Ever felt a shiver going down you spine walking past Norland? Or maybe the portrait of Sarah Wilson that hangs in the library gives you the creeps? Well one thing they didn't tell you when you signed up for Wilson, is that you would be rubbing shoulders with some ghosts. As if the clowns weren't frightening enough...
1. The Warfield Ghost
Only a few years ago, one of the professors had a run in with the Warfield Ghost. Every day, before going home, the professor would tidy up their office and push in their chair. Every morning, however, the chair was found somewhere else in the room... The chair had moved overnight. As time went on the professor became more and more frustrated with the chair moving mysteriously each night- until they had had enough. One day the aggravated professor shouted ‘STOP!’, and something must have listened. The chair never moved from where the professor left it again…
2. The Admissions Ghost
Ask any of the Norland staff, and they will tell you that there is something fishy going on in that building- and by fishy, they mean ghosty. Staff report to hearing footsteps or seeing silhouettes walk by their doors. Apparently, it is the ghost of an old Confederate soldier, who suffered a terrible fate in the attic of the building. Wounded in Gettysburg during the Civil War, the soldier was discovered collapsed by a young woman. With compassion, the young woman brought the soldier back to her home: Norland Hall. Desperate to hide the soldier from her father, she nursed the soldier back to health in the attic. Eventually the two fell in love- but this is no love story. The father found the soldier, banishing his daughter and punishing the soldier. The father boarded the wounded soldier up in the attic, and left him to die. Flash-forward to the 21st century, and the Confederate soldier can still be heard trying to escape…
3. Chris the Security Guard
This is one of the more recent ghosts in the Wilson ghost population. The son of a Wilson student, Chris lived at Wilson, and eventually grew up to work as one of the security guards. Tragically, Chris passed away, and his plaque can be seen hanging by security in Lenfest. Since his death, students have reported seeing a body following the security guards around Wilson on their night shifts. Sam the Security Guard even attests to feeling his presence…
4. Tad
I’m always one for losing things, but I think living in Disert may have something to do with that… Tad is a playful ghost of a little boy who likes to hide the possessions of Disert students in the very top drawer of their wardrobes. If you live in Disert and you’ve lost something, the top of your wardrobe is the place to check. It’s also known that Tad loves to play Jacks. If ever you fancy a game, leave some Jacks out, and you might see them move…
5. Sarah Wilson
Sarah Wilson must have really loved her namesake college- because she stuck around. The portrait of Sarah in the Library used to hang in the Dining Hall, but was moved under peculiar circumstances. It wasn’t unusual for this portrait to cause some havoc, and particularly during weddings. At one wedding, the couple decided to have their cake sitting on a table below where Sarah’s picture hang in the dining hall. In the midst of the best day of their life, the table collapsed and the cake was ruined. On another occasion, the happy couple covered the painting with a cloth because they didn’t like how the portrait looked with their décor. Unfortunately, the pair would pay for this, and power went out in Wilson for the whole day. The power only restored after the last guest left the ruined party…
So maybe think twice about walking across the green at night on your own...
Do you have any Wilson Ghost Stories?
