Being around since 1847 is a long time for a college to acquire ghosts and haunted places. Here are a few places on campus that are said to be haunted.
Know of other haunted places or have a Lawrence ghost story to tell? E-mail archives@lawrence.edu.
Cloak Theater
Mysterious sounds and shadows have been reported in Cloak Theater when it is empty.
Main Hall
Dan Taylor’s office is supposedly haunted by Hiram Jones. Jones was a Professor of Ancient Language and Literature from 1854-1898. Jones’s office, teaching area and a small library that served as Lawrence’s library at the time were in the location where Taylor’s office currently is. Jones began his Latin class one day in 1898 and proceeded to die on the spot. Since he was a much loved and respected professor and active in the Appleton community, it was a very traumatic event for the 2 communities.
Memorial Chapel
There is a certain seat in the Chapel that supposedly has an evil aura.
Ormsby Hall
A ghost was seen there in 1899 when Ormsby was an all-women’s dorm. The girls chased the ghost out with their hat pins. The story is reported in the February 1899 issue of the Lawrentian.
Stansbury Theatre
Ceiling lights have been known to come on when no one is around; there have been sounds of someone walking across stage and a shadow of someone walking in the theater when no one is around. One theory is that it was a worker that fell to his death when they were building the theater. Others have suggested it was the owner of the home that was torn down to build the Music-Drama Center.