Paranormal Adventures: Masonic Temple of Newburgh, NY (Ghost pic included)

Location: 48 Grand Street, Newburgh, New York Google Map
*Images by Grim and Charming

Do you see it? Don't worry if you don't. I've isolated and pointed it out below.

Ghost at Masonic Temple in Newburgh, New York

This is the third or possibly fourth picture of a ghost that we've taken (Prince Charming and I are still debating on one), but its the first time I'm posting any ghostly pictures. To be honest, the first two really creeped me out, so I'm still working that out internally and I when I do, I'll finish that blog post. But before I go on about ghosts, here's are a few details on the building:

This is a strange place. At first, there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, but, of course, the internet says otherwise. The building, originally built as a Masonic Temple, has a history of being used for many things, but more recent descriptions report on cars and buses dropping off people in loads at a time. According to one report, here, the building was purchased in 2000 by A. Justin Sterling of Sterling Institute of Relationship, but I still don't understand the purpose of the building. There's no sign out front announcing what's for sale or what type of business or services are being conducted inside. There's no room for parking either.

So exactly what is a Masonic Temple? That's a long story and you can read about Freemasons here, but to put it simply, masonic temples were first introduced in the late 1700s to house lodges of men (only men) who met regularly to pass on knowledge of stonemasonry through secret rituals. History shows that the skills of stonemasons were always in high demand, so keeping knowledge of masonry in secret fraternal societies centuries ago, in truth, seems logical to me. There were periods in history where masons were exploited because of their skills and at other times persecuted (think chemistry/science during centuries where religion ruled the land), so I understand they had to unionize.

Masonic Temple Building in Newburgh, NY

George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, even John Wayne were known to be Freemasons. It's reported that Freemasons are responsible for building most of America's original iconic structures, i.e. the Statue of Liberty, the White House.  Its reported that Freemasons donate millions of dollars a day to charity, but the term "rituals." That bothers me. To be honest, I cannot find a link between the Sterling institute and Freemasons other than Sterling's purchase of the building.

The Grim and Charming:

What I like best about this building built in 1914 is its tall columns and attention to fine details. From far away, there doesn't seem to be much, but up close, it's obvious the builders took a lot of time to craft each of the Greek inspired decorative cornices and art. Masonic temples all over the world vary in their architecture, but this one is charming in both design and color scheme. I wanted to get as up-close a picture as I could get of the edge of the roof and I got a picture of this:

Image of something wearing a robe.

There are tales, here, over the internet of supernatural incidences that have occurred at the temple, including young people who witnessed a chair moving across the room and voices of men not present. And you will find a ton...and I mean a ton of business referrals to the building via Yelp, Manta, the Yellowpages, etc. But what you won't find are any reviews, comments, or questions/inquiries. That's some pretty secretive stuff considering how exploitative the internet is. And what type of listing is the building's address subtitled under? "Social services." You think my ghost pic is weird? All that other secretive "social" stuff, which the building has been hosting for the last 100 years, is just as creepy.

Links (because education is power against evil): Freemasons | CBS Report | Recent Report

D.P. Joynes is a genre-crossing author hosting fairy tales, folklore, and a few unusual experiments plus occasional torn teen puppy love in realms of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. My books are here.

“I’m a coconut with maudlin sentimentality.” Connect with me on Facebook to stay up-to-date on new adventures or visit my websites: DpJoynes.net and GrimAndCharming.com.

Paranormal Adventures: Sing Sing Correctional Facility

Location: 354 Hunter St, Ossining, NY 10562 Google Map
*Images by Grim and Charming

Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Ossining, New York

Named after the Native American Nation the land was purchased from, "Sinck Sinck," now known as Sing Sing Correctional facility in Ossining, New York is one of the most famous prisons in the United States.

The prison originally opened in 1826 and was once described as an "old hellhole" by a former warden. For over nearly two centuries, it has grown and is surrounded by a thick concrete wall extending twenty feet high along the Hudson River. The electric chair at Sing Sing, aka "Old Sparky," was was responsible for 614 of the 695 total deaths by electrocution, sometimes performed in masses, in the State of New York from 1891 until 1963. The Rosenbergs (here is a 1953 husband and wife espionage news archive) were among several high profile executions, which captured media attention for generations to come. But that's not all that is reported to have occurred there. Water torture via "the bath", flogging via "the lash," and "bucking" a man by hanging him upside down like a pig were all examples of physical punishment reported by the NYCHS in the first century and a half of the prison's existence.

Just a portion of the great wall at

Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Ossining, New York

The Grim and Charming:

There's nothing charming about this prison, and I'm not remotely interested in investigating any other activity that goes on there. It's big. It's ugly. It's gray, and it's a huge reminder of the debt some criminals owe to society. Although, some debts, like murder, can never be repaid. David Berkowitz, aka the Son of Sam, is a serial killer with six life sentences currently residing at Sing Sing. He is known for having satanic cult affiliations but more so for taunting police over months between 1976 and 1977 with handwritten letters left with victims' bodies as he continued on a shooting spree with a .44 Caliber gun.

Another serial killer worth mentioning, once a resident but later electrocuted in 1936, is Albert Fish, who left one of his victims dismembered in the same county as the prison. Besides being engaged in self mutilation by embedding needles into his pelvis, Albert Fish was a child rapist and a murderer, who also tortured victims of various ages. Not to mention, he was as a cannibal.

The community has considered opening a museum by converting the original 1825 cell block into a time capsule of sorts. It's difficult to find paranormal reports on the facility as I found one report mentioned prisoners prefer not to talk about ghosts so as not to seem weak. Sing Sing, itself, rests in a community of quaint riverside homes and is located just north of Sleepy Hollow (my blog post on that here). The prison houses an average of 2000 prisoners per 1000 employees and gets over 5000 visitors annually. But when I think about just the few prison breaks that were successful over the last 200 years, I won't be going back.


Links (because education is our best defense against evil): NYS DCCS | Old Sparky | Town of Ossining

D.P. Joynes is a genre-crossing author hosting fairy tales, folklore, and a few unusual experiments plus torn teen puppy love in realms of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. My books are here.

“I’m a coconut with maudlin sentimentality.” Connect with me on Facebook to stay up-to-date on new adventures or visit my websites: DpJoynes.net and GrimAndCharming.com.

Just your average girl...mostly. Hella: a Sci-fi Adventure, released today!

In a post-apocalyptic world...



Ella has been transformed, but that’s not the worst of her problems. She’s got a huge crush on a big guy that won’t speak to her but it’s not because he doesn’t want to. She’s also being mind-stalked by the bully she’s come to know as "the Caller.” And if that weren’t enough, she’s stuck with a sidekick who’s timing is impeccably accurate for always needing a rescue at the wrong time. She’s considered taking an axe to more than one of them, but she doesn’t want to live up to her nickname in that way, the nickname that’s a result of her infamous past, the name she’s earned….

Hella.

Get Hella for only 99¢ on Amazon. (Free to KindleUnlmited)

D.P. Joynes is a genre-crossing author hosting fairy tales and folklore and, occasionally, torn teen puppy love in realms of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. Find me at DpJoynes.net.

“I’m a coconut with maudlin sentimentality.” Connect with me on Facebook to stay up-to-date on new adventures and investigations or to find out more about us, visit GrimAndCharming.com.