Haunted Hill View Manor
Another Haunted Asylum
Hill View Manor was formerly known as the Lawrence County Home for the Aged, also known as the poor house or poor farm, and housed the county’s mentally ill, financially destitute, and elderly residents who had no known family to take them in. Hill View took opened its doors Tuesday, October 19th, 1926, and started with 12 staff members and the Snyder’s, who oversaw the home. Located in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Hill View now sits atop a hill, watching over the grounds and keeping a close eye on those who come to investigate inside. Known for its countless suicides, the Manor has shown to visitors full-bodied apparitions, disembodied voices, and screams, as well as physical touching… and even sometimes violent pushes.
In New Castle, working farms and homes for the elderly were commonplace. The people tasked with running the Lawrence County Home for the Aged, the Snyders, needed a new facility due to growing numbers of residents needing housing. Hill View was then built, replacing the New Castle City Home. Within a few days, twenty residents moved into the home. It was initially built to house 110 residents, although it became overcrowded quickly, as did many working asylums of the time. From 1926 to 2004, hundreds of individuals called Hill View Manor their home. Several residents died in the Manor from natural causes. Still, others decided they were going to end their own lives, their way. Reports of hangings were standard, but many of the residents took to the building’s roof, jumping to their deaths. Why did so many people here so desperately want to escape its walls? A large percentage of those that died here are buried in an on-site cemetery with unmarked graves.
Reports of Hauntings at Hill View Manor…
When mentioning Hill View Manor to paranormal researchers or ghost hunters, they usually always recount stories of personal experiences in the facility or stories they have heard from others who have visited. It appears if you go to Hill View, you’re almost certain to have some sort of paranormal experience. The Manor was featured on multiple television shows, including Ghost Hunters, Ghost Lab, and Ghost Adventures. The expertise the Ghost Adventures team had here is recounted below from the Haunted Rooms website. “When Zak, Nick, and Aaron from Ghost Adventures went to visit the Hill View Manor, they walked away with a considerable amount of ghostly evidence. Zak made multiple claims of physical contact from the other side. He stated that someone grabbed his arm, another person tugged on his shirt, and he made another claim that he felt a hand moving up and down his back. In all of his claims, nobody was close enough to do anything to him. A shadow figure was seen down one of the hallways, according to Nick. The group also recorded roughly a dozen or so easily understood EVPs. Some of the EVPs included someone saying, “Get out of this room,” “I got a question,” “I’m Jim,” and “I plan on fixin’ them.” The group also captured an anomaly on camera that set off motion sensors.”
Others have come to investigate Hill View Manor over the years, telling of their successes in seeing spirits and experiencing unexplained happenings while within Hill View’s walls. It is not uncommon to hear reports of slamming doors, voices, and footsteps in the long-empty halls. There have also been plenty of stories of scratching in the floors, banging, and pipes rattling, even though there is no HVAC or plumbing to speak of. Objects also move from one room to the next sporadically.
A Young Boy Walks These Halls…
One of the most commonly seen spirits people have witnessed is that of a small boy. While children were not generally accepted into the home, there is evidence that a young boy was permitted to stay at the home when it first opened its doors. People refer to him as Jeffrey, and he is said to look to be about six or seven years old. There are legends attached to this spirit that state if you see him, you perish soon after.
Hill View’s Permanent Residents
Another specter that walks the halls of Hill View is that of an older man. He’s usually seen in the boiler room and truly hates when people enter his space. He’s known to speak on EVPs asking anyone who trespasses to leave immediately. A woman named Mary Virginia is also still seen, felt, and heard at Hill View. She once occupied room 105, and visitors to her room report her presence hanging in the room, heavily. Paranormal researchers have left her a few small dolls and other items as offerings to her spirit.
EVPs are easily acquired at the Manor. It’s common for even the most novice of paranormal investigators to gather evidence of spirits conversing. Two brothers reportedly visited Hill View because their grandmother used to live there. An EVP, or Electronic Voice Phenomena, was captured with a woman using a family nickname that no one else would have known. Another relative stated that her grandmother used to play the piano every day at the facility. Now, a spirit can be heard tickling ivories late into the evening. Even former employees of the Hill View Manor have their own experiences to share. On Haunted Rooms, some of those accounts are given. “One woman who worked as a nurse had numerous experiences while working. On one occasion, while walking from the east wing to the west wing, she claimed a very cold and cloudy form passed through her. It did not frighten her, only gave her an incredible chill. On other occasions, when on the second floor near the break room it would not be uncommon for her to see what appeared to be someone walking down the hall but upon checking things out, nobody was ever there.”
Lakeview Paranormal and Their Visit
If all of this isn’t enough to convince you of Hill View’s paranormal reputation, perhaps some first-hand accounts from a small group of paranormal investigators from Ohio will convince you! Known as Lakeview Paranormal, Philly Ghosts conducted an interview with a few of their members! The group spent less than 24 hours within the walls of Hill View, and each of them came out with an experience to share. When we asked investigator Liz what she experienced at the Manor, her most notable experience occurred in the men’s cafeteria. She could sense extreme tension in the room, as well as noticeable temperature fluctuations. Senior Investigators John and Greg felt followed all throughout Hill View as if they were being watched or kept in line. Greg also smelled perfume and cigar smoke emanating from the rooms located on the third floor. Changes in air pressure and movement were common, and differences in the atmosphere were constantly changing. Some investigators even experienced their ears popping while standing still in the same area.
Have you heard of Hill View Manor? We’d bet if you asked your friends, you’d get at least one account of paranormal activity from this famous otherworldly asylum! To satisfy more of your paranormal cravings, check out our in-depth account of Haunted Baleroy Mansion!
Sources Cited:
https://hauntedhillviewmanor.com/about-hill-view-manor/
https://www.travelchannel.com/shows/ghost-adventures/episodes/hillview-manor-new-castle-pa