Elburn Community Center Investigation

The building was originally an elementary school but later was converted into a high school. It closed down in 1960-61.

An opportunity for an Elburn and Countryside Community presented itself when Elburn’s elementary school was consolidated with the School District 302’s other three elementary schools to form a single elementary school at the former middle school location. This left a building, playground, and additional acreage vacant. With its large gymnasium and balconied theater, cafeteria and classrooms, some residents felt that the building could ideally house a community center and office complexes.

During the summer of 1985, a group of interested residents asked the Elburn Board of Trustees to purchase the former school building for use as a community center. The Elburn Trustees felt that the Village could not make such a purchase. Due to the effects of a recent closing of the major industry in town and the maintenance and utility costs that would be incurred, the Board felt that the building was not affordable on the Village’s already ailing budget.

However, the couple who make the high bid for the building offered it for sale to the citizen committee on an Installment Agreement. The citizens accepted and incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation with their own board of trustees to operate the facility. The Center receives no tax dollars from anyone, anywhere. Instead, the Center is a self-supporting operation through a combination of donations (tax deductible) and leasing enterprises which utilize the former classroom space. The Center is overseen by a Volunteer Board of Directors. Donations are always appreciated.

Located at 525 N. Main St., Elburn, IL. 60119, 630-365-6655

Website: http://www.elburncommunitycenter.org

Hauntings: In the kitchen area people reported getting touched by the doorway in the middle of the room. Near the back room experiences of emotional feelings such as anger, sadness; something often not normally felt.

In the upper hallway reports of shadow figures moving back and forth near the top of the stairway, cold and hot surges and EMF spikes near a crack in the floor.

Balcony has been the scene of numerous EVPs, visual sightings and people feeling as though they’re being chocked. An interesting picture taken there revealed a strange greenish spiral. Also sounds of chanting and footsteps on wood. In the announcing booth there has been the possible movement of trigger objects placed there in the past by the group Kindred Spirits.

The Ghost Research Society investigated the Elburn Community Center on December 4, 2010. Team members included: Stan Suho, Sandra Weber and Dale Kaczmarek with help by the group Kindred Spirits and group members: Rebecca Sommers, Ashley Ottenstein.

Equipment setup: A small Command Center featuring only two laptops; one was running Stan’s audio and then other running a wi-fi signal to a camcorder. A category five cable was used to bring a live feed to a small monitor.

Stan’s camera was placed in the kitchen while Dale’s was set up in the hallway where shadow figures have been seen in the past. A set of motion detectors and an EM Pump was also placed at the end of the hallway where the figures have been witnessed.

Personal experiences: Dale got a very bad headache in the kitchen area near the refrigerator which could have simple been caused by high field of EMF. Once leaving the area, the head aches subsided. While conducting an EVP in the balcony all present clearly heard a metal sound in the far right-hand corner of the gym behind the curtains.

Throughout the evening a number of strange metallic sounds were heard coming over the audio feed from the kitchen area and while Stan and Dale were in the kitchen, they both heard that metallic sound coming from the back room from no apparent source. The Ovilus PX was used extensively throughout the evening but was most active in the Dance Room in both phonetic and dictionary mode. In other parts of the building, it was very quiet.

Sandra Weber: Time: approximately 11:30 p.m. until 2:30 a.m.

Weather: cold, clear

EMF (Tri-Field EMF) Infrared (FLIR)

Phenomena witnessed by investigator

I took readings with the Tri-Field EMF on magnetic mode throughout the auditorium, balcony of the auditorium, mirrored studio, kitchen, 2^nd floor corridor (where shadow figures purportedly seen) but only in the older portion of the building where all activity was reported. I stopped every 4 – 5 feet to allow the meter to stabilize. There were no spikes anywhere. I placed the Tri-Field EMF on the floor and held a flashlight on it during EVP sessions conducted by the leader of the other team in the mirrored studio, balcony of the auditorium, and the 2^nd floor corridor near where the shadow figures were seen. I used the FLIR throughout the older building as I walked through the building in every location where I used the Tri-Field EMF and used the FLIR intermittently during EVP sessions (it makes a clicking sound that is irritating—requires me to interrupt the session to announce when it clicks). I found nothing unusual all night.

Phenomena witnessed by investigator

Comments: I had no personal experiences.

Summation:

I have no evidence to present from this investigation.

Stan Suho: Dale and I arrived around 10:00 PM and joined up with Sandy. The other group joined us for assistance and observation. We set up at the front of the Gym/Stage area where we had good access to the active areas of the building. Since we were traveling very light we had a simple setup. Two Cameras were used, Dales Night shot and my IR Night Shot Ghost Camera. We didn't use the Video System or G.E.I.S.T.

Dale's Camera was set up in an upstairs hallway facing down the hall. It was connected to a 100 ft Category 5 Cable system run back to a make shift command post set up in the front of the Stage area. It terminated in a 3 inch TV monitor. This type of cable can transmit both picture and sound without an RF Modem and is a good replacement for Coax. It tends to be a bit pricey though.

I set up my camera and Ghost Mic in the Boiler Room, then used a WI-FI link back to the make shift command post. As a Monitor, I used a Laptop running Video Capture software. Both Monitors gave very good pictures.

I spent the rest of the evening walking around taking pictures and using my Night Vision Viewer. I also spent time with Dale in the Boiler Room doing EVP test.

Conclusion

Although the Boiler Room was reported to be active, it was also very noisy with pipes clanging, Water Heater noises and Air Vent noises. Nothing showed up on my 35 mm film, IR camera, or Audio Recorder. It might be interesting to get back in with more cameras and hit some of the areas that we couldn't cover this time. It's a big building and could use a more intense investigation.

Video Evidence:

Kitchen sounds of noises that were heard by several members on the video monitor placed in the kitchen area while those same members were conducting an EVP session in the balcony.

Noise a strange metallic sound was recorded from the balcony during an EVP session that emanated from the gym area.

Sound as Stan approaches the back room of the kitchen area, a sound is heard and recorded. It was captured on a full spectrum camera.