Eloise

Yesterday morning I texted my mom and asked, do you really want to do that Eloise tour? And, how does next Saturday look? 
Great, she said. So I bought tickets. 
I then quickly realized that I'd bought them for this Saturday. 

I had a moment of AAAAAAAAH! Delete! Refund! Who do I call?! 
But then, realizing that the day worked for me - we'd just have to get ready quickly - I called her and hoped the day worked for her as well. As luck would have it - it did, and in the end - we're glad we went yesterday instead of next week. 

I recommend this tour. I really do. There is SO much history, mixed in with that bit of 'are there really ghosts', and both my mom and I know people who lived on the premises as employees.  And, because times were different back then, Eloise was to my mom what Northville and Newbury were to me - that place you got taken to if you were crazy, and part of the stories that you told at sleepovers when you knew someone who knew someone that had been taken there. 

History. 

I'm sure that all the tour guides are fabulous, but we lucked out in that we got the owner of the place (who bought it for a dollar - and will be turning it into a paranormal themed hotel) as he was covering for someone else. He was able to share stories of the condition it was in when he bought it, some of the activity he's witnessed, and his plans for the future. This is the last year they will be doing tours. Click here for more information. 

One thing I really enjoyed about this tour, besides the history, was that he gave us free reign to explore. He told us we could stay near him and hear his narrative, or we could wander about - poking in and out of rooms. He wanted us to really feel and learn the building. I tried to stay within earshot - but I was so drawn by the experience that I wandered off more than once, and found myself alone several times. I had a good mix of stories and exploring, and my mom caught me up on some of the stories that I'd missed during my wanderings. I would actually pay to go again to hear a  bit and explore even more. 

Another reason that I was glad we went yesterday, was that it was a gorgeous day.  T-shirt weather, actually. But in this building? I wore a t-shirt, hoodie and my winter jacket - and I was still cold. There is no electricity, no heat, and we brought flashlights (as recommended) to see in the dark spots.  I say we lucked out. It would really be cold on a colder day or in the evening. 

I also say we lucked out because I remember trying to book this tour last year and it had sold out. 

I should add that while we had free reign to wander about each floor, we all stayed on the same floor. 

Any guesses? 
It's a bed pan disposal unit. 

Cool, huh? 

One guy on our tour wore a mask. 
I'm thinking he might have been the smart one. By the time we were at the end of our tour, I was feeling it in my chest and was glad to get back outside for the coughing that had begun. 

One part of the narrative that I missed was the story about a book. I don't think it was this one - but a similar sized book in another room on the floor. As the story goes, John had been showing someone around the building and the book was open. They shut the book, and fifteen minutes later when they came back through - the book was open again, to the same page.  (insert Twilight Zone music here) 

We were told at the beginning of the tour that the 3rd floor holds the most activity, and that we'd sense a change on that floor. 

Whether it was knowing this, or not - I have to say that I did feel a change. It's hard to explain, but it was light a tightness in my chest and head, but yet it wasn't physical, and I never felt nervous or creeped out - it was just an odd pressure.  The only other time that I felt it was when I was walking up the stairs to the fifth floor. When I arrived on that floor, John was telling a story about a more unsettling experience that that particular floor held. 

Interesting. 

John also shared that when he bought the building, just recently, there were still filing cabinets full of patient files and many x-rays. He bought in a shredding company to shred them all. It's mind-boggling to me that so many files were just left. Clearly the laws have changed since then. 

The strategically placed hydrotherapy tub. Placed so that multiple employees could stand around to keep the patient submerged. 

Now we're down in the basement, and this find amused me. If it's not the same dishwasher we had in our Farmington church, it's similar. I remember when we had someone out to look at the dishwasher at church and he said he'd never seen one so old still so clean and in working condition (I think I've got that story right). I wonder if this one still runs. 

 

Comments

[Mary Walther Johnson]

Really cool photos Sharyn...and interesting story.