Real Haunted Houses

Real Haunted House

East McDowell Jr. High

Marion, North Carolina

Presently the site of East McDowell Jr. High, an orphanage once stood on these grounds. One night, the orphanage was set ablaze. Everyone escaped safely, but six small children returned to the inferno to save their pets. Only three of the six survived. It is said that if one stands on the tennis courts of the school around midnight, the screeching of burning animals and children may be heard.

61 comments on this haunted house. Share your story »

61 Comments

Leave a comment

Ann says:

October 26, 2005, 12:50 pm

Oh please. I have lived in NC my whole life and so far I have heard this about let’s see……..NC State Univ – Raleigh, Queens College – Charlotte and at least one other Elem School somewhere east of Raleigh.

marco says:

January 27, 2006, 9:13 pm

Yeah right I use to go to that school!!! Never heard a THING. Plus the orphanage was closed in 1928 and burned in 1929!

amanda shelton says:

February 11, 2006, 8:55 pm

ok first of all i am a student of east mcdowell jr high school i am in the 7th grade and my 2nd period teacher said that the childrens home closed ayear before the fire so there was no kids to be berned.
so if you really belive this junk you are crazy and i stood on the tiennis coart at 12:00 and didnt haer or see any thing

Ashley & A.J says:

February 27, 2006, 3:32 pm

it’s really true and i heard someone hung thereself in the library and at night you could hear the girl screaming for her last breath.

alan clark says:

April 4, 2006, 6:01 pm

well I heard if you shake your ***** too long you can ejaculate but i dont know, maybe its just a myth. or someone playing pranks on people.

Andy says:

April 25, 2006, 4:38 pm

about all i learned is that 7th graders cant type and that people depend on word of mouth waaaaaaaay to much

Shannon says:

June 21, 2006, 6:34 pm

Anyone interested in the paranormal, I am co founder of a local group in Fayetteville, North Carolina called NAM GHOST HUNTING SOCIETY. My partner and I are looking for some new members willing to go on investigations. We have already partially investigated the Vander Light haunting and are currently working on a new investigation at the Clarion Prince Charles Hotel. We still have to go back to with our equipment to Vander, but we did catch pictures of several orbs and ectoplasm. Our contact info is on our web site. http://www.namghs.com.
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!!

madison says:

October 6, 2006, 9:05 am

that is so fffffffffrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkkkyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
werid

madison says:

October 6, 2006, 9:06 am

that is so fffrrreeeaaakkky
weird

jamie says:

October 12, 2006, 10:35 am

OMG!! that is the worst story i have heard. if this really happened i would like to see it for my self

jocelyn says:

September 27, 2007, 4:08 pm

wow this really sounds interesting, um.. i’ve really never been looking for ghost stories really never believed in them, but i’m in game designing class and i want to make a game that has to do with real live ghost stories so plz tell me if there true so email me at joceferr91@aol.com thanks so much have a wonderful say =) sincerly yours Jaws =)

Olivia says:

May 12, 2008, 2:09 pm

I am a ghost hunter. You little freaks on here that are just dumb, please go away. Thanks.

James says:

May 25, 2008, 9:16 pm

If anyone ever wants to check any of these stories out I’d like to get a group together or something.
pure_greatness2u@yahoo.com

Jessi says:

June 22, 2008, 8:39 pm

OMG!!! I am going to East next year!!!! if I die then its yall’s fault!!!

Kalisa says:

August 3, 2008, 1:21 am

I went to East Jr. High. And I highly believe in ghost and sprits. The home did not close a year before it burned down. My senior year in high school i did a two week investagation for a report on McDowell County history. I did not experince any thing while i was on the courts. But ghosts don’t just appear on cue either. . .they show there selves when they want to.

John says:

August 8, 2008, 3:15 pm

I am from NC and have grown up hearing these same stories. I find that sometimes the stories change and a lot of times, stories get posted but are not built on facts, i.e ‘orphanage closing down a year before it burned down’. Facts like these should be known before investigated. First do research to find out if the facts support the claim.

randall dalton says:

August 29, 2008, 9:30 pm

I went to east junior high in 1956 thru 1960; but it was a high school at that time. I’m 67 years old. I also walked from STUMP TOWN to go to town. I used a short cut through the area where ELHANAN orphanage had burned down. The large front steps were cement and they were still laying there intact.I often sat on them. If I remember they were five steps high. Me and several other kids often played cowboys there. We had heard stories about the place being haunted, and we never went through there at night. It was spooky even in the daylight. Randall

Shelby Higdon says:

October 31, 2008, 4:55 pm

Ok yea i dont believe that one but i go to east mcdowell and i know that ,for a fact, it is haunted. There is an attic above the auditorium and i went up there today and i felt my heart drop to my stomach. There were boxes in there and one light bulb and a table with some chairs. The chairs were squeeking. It sounded like something was pushing them back and forth. If ya wanna know more about the experiences there email me at shelbyhigdon22@yahoo.com!!

Karebear Koda says:

January 29, 2009, 8:24 pm

Ok..I go there and I am in 9th grade. I believe in the whole paranormal thing. I then found out that I am a sensitive. (Where you can tell when someone wants to reach you but not strong enough) The whole thing about the burning about my school is a bunch of ****. BUT, the part where the teacher hangs “herself” is true. Her students got mad at her and hung her in the auditorium. Trust me..being in there alone with the lights off is freaking scary. And also the old Library too.

W.S. Paranormal Investigator says:

January 30, 2009, 6:13 pm

I have been a Paranormal Investigator for more than a year now…and I have seen things , felt thing AND HEARD things you WOULD NOT believe …Karebear I too am a sensitive and my sensitivity was heightened when I was the Channel for a spirit recently… to all of thsoe who dont believe …..I KNOW the Paranormal exists

W.S. Paranormal Investigator says:

January 30, 2009, 6:16 pm

here is a websight you need to check out SPARS-paranormal.com I forgot to add this for you Kare….

Kristopher says:

February 7, 2009, 2:51 pm

Ok. So the story about the orphanage is bogus. But to the best of my knowledge a teacher did hang in the library. I hate to ruin the murder or suicide element to the story but it was an accident.

sue sue says:

September 1, 2009, 9:35 am

i went to east too… so the orhanage hunting thing is true and somebody did get hung at the school but not in the auditorium it was in the old libray thank you so all you little kids please get ya facts straight!!!!!!!

Carolina Sector of Paranormal Investigators says:

September 2, 2009, 7:10 pm

I am the Founder of C.P.S.I. I have heard stories about this and did some research ..this is what I came up with from Haunted Places in NC….im still researching the hanging this will take some time….

East McDowell Jr. High School (Marion, NC)
In the early 1900’s an orphange sat on the lot where East McDowell Jr. High sits now. It burned to the ground and some of the children who lived at the orphanage died in the fire. At night you are supposed to be able to hear the children crying in the back parking lot, and the library is haunted by the supervisor of the orphanage who also died in the fire. You can see her on the upstairs balcony of the library
I will post my findings as soon as I get them…
Wanda Stone
C.S.P.I
Founder

Carolina Sector of Paranormal Investigators says:

September 2, 2009, 7:15 pm

I did a little more digging on the Orphanage and here is something else I found this is a link to another websight that says NO-ONE was in the building when it burned …hmmm INTERESTING!!!

im still researching the hanging

Carolina Sector of Paranormal Investigators says:

September 2, 2009, 7:16 pm

http://theshadowlands.net/places/northcarolina.htm
Derrr I forgot too post it….lol

LJ says:

September 30, 2009, 11:15 pm

People who don’t check out all the facts about East Jr. High are so mistaken. I went to that school all 3 year and I don’t want to say what happen to me but I can say that it is haunted.

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 1, 2009, 8:10 am

I still havent found out anything in reguard to the story about the hanging….im doing some digging and so far have found NOTHING about it…I will continue my search…I am going to try to schedule an Investigation in the School…this in itself will be difficult…I will let you all know the progress

LJ says:

October 1, 2009, 3:12 pm

Okay,I born and raise here in Marion, NC. I have been here for a long time. Here are a few facts about some stuff here to clear up the folklore! Fact number 1 – No one was hung or hung themself in the libary of East Jr. High. Fact number 2 – Miss Mattie Perry founded and operated Elhanan in 1898. It served as an orphanage and Bible-training institute and was located where the present East Junior High School is located. Elhanan operated until 1927 and the building burned in 1928. The building was still ocuppied by the new director and was killed in the fire in 1928.

This here is up to you to decide,I know what I saw when I went to school there, but this is the way it goes; East McDowell Junior High School. Built on the site of an orphanage that burned down, the school’s media center is haunted by the orphanage director who died in the fire. Her figure can be seen on the upstairs balcony.
Just thought I would share my knowlegde of being born and raised in Marion, NC.

LJ says:

October 1, 2009, 3:17 pm

Oh yeah if anyone wants to read the history of Marion, NC so you can get things striaght then here it is – http://www.marionnc.org/history.htm

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 1, 2009, 7:22 pm

Thank You for Sharing LJ…have oyu ever thought about becoming a Paranormal Investigator???

LJ says:

October 1, 2009, 7:30 pm

Not really. I haven’t ever gave it much thought. Seems like it would be fun because the Paranormal doesn’t scare me. I welcome any spirit to visit me, just because I like things that are a mystery to most people.

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 2, 2009, 10:44 am

after doing some extensive research I CANNOT find anything to backup the claims made about someone getting hanged or hanging themselves in the school…I even talked to the clerk of court who told me they have NO documentation to back up this claim…so this is nothing more than a Urban Ledgend…although it is a good one …it is just that….
Wanda Stone
C.S.P.I. Founder

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 2, 2009, 10:51 am

Well LJ I am the founder as you can see of a Paranormal Group based in Durham and in Hoffman NC, I invite you to come and check out our website….we are likeminded peopl who want to find out EVERYTHING there is to know about the Paranormal, as well as to hlep other to find the answers they seek. We do this by doing investigaitons FREE OF CHARGE ..this helps people that have questions, experiences as well as problems get the answers they seek as well…wel have adopted the Ghost Hunters method of investigating…Go in debunking EVERYTHING then the rest is paranormal…we are everyday people like yourself that just have a LOVE of the Paranormal….here is the link to our websight….hope too see you there
http://carolinasparanormalinvestigators.ning.com/
Wanda Stone
C.S.P.I. Carolina Sector of Paranormal Investigators
Founder

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 2, 2009, 10:59 am

AND SOMEDAY LJ…….IM GOING TO LEARN TO TYPE AND PROOF READ BETTER…hahahaha

c's sister says:

October 8, 2009, 9:53 pm

I grew up there as well, I’ve heard Emerson Carter haunts the library at East McDowell Jr. High.
He was a teacher there, in the years the school served as the high school. He was murdered in his home, on Rocky Pass Road.

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 8, 2009, 11:01 pm

Thanks for Sharing c’s Sister…I will have to look that up…ill let you know what I find….

McD says:

October 11, 2009, 8:57 am

I’m a teacher at East Junior High. I can tell you no teacher ever hung himself at the school. You won’t find it in any records of the city, nor any newspaper microfilms. Didn’t happen. The end.

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 11, 2009, 9:04 am

Tnak you for Clearing that up McD ….since I couldnt find ANYTHING pertaining to the hanging as I said before it is an URBAN ledgend a GOOD one but simply that…
Wanda Stone
C.S.P.I. Founder

sue sue says:

October 12, 2009, 2:51 pm

i heard the same thing c’s sister. but anywayz all yall is wack yall think yall kno everthing and always gotta be right get a life cauz half of yall is probably lyin!!!!

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 12, 2009, 6:51 pm

Sue sue,
No-One is stating we know everything..when it comes to the Paranormal there are NO experts! I just did research to find out ANYTHING I could about the story….I did find out about the teacher that was murdered in his home that story IS true…and I found out through a reliable source…so perhaps he DOES haunt the School…we will never know because they will not allow Investigation so we cannot find out….

Jenniffer of Lenoir NC says:

October 23, 2009, 10:36 pm

First of all, all of my children have attended this school. And yes the fire was the year after the home was closed, but I went out there last night to see if there is anything to this story. Well I did not hear animals or children screaming or anything else for that matter. So this one is busted ! ! ! lol…Not true just a story someone made up to try and scare people

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 24, 2009, 10:57 am

As I said Jennifer parts if it is and Urban Myth a GOOD one but just that an Urban Myth….However that doesn’t mean that people havent seen NOR heard the things they claim they did…Spirits DO NOT perform on command and Just because you didnt have a personal experience doesn’t mean they dont exist…I happen to know they DO…

suesue says:

October 26, 2009, 11:13 am

if yall dont stop talking about that thing people tht dont even live in marion think they kno everything about this yall is so lame!!!. c.s.i person i know you tellin the truth… preach it honey!!!!

LJ says:

October 26, 2009, 6:14 pm

suesue, I have lived in marion all my life and went to East Jr. High the whole 3 years. There are things there that can’t be explained. Whether it is paranormal or not who really knows but there was strange things that happen at that school when I went there. Just to let you know that not everyone on here talking about it don’t know anything, well I know different. I only tell what I know and that is it.

suesue says:

October 27, 2009, 11:10 am

i lived in marion my whole life to 7 went to east jr high the whole 3 years 2 sooooooooooooooo….. yeah shut up LJ & suck it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LJ says:

October 27, 2009, 4:29 pm

suesue, I apologize if I offended you in anyway. My comment wasn’t meant to offend you at all. I was just stating that I was born and raised here in Marion is all.

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 28, 2009, 2:17 pm

WOW…suesue that comment was TOTALLLY un called for…he was just stating his opinion….

suesue says:

October 28, 2009, 2:38 pm

annnnnnnd i dont care he shouldt have got smart yall just keep my name out yalls mouth yall dig!!!!!

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 28, 2009, 2:44 pm

this will be the last communication we will have suesue…take care

booboo da fool says:

October 28, 2009, 2:47 pm

hold up LJ and C.S.P.I. Founder of wateva! yall needa mind ya business cuz i went to east all 3 years boo boo and i believe all the stuff that happened even though nothin crazy happened to me! sue sue is my cousin and if yall wanna scrap we can go!

sue sue says:

October 28, 2009, 2:51 pm

u can kiss my a** u dont kno me ill jump thru this computer screen u dont have no life csi founder cause ur butt is always on here!!!!

booboo da fool says:

October 28, 2009, 2:51 pm

AND yall aint gotta life! keep checkin up on here like its ya facebook or somethin. find somethin more constructive to do wit ya lives!

booboo da fool says:

October 28, 2009, 2:52 pm

AND yall aint gotta life! keep checkin up on here like its ya facebook or somethin. find somethin more constructive to do wit ya lives!!

LJ says:

October 28, 2009, 8:38 pm

An intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction!

LJ says:

October 28, 2009, 8:44 pm

So with that said, I will be moving in the opposite direction from the ones that are not intelligent at all. You will see no more comments after this from me on here. Just one thing before I go. Some people need to go back to school and learn the English language a little better!

C.S.P.I. Founder says:

October 28, 2009, 10:45 pm

LJ,
Please dont let someones lack of intelligence keep you from posting here…I overlook ignorance and move ahead …we are the bigger people…. you are most welcome to post in our forum….I believe you have the websight address…moving on…I believe you when you say you have experienced things there… I would love to hear about it sometime…please visit our websight and tell us about your experiences…

sue sue says:

October 29, 2009, 1:49 pm

look honey i got intelligence LJ i have way more than you ok!!!! im just gangsta so this is how we talk on the west side so holla at me aight…..

Mariana Rico says:

November 4, 2009, 10:25 pm

Well i used to go to East Lazt year until i’ve Moved many people have told me many stories about East in Which I dont Really Believe My Social Studies teacher told me that the Orphanage was closed down a year before it had gotton on fire….so there is no possabillity that 3 kids could have been burned there :]

thompson says:

January 6, 2010, 12:46 pm

Facts about the Elhanan Orphanage are in an old newspaper from 1927 in Marion. The Orphanage was set afire a year earlier and the woman who ran Elhahan Orphanage was Mattie Perry>The first Female Preacher in Marion. The Leaders in Marion did not like how Miss Perry really could pray to God and Her Prayers WERE answered! Anyway The Orphanage was set on fire, the first time there were no injuries. But Miss Perry had no choice but to close down the orphanage. She found homes for most of the children,except for a few. They continued to stay there with two caretakers and Miss. Perry. While Miss Perry went on a trip, the orphanage was set afire again, this time, all in the old building burned. CHILDREN WERE KILLED THERE BY THE FIRE! iF ANYONE DIGS DEEP INTO mARIONS HISTORY YOU CAN FIND THE truth FOR YOURSELF! And can even see who had the most anger against Miss Perry! Guess you can say that back then in the early twenties in Marion N>C> Certain MEN really did own thw town and they did everything they wanted to get what they wanted! Even Murder!

Rachael says:

March 11, 2010, 5:33 pm

Ok heres the thing, I go to EMJH and is in the 7th grade. In science class our teacher told us that the old librarian, (Mr. Carter or Mr. Carver dont remember) and she said she hung himself in the teachers lounge which used to be the library. And she told us that the orphanage did burn down on our tennis court but no “paranormal activity” occurs in our hallways I can assure you, but both of those stories are true.

Leave a Comment

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

Website

Please use correct grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. Let's try to keep this place looking classy.
Real Haunts reserves the right to remove any comment that does not adhere to this requirement or is otherwise
inappropriate. Any post containing a link will be flagged for moderation due to recent comment spam. Feel free
to include relevant links, but please know that it will delay your post.

About Real Haunts

Do you believe in the supernatural?

This is the best resource for haunted houses, spooky stories, ghostly tales and all things paranormal.

 

We have mountains of stories about ghosts, ghouls, and specters.

Sitemap

HomeStatesSubmit a Haunt

 

Copyright © 1998-2010

i85media Networks LLC

Privacy Policy