Photographs: Third Floor, Fourth Floor & Cupola
Going up the stairs to the third floor. Notice the worn floorboards near the banister.
There was a small bathroom off of the stairway. This one had serious mold damage.
Looking down at the sink, the spigots were separated hot and cold.
Looking back down the main staircase. The staircase had to be walled off to comply with fire code.
The northern section of hallway on the third floor.
A firehouse connected to a standpipe was standard equipment for each floor, including the third floor.
Looking down the ramp and into the south section of hallway.
Going down the central hall toward the front of the building.
A complete bathroom with tub, toilet and sink.
The third floor break room.
Two chairs flank a window and radiator in what appeared to be some type of waiting room.
Antiquated office furniture was left behind in an adjoining room.
The building's key box was on a nearby wall. While most were numbered, several lay loose on the bottom of the box.
Yet another office in the east-central wing of the building.
A filing cabinet and an air conditioner were all that remained in this room.
More office furniture and a blank bulletin board remained here.
An original doorknob along with a deadbolt added sometime later.
A one-way mirror was between two rooms.
The other side of the one-way mirror.
A barred room was at the northwest end of the third floor.
Inside the barred room was pretty nondescript.
An interior wooden door could be closed in addition to the barred door.
The third floor's dumbwaiter door.
Opening it up reveals the dumbwaiter had been drywalled over at some point. Notice the wallpaper along the base.
Willey's Elevator was scribbled on the drywall, named for the building's supposed ghost.
Walking into the southern wing of the third floor.
Some of the worst visible damage was in this section of the building.
The ceiling here had begun to rot away due to water damage.
A fold-up table was left in front of an old mantle in this room.
Check out the old lock on this door. The patent date above the keyhole was July 1865.
Looking down at the secondary stairway.
Another secondary stairwell at the northernmost section of the south wing.
A large conference table remained in this small room.
Our photo of this bulletin board was a bit out of focus for some reason.
This room also featured a one-way mirror.
The ceiling of this room featured a nice tile layout. You can definitely tell that electric and fire safety systems were added later.
A few high-backed chairs lined the wall in this room.
This very old Canon printer was left behind, with a "Do Not Move" sticky note attached.
A large H1N1 Vaccination Clinic sign was propped against the wall in the adjacent room.
Some of the paint peeling away from the wall.
Heading up the main central staircase to the fourth floor.
The fourth floor resembled an attic and was used for storage.
Skylights lined the roof of the fourth floor.
Handles extended down for each skylight so the window could be opened as desired.
There were all sorts of writings on the walls, including some three and four digit phone numbers.
Some modern writing designated sections of storage for various departments within the health department.
More writing on the wall.
There was some unfinished attic space behind the walls.
An old sign for 4H Clubs remained in the attic. Perhaps this was used for the county fair? We're not sure.
This old piece of machinery sat in the middle of the floor, likely never to be used again.
A shelf full of old computer reels.
A fairly nice cot remained in the attic.
Looking out of the window at the north end of the fourth floor.
The cinderblock wall to the left was for the elevator shaft added much later.
Some nice linoleum remained in a central section of the fourth floor.
An older section of linoleum in an adjacent room.
It appeared that an old section of roof met the new section of roof here.
Looking down at the old floorboards of the fourth floor.
The doors on the fourth floor were considerably shorter than normal doors. A screen above the door allowed for good airflow.
An old Purina tin was nailed to the wall here, likely to cover a hole on the cheap.
The southern wing of the fourth floor was like stepping back in time.
It was amazing to see how well the old wallpaper held up over the years.
A signature on the wall beneath a torn away section of wallpaper was dated April 14, 1936.
Even the ceiling was wallpapered!
An unfinished area behind the wall of the southern wing of the fourth floor.
The screen above this door was cut away, likely when the sprinkler system was installed.
Three spring frames rested against the wall.
The secondary stairwell as seen from the fourth floor.
Looking to the floors below through the small space between the banisters.
Two electric typewriters with a sticky note that stated it would cost more to fix them than what they were worth.
We wondered if this old walker was left over from the building's days as an infirmary for the poor and old.
The floorboards in this section were considerably narrower than in the older section of the building.
A couple of old gum ball machines.
A broken section of sign for the county coroner, whose office was located inside this building.
A small stairway led up to the building's cupola.
Looking out of the northern window. You can see neighboring Beaver Field in the background.
Another view looking out of the north window.
An old barn and perhaps henhouse on the northwest side of the property.
Looking out of the west window. The grassy field is where the poorhouse's cemetery is located.
Looking east toward the Ohio University Lancaster campus.
One of the building's many chimneys.
The flat section is where the elevator shaft was added later in the building's life.
The view looking from the cupola's south window.
The outbuildings in the southwest section of the property.
There was a lot of writing on the wall going from the cupola back down to the fourth floor.
Someone named Groff added his name in 1984, just before the infirmary was closed.
EVP Recordings
| Welcome: A whispery voice says, “Welcome,” on the first floor near the cold storage area. | |
| ??? Said Hi: This feminine voice just after the camera shutter says, “(Inaudible) said hi.” | |
| Oh My God: This whispery voice sounds like it says, “Oh my God.” | |
| Footsteps With Strange Noise: Heavy footsteps can be heard, followed by a strange sound, possibly a woman’s voice. | |
| Computerized Voice: A strange computerized voice recites seemingly random letters when the recorder was left alone for some time. We did not use any equipment capable of producing this kind of vocalization during this investigation. We are stumped as to the origin of the voice. |
Video
Fairfield Co. Poorhouse: Exploration
Thirty-three minutes of GoPro video from our exploration of the old infirmary building. NOTE: The audio quality is sub-par at best due to the type of case that was used for the camera.
Fairfield Co. Poorhouse: Investigation
An hour long video of our mini-paranormal investigation at the County Poorhouse.