West Virginia Wraiths

E Moore Hall
When it comes to intercollegiate rivalries, few can top the Tri-State triumvirate of Pitt, Penn State, and West Virginia. It's true of academics, parties, sports - and spooks.

Pitt has its haunted Cathedral of Learning, Penn State has Old Coaly, and West Virginia...well, pick your favorite.

Beta Theta Pi House - Brothers living in the fraternity have reported clanging of chains in a lower room of the Belmar Avenue house. It was originally thought to be caused by the ghost of the late butler of the house from the 1940s, but now the blame has shifted the spirit of an old homeless person they let live in the basement of the house in the 80's. He hung himself in the area where the noises are heard.

Boreman Hall - Boreman is a hall steeped in tradition. Boreman South opened in 1935 as “Men’s Hall” and was later named Boreman after the first Governor of West Virginia, Arthur Ingram Boreman. Boreman North opened in 1963 and remains the last all female residence hall on campus, and is where our spook resides.

Every night around 1:30 AM, noises in the attic start up and occasionally things will be knocked off desks. Once a girl saw an apparition of an old lady in the bathroom who then exited the loo by walking through the wall.

One story claims that a member of Boreman Hall's cleaning staff saw odd shadows and heard noises around a corner. There was nothing there when she turned the corner, and the phemonena shook her nerves so badly that her scream woke up most of the floor; maybe even the dead, too.

East Moore Hall - Most often referred to as “E. Moore Hall,” this historic structure has a dance studio, pool, small gym, and a main floor lounge area. Elizabeth Moore, dean of female educators in West Virginia who passed away in 1930, is the hall's namesake.

She's been spotted floating over the pool in the basement. Her portrait gets around, too - it disappears and then reappears in various places of the building without any human intervention. We suppose it's her way of keeping an eye on things at ol' E Moore.

Library - The library was redone in 2001, and is part of a downtown complex. But it's built over the bones of the original library and its additions, dating back to pre-depression days, and so has had lots of opportunity to host a ghost or three.

In the older section of the library, people have heard doors opening and closing by themselves. The side study areas also seem to be busy with the labors of studious spooks, as writing can be heard coming from empty desks. Apparitions have also been reported.

On the 10th floor of the old section, one gets a sense of presence and being watched. The elevator opens and people are heard entering and exiting without being seen. For some students, the library was a haven. It seems like it still is.

And hey, while you're there, WVU & Morgantown have a couple of haunts located off campus. They are:

Coeds' Ghosts - In 1970, two WVU coeds were hitchhiking a ride back to their Evansdale dorms. They never made it back. Their decapitated bodies were later discovered on an old mining road, but the heads were never found. (A reader had more exact information: The girls remains were found south of Morgantown off of Goshen Road near the old Weirton Mine site that is now known as Morgantown Machine.)

The murderer confessed years later, but the case was never fully put to rest. Some believe the guy that confessed was innocent; other believe he had accomplices he never disclosed. The murders never achieved closure.

Growling, screams, and whistling have been reported coming from the woods. It's been claimed that the two girls haunt the woods near the lake, still searching for their heads. Many car accidents have been reported on Route 857 North because of shadowy apparitions of two girls running back and forth through the woods.

Morgantown Public Library - The library employees have reported a ghost, most often late in the evening. The library spirit is mostly heard, but there are claims that its been seen, too.

West Run Road - The cemetery, located in Morgantown, was once known as Potter's Field, the local pauper burial grounds. Now the property is maintained by the County and is known as Monongalia County Cemetery,

It and the woods are believed to be haunted. Local witches are reported to have their Sabbaths up on this hill on their holy (unholy?) days.

In truth, there are no stories of spooks associated with the cemetery, just a feeling of creepy presence common to all boneyards. But if the locals think it's haunted, who are we to disagree?