Judson House – History

Judson House

103 High Street

Waterford, PA 16441

 

The tale of carpenter to business owner to political powerhouse is a cliche tale usually left to day time television to produce. However, in the small town of Waterford, PA, just south of Erie, PA, this exact story was told through Amos Judson. He left his mark on the small town and touched more lives than anyone could count. His ultimate legacy was left behind by the Judson House, obviously named after Amos. Surely unaware at the time of its construction, Amos also helped preserve the ground around the property so archeologists could one day research the prior time periods, for the betterment of all. This mansion built up a life and reputation of its own which helps showcase history and preserve the past for future generations. What remains in the house isn’t just relics and a time period museum but also an apparent leftover energy from the past and shows itself in the form of paranormal activity.

 

 

The Past

 

Where this mansion was constructed was the partial remains of Fort LeBoeuf, the large and over-extending ex-French turned British stone fort. George Washington had actually visited this site when it was an operating French fort and ordered them to vacate. Six years later, he returned with the British army and overtook the fort as they held it for another decade. In addition along with this structure, its associated cemetery was buried under rubble to help build up the ground around it. After a delay in the groundbreaking here, the house was finalized by 1810 with the helpful push of a persistent owner. 

 

Much like this scenario, Amos Judson was tenacious and determined all through his life. This was no more apparent than when he first ventured into the area in 1795 and worked as a simple carpenter. In time, he transitioned into a merchant position and a factor in local and Pittsburgh based merchant shops. He ultimately managed multiple shops before truly expanding his local notoriety by serving as a county auditor and made his way into the local political scene. As his wealth climbed, Amos capitalized on his name and constructed the Judson House in the heart of the commercial district. Alongside the Eagle Hotel, this location fit Amos’ business mold perfectly as he naturally opened his own store, aptly named the Judson Store right off of his personal home. Here, he would utilize his shop as a barter style business and sold simple commercial items like building material to daily necessities like hides and even food such as dried fruit and fresh farm sustenance, 

 

To add to his business ventures on High Street, Amos Judson also purchased and ran the adjacent and equally as famous Eagle Hotel from 1842-1853. Following his increase in power and role in the town of Waterford, Amos purchased the town newspaper in 1857 simply to add to his resume and growing empire. All of these expansions occurred all the while Amos still capitalized and succeeded as a merchant and continued to run his store until his death in the mid-1870’s.

 

 

The business and mansion was left to disrepair and not until 1945 that it was preserved and sold to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission by the Fort LeBoeuf Chapter of the Daughters of American Colonists. Come this time, the property has already attempted to become a makeshift museum so the new ownership group hired curators for an official museum opening and refurbishing of some pre-existing exhibits.

 

Come the mid-1980’s, the still active and quite popular museum changed ownership with the introduction of the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission. They were made up of mostly volunteers and simply upheld the existing live style museum. The group did manage to get the property listed in the National Register of Historic Places by 1990. 

 

Fort LeBoeuf Historical Society purchased and took control of the mansion and property in 2015 who have quickly turned the property into a living history museum and center and have opened their doors to more guests and visitors. This has immensely helped spread the word of history and significance of both the city as well as the museum. It’s currently furnished with colonial period pieces and gorgeous wooden finishes as ongoing renovations and preservative continue based on museum fees and donations.

 

Three society has intelligently and efficiently utilized the second floor as a full library which incorporates an extensive genealogy research and scale model of the former Fort LaBoeuf.

 

 

There were prior archeological digs on the site but none compared to those that occurred once the historical society took back control. Recovered at these digs there was expected to be a mass amount of colonial relics found, but instead it was a majority of more Americanized debris and less than favorable artifacts. However, there were some very important and invaluable relics found from the Colonial period. Within the confines of the Judson House property large chunks of wood charcoal were found relating directly to the old French and British forts and their fiery demise. During these excavation there were also old entrances into the mansion as well as former porches and abandoned foundations.

Paranormal Experiences

 

Dating back to Amos’ lifetime, close friends and family had claimed odd sensations throughout the mansion. At the time no one wanted to speak up about this, it was only after Amos had passed that these individuals spoke out about the mansion. Others who came out to report further issues claimed shadows lurked in the unsuspecting hallways and footsteps would creek throughout the building even when no one else was present.

 

As time continued on, visitors and guests to the museum commended the volunteers on setting up live action events and reactors and suggested that they advertise that to get more business. The first occurrence left these unsuspecting volunteers in a shocked state with an almost questioning and curious response of “We didn’t have anyone scheduled.” After this occurred a few times, it became second nature to these unpaid employees to simply brush this off even though each time they worked scour the premises to no evidence of anyone else in the building let alone in period garb. This experience has been repeated and the fact that the building was built on top of former fort burial grounds this tends to be a large part as to why many of these soldiers are not able to rest in peace.

 

 

While the activity seemed to ramp up, the historical society had experienced so much activity that they reached out to a local paranormal investigation team just to help see if they were truly seeing things or if they were all going collectively crazy. These employees had reported every instance of odd and otherworldly activity stretching from phantom voices, as if full conversations were occurring and these employees were almost eavesdropping, to knocking sounds, as if in response to their questions, to moving cold spots felt as if moving freely throughout the mansion. Voices of children laughing and carrying on has also been reported in the corridors and the second floor.

 

The investigative team did capture some oddities proving that the volunteers were not the only ones seeing things. One of the more interesting and interactive moments occurred when the team was separated and in the Dining Room, a group of 3 investigators utilized their temperature gun. The group explained that the red dot was a toy and to touch it and walk in front of it if she wanted to answer some questions as if in an intelligent response of “Yes.” This conversation technique lasted for nearly 20 minutes and the group firmly believed they were speaking with a young girl. During this same night spent in the mansion, the team also experienced a rather unnerving visual as they used a thermal camera and SLS to both visually map and see a thermal outline of a human looking figure who was apparently seated in an empty chair. After this evening this team, as well as some of the volunteers experienced an unforgettable and unmatched paranormal experience that even left skeptics believing even though there were not any decisive names or details to these hauntings.

 

 

Ever since the long ago interred and ill advised cemetery desecration it seems like the entire town of Waterford is widespread with some type of curse or at least a partially lifted veil to the other side in this outstretched area. However, this particular Judson Mansion seems to draw in a more specific spiritual clientele including long lost soldiers, shadowy lurking figures, and even some still playful and innocent children. We can only hope that we can help build upon this story and be able to tell these lost souls stories and truly identify them in order to help share their forgotten stories with the world.