Fayerweather House
There are other places too, but stories from some of these sites are much more sketchy. One of them is Fayerweather House, a residence hall for women. It has been said that windows and doors operate on their own here and that lights turn on and off without explanation. Perhaps most strange are the stories of “grave-shaped” depressions that sometimes appear in the dirt floor of the basement. Some have suggested that perhaps the building may have been constructed over a burial ground, but no one really knows for sure.
I have been informed that the girl who allegedly hanged herself in the closet once resided in this house. In fact, she committed suicide in the closet of Room #5, which is located on the stairway landing between the first and second floors of the house. "Susie", as she has been called, is noisy and can often be heard walking around the house, opening doors in the middle of the night and scratching on walls. One correspondent informed me that Susie was once blamed for the violent removal of a clothing rod from the wall. They could never explain how this had happened.
The stories also maintain that the attic of the Fayerweather house has been fully converted into dorm rooms, but they are never used. It has been said that the rooms were closed when too many strange things started to happening to the students who lived there. One of my correspondents had a sister who lived in Fayerweather and told her of doors slamming and lights turning on and off, as well as objects that would fly about in the rooms.
Another site is Sturtevant Hall, one of the most famous spots on campus. Recent stories say that a ghostly young man in a Civil War era uniform is sometimes seen here. In addition, it is nearly impossible to find someone who will spend the night in the north tower of the building. It has been said that there are too many sounds and noises here to get anyone to do so. Before it was made into classrooms, the building housed the Pi Pi Rho Literary Society. Members of the society still maintain that toilets in the hall often flushed by themselves.
Crampton Hall, which was built in 1873, is also believed to be home to a ghost. The residence was built to house 69 men and it was named in honor of Rufus C. Crampton, a former professor and president of the college. According to the story, there was a male student who left a party one night and was later found in his room (again) having hanged himself in the closet. However, it was always said that he was found hanging in such a way that he could not have done it himself! His former room is now believed to be haunted.
And apparently closets in Crampton Hall are as mysterious as the stories that revolve around them. One student told me that one day three of the residents were waiting on a fourth friend to get ready so that they could all go somewhere together. Finally, they tired of waiting and went to check on him, only to find that he was hanging upside in the closet, stark naked, and so frightened that he was almost incoherent. The student went on to say that he lived in this building for one semester and "would never live there again". One night, he fell asleep with his lights on but was awakened by a noise. When he looked up, he saw a man standing there looking at him. The man quickly turned and vanished into the closet.
Another resident haunt can be found in the McGaw building. This is a performing arts building and it has been reported that you will never find anyone alone in the auditorium alone here at night. The place is allegedly haunted by the ghost of a man who is seen wearing clothing from the 1940's. He is usually seen out of the corners of the eyes of those who are on stage.
Rammelkamp Chapel allegedly has a haunted basement as well. Some of the students tell stories of classroom doors and that open and then slam shut, sometimes in the middle of lectures. The classrooms are located on both sides of a long hall here and by looking out the door of one of them, a person can see into the classroom across the hall. One day, during a class, a student reported became quite upset when she looked across the hall and spotted a woman in white in the adjoining classroom. This would not have been so strange had the woman not vanished before her eyes!
Many students at Illinois College make the claim that it may be one of the most haunted universities in the Midwest. What do you think? If you have ever had a ghostly experience here, or know of a legend about the school, please contact us. We would love to hear from you!
EMAIL US HERE WITH YOUR STORIES AND INFORMATION!
(c) Copyright 2000 by Troy Taylor. All Rights Reserved.
Special Thanks to the Students at Illinois College who have already assisted with this Project!
http://www.prairieghosts.com/ilcollege.htmlhttp://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntil.html