Contact RISEUP:
Phone:
(401) 624-1782
Email:
Other Site Features:
Network with RISEUP :
Website Powered by:
Tiverton, R.I.
February 2, 2008
Investigators: Ken DeCosta
Dave DeCosta
Introduction
The location of our first investigation was a local community center. It currently houses town offices, serves as a municipal courtroom, and provides a meetings space for public organizations. Our attention was brought to this building after we'd heard some accounts of strange activity from people who work in the offices. There were reports that footsteps, conversations, and other noises could be heard throughout the building . Also, reports of bizarre electrical malfunctions: particularly the computer towers which would turn themselves off at inopportune times. An inspection of these computers, their network, and the buildings circuitry, seemed to rule out network problems or electrical malfunctions, though these still cannot be discounted entirely. The fact that these power failures were isolated and did not occur in blocks or network-wide is also interesting. The building is located directly next door to a Catholic Church.
History
The building itself has changed very little. The flooring is original and extremely creaky. The doors, window frames, and display cases have all been carved and placed by hand. Even the stalls and porcelain styles in the restrooms are clearly outdated. Renovations include: new exterior decks, stairs, and a ramp for handicapped access.
The Community Center once accommodated the children of North Tiverton as the Lincoln School. A plan for the building was approved in 1909 and it was completed in October of that year. Many were the children of Portuguese and Polish immigrants who were drawn to the area by the prospect of finding work at the Shove and Bourne Mills. Grades 5 and 6 attended this school - at least those who weren't already working in the mills. After Pocasset Elementary School was built (less than a mile away) the building served briefly as a library. These books were eventually dispersed to the Tiverton High School, Tiverton Middle School, and Essex Public Library respectively.
Investigation
An EMF and temperature baseline were conducted. We identified three high concentration areas: a voltage meter outside of the building, a fuse box located in a storage area between the two main rooms, and an unidentified source (most likely a network cable) in the wall that separates the main corridor and the men’s room. We had an ambient temperature of 54 degrees.
We then dispersed two audio recording devices, one digital and one analogue, in the main meeting room and office area respectively. The recorder in the office area served as a controlled experiment, as it was isolated from the investigators and the doors and windows were sealed shut.
We began the formal investigation at 11:45am. We retraced the area with the K-II Meter and the IR Surface Thermometer looking for any deviations from the baselines. We had no deviations. Following the second walkthrough, we began an EVP Session using a handheld digital recorder and the K-II. We received no directly audible responses and had only one strange spike on the K-II. Those familiar with this device know that the lights will rise and fall with the push of a button. If not careful, a simple slip of the finger can create a false spike. We are absolutely positive this did not occur. We watched as the meter went awry- flashing from 2mG to over 20mG. This happened five times.
We did not feel as though there was any intelligence to the fluctuations. We tried to recreate these readings. We could not identify a source and the reading had completely dissipated. This occurred at exactly 1:18pm. Aside from this the property was quiet.
We should not consider this EMF spike to be proof of paranormal activity, though we must state that EMF levels were observed prior to the investigation. This was to provide a control. These readings altered during the experiment. An EMF spike can only theoretically suggest paranormal activity and only when these spikes seem to exhibit behavioral characteristics.
We managed to capture one of the strangest audio clips we've run across. It is hard to tell if this is simply a case of a high recording level or perhaps two people speaking in a foreign language. What we can state is we were alone inside the building and no one was outside. The recording took place at noon as is signified by the ringing of the church bells in the background.
In reviewing our audio recordings, we feel we have captured an EVP. It occurred at exactly noon (as indicated by the church bells that can be heard in the background) and was captured on a digital audio recorder that was sealed in the office area. The recorder was placed at 9 am and ran until just after 2pm when we ended the investigation. Again we must state that all audio between 9 am and 11:20am was dismissed for contamination from the registration crowd. We feel we've captured both a male and a female voice within this thirty second clip. The male voice does not belong to either investigator and there were no females present. We consider this clip to be a voice phenomenon rather than an EVP because the voices are consistent with the human vocal range and do not cycle at an ELF (Extremely Low Frequency). We can't ascertain what is being said and are open to any suggestions. Please Contact us with any suggestions.
Listen to Tiverton Community Center EVP
Conclusion
This is an interesting building with a rich history. We are satisfied with our control and our results as we've collected voices:
1) Unprovoked
2) In a sealed room
3) On a stationary audio recorder
The fact that the voices occur within audible frequencies and were captured in a tile restroom lead us to hypothesize that they could be residual and do not indicate any active entities exist on the property. In the meantime the employees in the building seem to be going about their daily business and are getting on fine regardless of these occurrences. Therefore, at this particular time we feel a follow-up is unnecessary, as it would be more for our own benefit than theirs. Also, whether activity is intelligent or residual, further provocation could result in making a manageable situation something worse.