Paranormal Hot Spot Rolling Hills Asylum™ Re-Opens Under New Ownership

March 24, 2010 - PRLog -- Paranormal Hot Spot, Rolling Hills Asylum™ Re-Opens Under New Ownership

Rolling Hills Asylum™, E. Bethany, NY – Last summer the paranormal community was up in arms and abuzz as news leaked how this paranormal hot spot was closing- permanently.  Ghost hunters and historical buffs alike were worried about the fate of the property and concerned for the spirits who still reside there.  A few paranormal aficionados wished out loud they could buy it and keep it open, but there was only one who rose to the challenge.

Sharon Coyle, founder of Journey Paranormal Society™ and Start the Journey, A Paranormal Meetup Group™, both based in southern California, first visited Rolling Hills Asylum™ back in June 2008. Little did she know a year later she'd be visiting it again, in consideration of purchasing it.  Even more mind bending is that she and her husband, Jerry Coyle (a former Waterville NY native), would become the owners of this extremely haunted location, all within less than two years of her initial visit.  For Sharon though, it all makes perfect sense. Her decade plus in sales and marketing for trade shows and special events to her years of experience in the film industry, along with her love of historical locations, come together in this property, all wrapped up with a pretty little para-bow.

Centrally located between Buffalo and Rochester, Rolling Hills Asylum™ sits on a knoll in the hamlet of E. Bethany, NY.  Just about 15 min. from Rte 90, soon after turning down Bethany Center Road, houses become scarce, farmland abounds, and once darkness hits, an absolute eeriness sets in. As you drive along, you know you're becoming closer when you spot the little cemetery on the right, near the old town hall.  Just then, an enormous 53,000+ sq. ft. brick building with its famous copula explodes on the horizon. Upon entering the building, you immediately feel the energy.  Disembodied voices, doors mysteriously held shut, screams in the night; shadow people and more are all common experiences. "It's amazing when those new to investigating or even when skeptics come to Rolling Hills Asylum™ for the very first time, how quickly they become believers, especially when they have their own personal experiences such as being touched, feeling the extreme temperature changes or the first time they see a shadow person."

Opened on January 1, 1827 and originally named The Genesee County Poor Farm, it was created by Genesee County to house those eligible for assistance including paupers, habitual drunkards, lunatics, the blind, lame or otherwise handicapped, orphans, widows, vagrants, and even a murderer or two. The original property consisted of 200+ acres, numerous barns, dorms, and outbuildings, vegetable and flower gardens, orchards, grape arbors, all types of farm animals, a bakery, and even a wood shop (where caskets were built, among other things) and was essentially self sufficient. Those inmates capable of handling a task were given farm duties, to help maintain the daily operations of the farm. By the early 1950's the Genesee County Poor Farm gradually made its transition to, as it’s affectionately referred to by area residents, "The Old County Home."  By the mid-1970's the Old County Home & Infirmary residents were relocated to newer facilities, the property closed and it actually sat empty for nearly 20 years. By the mid 90's it opened as Carriage Village, a place of unique shops. Fast forward to 2002 when the property was sold to new owners who re-opened it as an antiques mall. When the property owners, vendors and shoppers began to notice strange occurrences, a paranormal group was called into investigate. The rest, as they say, is paranormal history.  

Sharon, a seasoned investigator herself, hand picked her new in-house para-team, which consists of four seasoned Rolling Hills Asylum alumni, Marlena Treat, Steve Hall, and Amy & Suzie Yencer. All have spent an enormous amount of time in the building, both as guides and paranormal investigators. Collaboratively, they have amassed an incredible amount of personal experiences, as well as solid evidence. Disembodied voices, footsteps, moaning, laughing, crying, and screams, have all been heard.  What's most remarkable are the amount of and frequency full body apparitions and shadow people have been seen and photographed.

RHA™ Case Manager, Suzie Yencer relates a chilling experience. "It was September 2007 while working a public hunt we had a gentleman with us that was filming a documentary about the building.  He wanted to try an experiment in one of the rooms.  The room he chose was in the basement…. popularly known as The Christmas Room.  The experiment he wanted to try was to sit in the room with no lights or equipment on.  The only light we would use was a pink glow stick in the middle of a circle of people.  We also placed a small ball and a toddler size rocking horse in the circle.  The gentleman conducting the experiment requested that only I talk and try to make contact with the spirits.  The more I talked, the more strange occurrences began to happen.  The glow stick started to move back and forth, and the rocking horse began to slowly rock.  A few of the guests in the room including myself saw a hand and arm come out of nowhere and reach for the ball in the circle and then just vanish.  The most exciting part of the experiment was when I began talking to the many young children spirits around me.  I asked them to please come into the circle and play with the toys.  While sitting there I put my open palm over my shoulder and asked the children to take my hand, and I would help them into the circle.  One at a time the children took my hand and each time my hand would begin to tingle.  As I lowered my hand into the circle people sitting around the circle began gasping and saying they could see what looked like glitter floating above my hand.  This went on for over 30 minutes till there was a bang on the closed door, then a voiced yelled “it is time to close”!  When we went up to begin letting guests out, we realized that we had been in that room for about three hours."

The Coyle's certainly have their work cut out ahead of them. Some would even go as far as seeing it as an overwhelming and daunting undertaking. Those of you who have an older property realize and understand there is always something needing to be fixed, repaired, or replaced.  With a look towards the future and their eye on sustainability, they hope to install some sort of alternative energy system, reclaimed water system, and other eco-friendly options, all without deterring from historical aspects and authenticity of the property. "Our main desire is to arrest the decay and become energy efficient." Though not officially a non-profit, in-kind products, services and donations are always appreciated.

Rolling Hills Asylum™ may very well be one the most haunted places in the country, or at the very least, the most haunted location in the north east, and should be on the top of every ghost hunter's top 10 list of places to investigate. Rolling Hills Asylum™ offers 8-hour private overnight investigation opportunities as well as 8-hour public overnights, and 4-hour half night public investigations.  Soon to be added 2-hour historical and 2-hour flashlight tours. Sneak announcements on Facebook (The Official Rolling Hills Asylum™ fan page) and Sharon & the teams recent radio interviews on Nocturnal Frequency Radio (Toronto, ON) and Dead Air (Daytona, FL) have been met with overwhelming support and excitement from the paranormal community. For more information on the aforementioned opportunities or if you are speaker or conference promoter interested in hosting an event at Rolling Hills Asylum™ go to http://www.RollingHillsAsylum.com or call them at (585) 502-4066.


For interviews or other
Media requests contact
RHA™ Marketing/PR Dept.
Rolling Hills Asylum™
Info@RollingHillsAsylum.com
http://www.RollingHillsAsylum.com
(585) 502-4066

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Formerly known as the Genesee County Poor Farm, Rolling Hills Asylum is 53,000+ sq. ft. paranormal hot spot in western New York. For more information go to http://www.RollingHillsAsylum.com