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.