For those that consider October to be the creepy month, things may be getting creepier in one part of Rockingham.

Claims of seeing apparitions at and around an old house in Richmond County has lead to a paranormal investigation that concluded the presence of spirits at the Baldwin Plantation on 228 Baldwin Road.

The East Koast Paranormal Research Team will be hosting a weekend long fundraiser of the Baldwin Plantation.

On April 19, the East Koast Paranormal Research Team performed an investigation at what used to be community housing on a plantation that consisted of 12 small shacks by the property owner’s house. Voices, shadows and other strange happenings occurred inside the home. Everything that the team caught the first go-around can be found on their website at www.ekiparanormal.com.

The fundraiser from the team will be held from Friday through Sunday starting each night at 7 p.m.

“This is a real haunted house,” said Scott Sessoms, one of the team members. “There are no scary masks, lights and fog machines. This is the real thing. The fundraiser is giving the community the chance to see exactly what we do and possibly experience what we did before. People who attend the fundraiser will get to use the team’s equipment and ask the questions.”

You must be 13 years of age and older to investigate the plantation home. If you are under the age of 13, you must have parental consent. Entry is $10 per person or $15 per couple/pair, and lasts for an hour. The team will have a large monitor for people to watch for unexplained disturbances inside and outside the location.

Drinks, coffee and snacks will be served on location.  

The plantation is at 228 Baldwin Road, off County Home Road.

The East Koast Paranormal investigation team consists of 10 members, each with their own talents and experiences.

“We’re each a jack of all trades and know other fields,” said Sessoms. “We try to prove everything scientifically.”

Sessoms explained that each team member has training in fields like electricity or construction, and they use their skills to help them look for alternative explanations to activity someone may have reported.

The paranormal team tries to evaluate situations in such a way that helps the people the most. Sometimes what may seem like a haunting is a misunderstanding of your surroundings. Sessoms explained that some people are more sensitive to concentrated electricity, and this can cause people to have symptoms. He explained a situation where a mother said her young daughter was seeing an apparition at night, and having other strange symptoms. The team found the girl’s bed close to a corner of the house that had many wires and cables concentrated, and it was causing the little girl to react.

The team uses an Electro-magnetic Field (EMF) detector to pick up increased electric activity that may increase as a spirit tries to manifest itself, according to Sessoms. They use a full spectrum camera to catch what the human eye cannot see. They use strange smells and noises to guide them toward greater activity that they can record and use as evidence, such as with a digital recorder.

“We don’t use personal experiences as evidence,” clarified Sessoms. He said the team also uses an infrared thermometer to detect sudden and drastic changes in temperature that can indicate a presence of a spirit.

The team will soon be looking into urban legends, such as the Brown Mountain Lights of the Cherokee and Maggie Valley areas.

Sessoms warns skeptics not to approach the plantation with a negative attitude.

“If you have a negative attitude, nothing’s going to happen,” said Sessoms. He said it is best for people to be open-minded.

“Everyone is a skeptic and a non-believer until they experience something paranormal,” said Sessoms about those who give no credibility to paranormal investigation.

Though there is no formal training or licensing, Sessoms said investigators can attend lectures and can learn a lot from investigators with several decades of experience. One of their team members has been involved with paranormal investigation for over thirty years.

Sessoms said he began to delve into paranormal investigation as a hobby, but that it has now become more than that. The team has clients they monitor through processes of investigation, sometimes lasting for several months depending on the level of intensity, and the types of experiences people may be having. The team not only covers North Carolina, but also tries to go anywhere they are called to, such as South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee or some as far away as California and even England.

For more information on the event, contact www.ekiparanormal.com or by e-mail at eastkoastparanormal@ekiparanormal.com. 

Staff Writer Dawn Kurry can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 15, or by e-mail at dkurry@yourdailyjournal.com.