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The Fox Sisters Property/Hydesville Memorial Park
The Fox Sisters Property/Hydesville Memorial Park
The Haunting
Kate and Maggie Fox of Hydesville, NY, two young girls that began Modern Spiritualism started in humble dwellings. The girls had moved from Rochester, NY with their parents to build a new home and be closer to their brother David. When they moved into the cottage, it already had a reputation of strange noises and phenomenon, often ending in the families moving in fear. The noises started immediately for the girls, but what took place on March 31st, 1848 would change the world. The girls had gone to bed early. The strange rapping noises had been keeping the family awake. On this night the girls yelled out, "DO AS I DO" clapping three times. The rapping noises, in turn rapped three times. This went on for some time when their mother asked the noises, "Is this a spirit that makes this noises, rap two times. An affirmative two raps were heard. By communicating with the "spirit" they learned his name, Charles B. Rosna, a peddler had been murdered in the house and his body buried in the cellar. Although digging was started the next day, due to flooding in the cellar, nothing was found. The girls moved on to become famous mediums and traveled the world. In 1904, long after the Fox Sisters had passed, the peddlers bones were discovered in the crumbling walls of the home.
While the house is now gone, the original foundation remains and so do the rapping's. Come visit the site where Modern Spiritualism began, listen to the story and listen for the famous "rapping".
Contact
Opportunities for visitors:
Guided tour of the property and a history of the Fox family. Tours can be made by contacting caretaker. Park is open to public but enclosure is only accessible through caretaker. Come and hear the story about two little girls and how they communicated with a spirit rapper that can still be heard there today.
Days/times of operation:
Open daily Monday through Sunday. Park is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during winter hours. Summer hours are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Anytime with an appointment.
Costs:
Free - donations accepted