Pennsylvania Hall At Gettysburg College
One of the most haunted buildings on campus is said to be Pennsylvania Hall, a large building with stately white columns. It once served as a dormitory for students and now houses the campus administrative offices. The hall was constructed in 1837 and is often referred to as Old Dorm. The large structure was taken over by the Confederates during the battle, not only for use as a field hospital, but as a look-out post as well. A number of officers, including General Lee, used the cupola of the Old Dorm to keep an eye on the progress of the battle.
It has been said that on certain nights, students and staff members of the college have reported seeing the figures of soldiers pacing back and forth in the cupola of the building. The descriptions of the men vary but it is believed they may be sentries who were placed on duty there to guard the safety of Lee, or to deliver messages to the battlefield.
One student reported that he and his roommate, who lived in a dorm about 50 yards away from Pennsylvania Hall, saw a shadowy figure in the tower over a period of several nights. On another occasion, a figure was seen to be gesturing wildly, apparently to a student below. When the student called out to him, believing that perhaps someone was trapped in the tower, the figure vanished. An investigation by campus security found the building to be empty.
It is believed to be the terrible conditions of the field hospital however, which have left the strongest impressions on the building. According to the records of the time, blood sprayed the walls and floors of the rooms as doctors operated without anesthetic, dealing with bullet wounds by the preferred treatment of the time... amputation. Outside of the operating rooms was an area where those who could not be saved were left to die. There is no way that we can even imagine the horrible wails, groans and cries that echoed in this area.
Perhaps the most famous story connected to the time of the battle was related by author Mark Nesbitt. He told of two college administrators who were working on the fourth floor of the building one night. As they were leaving, they stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the first floor. Instead of taking them to their destination, the elevator mysteriously passed it and came to a stop on the basement level. The elevator doors then opened to a terrifying scene....
The basement storage room had vanished and in its place was the blood-splattered operating room of 1863. Wounded men were lying prone on the floor and administering to them were doctors and orderlies in bloody clothing. The entire scene was completely silent, although it was obvious that it was one of chaos.
Stunned and horrified, the administrators repeatedly pushed at the elevator button, desperately trying to close the doors and escape the scene which lay before them. Just before the doors closed though, one of the spectral orderlies was said to have looked up, directly at the two administrators, as though asking them for help.
Whatever happened that evening, the two administrators were shaken and frightened by it and needless to say, never forgot their strange experience. However, you couldnt fault them for their bravery. In the same circumstances, I am not sure what I would have done... but both of these men continued to work in the building. In small concession to the weird experience though, whenever they had to work at night, they always departed the building by way of the stairs.
Other crazy stories:
http://www.prairieghosts.com/gettysburg.html
