purgatory house?

[lalala]

supposedly theres an old abandoned/haunted house in southampton called the purgatory house, cause its on purgatory road. ive seen videos on youtube and pictures of people visiting there saying theyve had wierd experiences. me and my friends decided to go to this place since we like maybe 20-30 mins away. so when we got to purgatory road we found old pillars looking like the end of a driveway. we figured that must be the path to the house so we parked and went through the path. we knew we had to go through woods, seeing from the videos, so we followed a path and it led to no where. there was no house. just swamp and ditches and grass taller than me. the neighbor then saw our car and when we were walking back out, he asked us what we were looking for the house and we said yeah. he then told us there is no house, its a myth and people come all the time looking for it and theres nothing there and never has been. i dont understand it? how can people say theyve been there if it apparently doesnt exist? has anyone ever been there?

if you want to check out videos from people who apparently have been there, heres some links..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFa9Pb5PUZ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDnAH...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytBjb...eature=related

also, heres a post from another forum on another site talking about the history of this "house".

Adam wrote:
"Its not torn down, its the "driveway" right off of Rt. 70. Its not even a drive way, you have to park your car and walk on foot throught shrubs and a dirt path. That house is freaky as shit...when I went, there was a dead burnt dog with its head cut off and feet cut off in the basement. Nooo lieeee. Then a bunch of people from my school went the next day and nothing was there but a girl took a picture of just a room and theres a translucent sillouette or a little girls skirt."
Reply:I know the people who lived there, last name Alacon. The daughter, Maria was 17 0r 18 in a crash at Church Rd.and 541 heading back to Lenape High School from lunch. She was decapitated. Brian Pittman was also killed lived on Maine Street in Vincentown. Today they would be 45 or 46 years old.The driver lived I will mention no name,it wasn't his fault there was no traffic light there at the time was hit by big truck carrying logs.They were all very good friends.AS FOR THE HOUSE: BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED A little girl would haunt this house strange happenings The mother being very religious knew it was of evil sources and after her daughter was decapited in the accident left and never returned the house is now owned by people who live in a big beautiful mansion on neww freedom rd and said it would not be torn down because of its history the name of the rd itself Pugatory is over looked the real question who or wht was the evil that drove out the Alacons?
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heres the site to that forum...
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/vinc...L7JLHKQ2O347VQ

i am just very curious haha

[Jerseyman]

lalala:

Wow—you must REALLY BE a WNJ devotee to write the preceding posting!

The neighbor provide you with the correct information: there are no ghosts and there is no house. You should not be so gullible about things you read—particularly things concerning ghosts and beheadings posted on the internet!

Purgatory Road takes its name from Purgatory Run because the road crosses the headwaters of that stream. The toponym “Purgatory Run” dates to at least 1838 and is generally associated with Bear Swamp.

I have never found any primary source material that delineates how or when Purgatory Run first received that name. However, despite the obvious theological implications of Purgatory as a toponym, I can offer some educated conjecture using the definitions of the word “Purgatory” found in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED):

1. The presence of Bear Swamp could have brought temporary suffering to the landowner, likely a member of the Prickett family. I am sure the swamp was quite a dismal place, although, once the owner had harvested the Cedar trees, I suspect he no longer felt the place was a purgatory.

2. The OED also defines Purgatory as the name often given to streams that flow within a ravine, or, the ravine itself, which certainly fits the circumstances here.

3. Purgatory Run may have received its name because it may have contained enough water to make its presence known, but not enough water to power a mill, thereby making it a source of suffering.

4. Finally, the OED defines Purgatory as a place of cleansing, so it is possible that Purgatory Run served as a convenient bathing place for either humans or animals.

These are all conjecture, but do provide some food for thought.

Jerseyman
Resident Curmudgeon

[woodjin]

I was under the impression there is a house there as I have seen it (or what I believed to be it) from the road in winter time when the leaves are off the trees. However, after the Weird Nj story the area was constantly being tresspassed upon by curiousity seekers and vandals. A sign was put up warning about tresspassing and that the area was patrolled. I haven't been down the road in a while to notice if the sign is still up.

Lalala, you were lucky you ran into the neighbor and not the police, you could have been in big trouble as that is private property (if you were in fact in the right area). The people posting about their trips there are embellishing, well, more like lying about their experiences to make for a better story and to have a little fun.

There is nothing wrong with appreciating a good ghost story but be careful about tresspassing and remember that most stories are just stories.

Now, if you were asking about the old slaughter house, well, that would be something else altogether. Yes, that would be something very different.

Jeff

[bobpbx]

Now, if you were asking about the old slaughter house, well, that would be something else altogether. Yes, that would be something very different. Jeff

Jeff, don't. That is not to be talked about on an open forum. You do remember what happened last time.

[woodjin]

Jeff, don't. That is not to be talked about on an open forum. You do remember what happened last time.

I'm sorry, you're right. Forget I said anything.

[jokerman]

I wrote to Weird NJ a while back asking them to withstand printing articles about fragile historical places in the Pine Barrens and they do seem to have avoided providing information on most of them although it may just have been that there aren't abandoned houses there to titilate the whole ghosting thing. I think I will write to tem again and just remind them of how much destruction to "weird" New Jersey they have perhaps inadvertently caused.

[Boyd]

The neighbor provide you with the correct information: there are no ghosts and there is no house.

Did they tear it down? See this old thread: New Member, wants to say Hi and share some recent travels.

There was an interesting article a few months ago in the Medford Central Record about Purgatory House. Should have saved it but I didn't and they don't seem to have that stuff available online.

Anyway, it said the property was recently bought by the family which has built that HUGE mansion on New Freedom Road (near Sandtown). I can't remember their name, but this house rivals the mansion in Citizen Kane! Evidently they moved here from Cherry Hill (I think) and the guy had some sort of business success story (with software perhaps)?

The main thrust of the article was that local residents were concerned because this guy is buying up large quantities of land in the area. But he claims it's only for his family's enjoyment and a desire to preserve open space. The article also had a little background on Purgatory House. I imagine you could find it if you went to the Medford library and looked through old issues of the Central Record, I'd say the article appeared sometime in the late Winter or Spring of 2004...

Yeah the pugatory house was most creepy, it just looms out of the dark. You really cannot see the house from any other angle besides walking down the driveway. There is definatley much history in that area, and I would love to go back to check out the inside. The only problem at this point is structural stability, it is really moist out there and the mosquitos were halfway inbetween a dragonfly and an albatross.

[FOLLY]

I was under the impression there is a house there as I have seen it (or what I believed to be it) from the road in winter time when the leaves are off the trees. However, after the Weird Nj story the area was constantly being tresspassed upon by curiousity seekers and vandals. A sign was put up warning about tresspassing and that the area was patrolled. I haven't been down the road in a while to notice if the sign is still up.

Lalala, you were lucky you ran into the neighbor and not the police, you could have been in big trouble as that is private property (if you were in fact in the right area). The people posting about their trips there are embellishing, well, more like lying about their experiences to make for a better story and to have a little fun.

There is nothing wrong with appreciating a good ghost story but be careful about tresspassing and remember that most stories are just stories.

Now, if you were asking about the old slaughter house, well, that would be something else altogether. Yes, that would be something very different.

Jeff

Umm, the only liar here is you. The Purgatory house does exist, as I was their last night. I went out to Mayo's bar to go see Tom Baz so, me and my friends decided to go out to the purgatory house since we were so close anyways.

It's past the 2nd circle on Route 70. The best landmark near it is a tire shop (literally about 200-250 yards from the house) on the right side of the road if you are going West, I am pretty sure it was Goodyear (not 100% pos.), it's a big place and the building is blue. Anyways, park your car their so you don't have to worry about the cops, then walk on 70 past the tire place and then a dirt road/path will come up, follow then their will be another road (purgatory road) you cross and you will see the big silver gate (this whole walk should take you at most 4-7 minutes), jump that gate and follow that path and you'll be their.

Honestly, when you first walk up on the house at night, it's a little weird, but I would say it is 0% haunted and dumb. I went into every single room in that house, including climbing on my friends shoulders to get in the attic because the stairs are broken. We would turn off our flashlights, wait, and of course, NOTHING. Eventually it got so boring, we decided to take some of the copper piping out of the house so we can scrap it for money.

However, in the kitchen the floor is falling through and when you walk on it, it bounces, so I'd strongly recommend not going into the kitchen.

[Boyd]

Woodjin isn't a "liar"... I think he meant people were lying about seeing ghosts there. OTOH, by your own admission, you're a thief.

Eventually it got so boring, we decided to take some of the copper piping out of the house so we can scrap it for money.

Welcome to the site, you're off to a good start...

[FOLLY]

Woodjin isn't a "liar"... I think he meant people were lying about seeing ghosts there. OTOH, by your own admission, you're a thief.



Welcome to the site, you're off to a good start...

You must not be a resident of the Pinelands. I'd hardly consider myself a thief, I'd say I just benefited the environment, because now that wonderful piece of copper is going to be recycled. The house shouldn't even be there, should have been torn down years ago, it's just a hazard to society and the environment.

I'll be going back with a sawzall to scrap some more.

[woodjin]

Folly,
How am I lying? Did you read my post? I said the purgatory house DID EXIST. I said, or clearly implied, that the people recalling ghostly experiences there are embellishing or lying for the sake of a good ghost story. Come on man, read the post before you call someone a liar.

[oji]

In the Pines or in North Philly, If you jump over a gate and enter a house without the owners consent you are not allowed to take the pipes and wires.

[whippoorbill]

In the Pines or in North Philly, If you jump over a gate and enter a house without the owners consent you are not allowed to take the pipes and wires.

[TeeGate]

Welcome to the site, you're off to a good start...

Boyd said it best, and I am not lying Three strikes and you are out.

Guy

[46er]

I'd hardly consider myself a thief, I'd say I just benefited the environment, because now that wonderful piece of copper is going to be recycled.

I'll be going back with a sawzall to scrap some more.

If it quacks like a duck, then its a duck.

I'm sure you intend to donate your ill gotten gains to a worthy environmental cause, right?