighters. Upon seeing the flags it became obvious to Charlie why he was drawn to the spot. Charlie is a volunteer firefighter. We stopped to record at this spot, but it did not produce any EVP.
Near the end of the investigation, Charlie and another investigator revisited this spot and had an unusual experience. Charlie said, "A pretty cool thing just happened. In that area where I was drawn to, I heard a clicking sound over there. I immediately thought that there were branches falling. There are already branches on the ground, and I stayed there to listen some more. We were all starting to leave and he heard the same thing as we were going. There are no branches that fell off the tree. There's nothing there to click." The investigator who was with Charlie at the time said that he also heard the clicking sound, and that there was no explanation for it.
The "Seth B. Howes" mausoleum is by far the most impressive in the cemetery, and during both investigations the groups spent a good deal of time admiring the tomb and discussing Mr. Howes' many accomplishments. One investigator commented that she felt that Mr. Howes was amused by our group, as if he was saying, "Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"
Heading away from the Brewster side of the cemetery is an area that contains older headstones. It lies to the north of the large obelisk at the center of the cemetery. One member felt like crying near the Theodore Foster headstone. Near this same area, investigator Francine felt a sharp pain on her left temple when she stood by the Ramerez grave. She got the impression that the person buried in this spot died from brain cancer.
Near the Milltown Road side in this area, an investigator commented that she kept hearing the 'Wicked Witch of the West' theme in her head! Sometimes, unusual impressions such as this one are symbolic, so it's a mystery as to what message the spirit was trying to convey. Another member picked up an excellent EVP of the name 'Allie' (short for Alison) as she walked through this area.
Not all of the impressions the investigators picked up were sad or negative. At the obelisk, one member reported having a 'good, happy' feeling near the McQuay stone. Others also commented that the area around the obelisk had a warm feeling to it. There are two headstones made entirely out of rose quartz. Many commented on feeling good in these areas as well.
Investigators Brian and Joe from Day 1 picked up an excellent EVP near the obelisk. The investigator asked, "How many spirits are here with us. Give me a number", and a voice answered, "Call papa". Although the spirit didn't answer the question, it seems that it was more important to get this message across.
Past the obelisk on the Danbury side of the cemetery one member reported feeling pains her head as if she had a sudden strong headache. The pain went away as she moved away from the area. In this same area, Marisa was drawn to an area under cedar trees that bordered the road. She felt sadness/depression on this spot. Brian reported that he picked up an impression when he touched a 'large, low, flat marble box' on this side of the cemetery. He said that the stone had an Italian last name carved on it, and that he felt that the person who was buried there was in the construction business.
On the way back to the 1909 mausoleum, Marisa mentioned that she had experienced a strong feeling of nausea when she first approached the structure.
EVP Evidence
I'M NOT -- The Day 2 group was doing an EVP session with me near the area where Aunt Cookie saw a figure dart behind the trees. When I ask, "Can you tell us your name?" a voice answers "I'm not".
CALL PAPA -- On Day 1, Joe and another investigator ran an EVP session to the south of the Seth B. Howes' mausoleum. When asked, "How many spirits are with us? Give us a number" a spirit says "Call papa". It's important to note that at the end of the recording, Joe mentions that it was very quiet during the EVP session. If the voice was someone talking nearby, Joe or the other investigator would have mentioned hearing it the way they did throughout the investigation.
SOULFULLY - On Day 2, I told the group that the Howes' estate has been immaculately restored and a female voice says, "Soulfully". It's as if she's adding to my description of the restoration and is saying that it was 'soulfully restored'. I played the recording for investigator Marisa, and she said that the female voice did not belong to any of the people who were on the investigation with her.
On Day 1, an investigator asked "Did you have a happy life?" and a voice answers, "Happy"
The following EVP captured by a member of the Day 1 investigation is hard to understand, but at the same time it is a clear voice. The investigator is commenting on feeling sad in a particular spot, and then follows up by pointing out that she IS in a cemetery, so maybe feeling sad isn't surprising. A male voice answers something like, "That's it". I realize that there are people talking in the background, but when listening with headphones, this voice is closer to the recorder and of a different quality than the background male voice.
During the Day 2 investigation, an investigator is walking through the stones in the old part of the cemetery near the obelisk. She invites the spirits to speak to her, then apologizes for walking through the stones and says that she means no disrespect. A female voice can be heard whispering the name "Allie".
Conclusion
I can't thank you enough for participating in this investigation. You are the pioneers of a very important paranormal experiment. Even if you didn't pick up any intuitive information or record an EVP, your presence was absolutely vital to the success of the investigation because it is the combined energy of the people who take part in an investigation that gives it life. I know for a fact that if any one of you were missing from this investigation, less EVP would have been captured and less intuitive impressions would have been present.
The two groups picked up intuitive information in similar areas of the cemetery.
The sheer number of high-quality EVP recorded during the investigations suggests that the cemetery is even more active than I originally thought. As this is an ongoing investigation, I'm confident that even more evidence will be gathered that will point to these common areas as being paranormal 'hotspots'. I encourage everyone who took part in the investigation to visit the Milltown Cemetery on your own to try to gather even more evidence. If you do, I would appreciate you sharing your findings with me so I can include them in this ongoing report.
Suggestions
When recording for EVP, silence is absolutely necessary. There were times when someone was running an EVP session, and other members of the group were having a conversation. Unfortunately, I had to ignore these sessions.
Dry leaves make a VERY loud sound! Of course, you should record the entire time you are at an investigation; but it's important to stop every now and then to voice your impressions and to run an EVP session in silence.
Both groups did a good job at noting extraneous sounds during the EVP sessions and while they were walking. It's always best to be hyper-aware of external sounds so you don't end up mistaking a natural sound for a supernatural sound.
If you feel something, say something. Don't hesitate to voice your impressions. Don't think you'll sound dumb, or that you won't be 'right'. A good example of this is when I said that I was picking up the name Philip near the Smalley stone. I never discovered what that impression was about, and it very well could be a false impression. But imagine if I take another group to that spot at a later date, and someone says they are also picking up the name Philip. Bingo! Not all evidence comes out at once. Everything you feel is important. Intuition is the most important part of running a paranormal investigation.
Please feel free to write me with any questions, comments or suggestions. I ALWAYS answer emails. If you write me and don't get a response, check your Spam folder first. If my reply is not there, write me again. I always answer as soon as I receive an email, but things do get lost in cyberspace. My email address is [email protected].
I can't thank you enough for participating in this investigation. You are the pioneers of a very important paranormal experiment. Even if you didn't pick up any intuitive information or record an EVP, your presence was absolutely vital to the success of the investigation because it is the combined energy of the people who take part in an investigation that gives it life. I know for a fact that if any one of you were missing from this investigation, less EVP would have been captured and less intuitive impressions would have been present.
The two groups picked up intuitive information in similar areas of the cemetery.
- The 1909 mausoleum gave off the strongest negative impressions.
- The area heading away from the Brewster side of the cemetery near the Smalley headstone was an area that both groups felt a strong presence, or they received intuitive impressions/feelings.
- Just past the obelisk in the older part of the cemetery where the "Allie" EVP was recorded, including area near the cyprus trees, was an area of common intuitive experiences.
The sheer number of high-quality EVP recorded during the investigations suggests that the cemetery is even more active than I originally thought. As this is an ongoing investigation, I'm confident that even more evidence will be gathered that will point to these common areas as being paranormal 'hotspots'. I encourage everyone who took part in the investigation to visit the Milltown Cemetery on your own to try to gather even more evidence. If you do, I would appreciate you sharing your findings with me so I can include them in this ongoing report.
Suggestions
When recording for EVP, silence is absolutely necessary. There were times when someone was running an EVP session, and other members of the group were having a conversation. Unfortunately, I had to ignore these sessions.
Dry leaves make a VERY loud sound! Of course, you should record the entire time you are at an investigation; but it's important to stop every now and then to voice your impressions and to run an EVP session in silence.
Both groups did a good job at noting extraneous sounds during the EVP sessions and while they were walking. It's always best to be hyper-aware of external sounds so you don't end up mistaking a natural sound for a supernatural sound.
If you feel something, say something. Don't hesitate to voice your impressions. Don't think you'll sound dumb, or that you won't be 'right'. A good example of this is when I said that I was picking up the name Philip near the Smalley stone. I never discovered what that impression was about, and it very well could be a false impression. But imagine if I take another group to that spot at a later date, and someone says they are also picking up the name Philip. Bingo! Not all evidence comes out at once. Everything you feel is important. Intuition is the most important part of running a paranormal investigation.
Please feel free to write me with any questions, comments or suggestions. I ALWAYS answer emails. If you write me and don't get a response, check your Spam folder first. If my reply is not there, write me again. I always answer as soon as I receive an email, but things do get lost in cyberspace. My email address is [email protected].