Ghost Hunters–the television show on the Sci Fi (Scy Fy) Channel featuring T.A.P.S. (The Atlantic Paranormal Society)–aired an episode entitled New Hampshire Gothic on November 11, 2009.
This episode featured T.A.P.S. controversial investigation of the Amos J. Blake House Museum, in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire that is managed by the Fitzwilliam Historical Society.
Read more about the production crew's filming at the location by clicking on the following links:
Entities-r-Us
thebeyond.info
On-line Evidence of Amos J. Blake House
The group I helped found–Sights Unseen Paranormal–has intimate knowledge of the site, having investigated the museum several times. We watched the episode with interest to see if Ghost Hunters results coincide with what we know to be true regarding this location.
There is no doubt that the Amos J. Blake House Museum is a wonderful example of a New England historical society museum. Having been part of at least three investigations of the location I was pleased to see that TAPS results correlated with my experiences at the location, and not the exaggerated ‘evidence’ that I have read about the location in the past.
Concerning the 'evidence' that TAPS did gather, I believe that the ‘ghost cat’ could be debunked by assuming that a stray cat had recently made its way into the basement due to the advent of the cold weather. However, I can’t confirm this hypothesis and having been in the basement on multiple occasions, it appeared to be fairly secure. Still, you have to assume that this is more likely then the existence of a ghost cat.
As far as the chain moving and the pitchfork falling over, I found this suspicious. Having been in the location many times, all the furniture, etc. was placed pretty much as I remember it. One thing that I certainly don’t remember is the chain and the pitchfork. It seemed out of place to me. It appears unusual that these objects were in the location and placed as they were. I am unsure why, with many valuable artifacts around, one would stand a pitchfork on end and lean it against the wall where it could easily fall over.
In addition, considering the way a board could be stepped on in an old house, and something moves–the door latch upstairs did this earlier and Jason clearly points out that shifting boards can cause things to move–I propose that the investigators walking by could have triggered the movement by this principle. I’d have to see the footage analyzed by a physicist before I was really convinced that the event was paranormal in origin. It all just seems a little too convenient or coincidental to me. I do try very hard to debunk phenomena and believe that too often people resort to 'ghostly' explanations for phenomena with environmental causes.
Finally–and perhaps the most interesting–is the fact that the curator of the museum and the ‘volunteer’ that was interviewed are both members of a paranormal investigation team that formed after it was discovered TAPS was going to investigate the location. It was shortly after the group was formed that reports of multiple apparitions and conscious spirits haunting the location were reported and I suspect that the ‘evidence’ was highly exaggerated–or at least not thoroughly debunked–in an effort to pique TAPS interest.
Both the curator of the museum and the 'volunteer' are both former members of Sights Unseen Paranormal, but quit and formed their own group shortly after learning that TAPS was set to investigate the museum. This seems suspicious to me, especially when combined with the 'explosion' of paranormal activity reported at the location by the curator's team of paranormal investigators shortly after it was formed in the lead up to the television episode featuring the locale.
As an aside, I feel I need to address the issue of 'not-being-on-Ghost Hunters-envy' that has been suggested by certain individuals to explain my interest in the location and developments related to the recent television episode. So, to go on record, Sights Unseen Paranormal generally eschews publicity. In the last several months I have referred a television producer and two newspaper reporters to another group whom I hold in high esteem. And I, for one, have no burning desire to become a TAPS affiliate, meet Jason or Grant, nor do I generally watch the television show. Certainly I admire them for contributing to the recent explosion in interest in the paranormal, but that's really as far as it goes.
To sum up, I do firmly believe that there may be something is going on in the museum and would rate it a 2 out of 10 regarding possible paranormal activity. I’ve recorded a disembodied voice and had a cold spot sit on my shoulder while investigating the Amos J. Blake House Museum.
TAPS did do a good job debunking. For me, the smell of cat urine and a pitch fork falling over (even with the chain moving) aren’t enough for me–nor TAPS–to consider the place really haunted.
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