By Carmen Rodgers
Legend has it that the basement of the Tallassee Community Library once served as a hospital during the Civil War and the ghost of the soldiers who died there still haunt the building today.
The Alabama Paranormal Research Team has spent many hours investigating the library and team director, Faith Serafin, says it was an experience she will never forget.
“There have been several experiences at the library,” Serafin said. “We investigated there for several years and have been able to document activity that helped validate claims of patrons and employees at the library.”
According to Serafin, using equipment specializing in capturing supernatural activity, researchers have found some instances of paranormal activity at the library.
“I think the most profound experience my team and myself ever had there was when we witnessed an apparition that appeared on our FLIR camera,” she said.
A FLIR is an infrared camera. It is a non-contact device that detects infrared energy or heat, converts it into an electronic signal which is then processed to produce a thermal image on a video monitor, as well as calculate temperature.
“A FLIR sees temperature and can measure hot and cold spots,” Serafin said. “The apparition we saw at the library appeared as a heat signature. It was sitting at one of the chairs in the media center at a computer. We could see it clearly on our thermal cam. The outlines of its head, arms, and legs were all visible on the device. You can imagine how unnerving it might be to see something like that with a camera but nothing with the naked eye. Several investigators witnessed the event and we still have the image in our archives. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.”
Many remember the Tallassee Community Hospital that once sat across the street from the library. Well, according to Serafin, it turns out that before that hospital was constructed the library served as a local infirmary.
“We know it was used as a Civil War hospital and it definitely tied into the paranormal activity that is associated with the location,” she said.
While it’s the library’s basement that is said to have served as an infirmary, other areas of the library are believed to have bizarre inhabitants as well.
“The children’s library seems to be the most active,” Serafin said. “We’ve collected evidence from there as well very prominent and loud footsteps coming down the ramp. The toys in the play area also move and shift on their own. It’s very spooky but whatever is there seems to understand that it is not allowed to harm anyone. It seems to get along very well with the living guests at the library.”
It has been a few years since Serafin and her team visited the library; however, she says she would like to come back and visit the library again and perhaps see, hear or feel something beyond this realm.
“Very much so. During the time we actively investigated the library we collected a lot of data. Evidence from the Tallassee Library has been substantial and it’s allowed us to further our studies in paranormal research. We’d love to go back and continue our research and investigations,” she said.
It has been four years since the last paranormal investigation and the library has seen a lot of turnover in staff, including a new director who is less than certain about the ghostly apparitions.
“I personally don’t believe in ghosts,” explained library director Margret Lumpkin. “But if you believe that you will see something of that nature, then chances are that you are going to see or hear something.”
To have a look for yourself, visit the library when it opens at 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Happy Halloween.