School can be scary enough without the building itself being haunted. One school in Ohio seems to be facing just that challenge.
The old Poasttown Elementary School in Madison Township, Ohio has a fabled past of ghostly sightings and historic hauntings.
Built in 1937, it was purchased by Darrell Whisman and his wife, Brenda, in 2004. Whisman, a former student of the spooky school, didn’t believe in ghosts when he and his wife first moved in, but his opinion has changed.
“We’ll hear a desk being drug across the floor above us. We’ll hear little kids’ footsteps. I’ve heard voices with my own ears when nobody is here but me and my wife. I just can’t explain it.”
Despite the fact that over 100 paranormal investigators have come to study the school’s 54 rooms, Whisman and his wife don’t seem to mind living there in the slightest. In fact, Whisman considers himself the protector of the building. He opens it to the public for various uses and occasions — the school has held a nail studio, a weightlifting club, and is used by the police and firefighters for training.
This past year, he opened its doors on Halloween to encourage the town’s children to trick-or-treat from classroom to classroom, creating a spooky but safe environment for them to explore. It is truly a community building, and Whisman doesn’t have any plans to sell it or let it be torn down.
Unfortunately, the couple have recently discovered that they need to raise more than $100,000 to keep it up and running. Luckily, fans of the haunted home and local community members are adamant about not letting that happen: supporters of the supernatural and community history have begun multiple fundraisers and donation sites to save the local legend. Most school fundraisers generate around $3,100, but the passion surrounding this beloved building is sure to reach far beyond that number, Darrell hopes.
“It’s more than a building to us. It’s our home.”
