HAUNTED MICHIGAN: Lansing’s Turner-Dodge House?
There have been very few actual reports of any type of paranormal experiences at Turner-Dodge House but there have always been rumors and beliefs that a mansion as old as this MUST be haunted. Here are two stories I've found:
1) A photographer says he was taking pictures of a model on the grounds outside the mansion. When he looked up, he saw a man with a beard standing in the window on the top floor; when the photographer turned his camera to the window, the figure was gone. Upon developing his pictures, he did find one with a bearded man standing in the window; he believes it was a ghost. If this is true, I would LOVE to see that picture posted somewhere. Even so, in my opinion, it could very well have been a human inside unless the photog has more details he's leaving out.
2) In 1984, two boys and their uncle were talking out in the parking lot of the mansion when they noticed a smiling man looking down on them, again from the top window. Seconds later, the house was filled with flashing lights and other windows had people appearing in them. This frightened the three so much, they took off through a field; one boy saw a tree stump disappear as he ran toward it.
Granted, these two tales are skimpy and there may be easy explanations for both of them; but they MUST have been creepier than it seems for these people to report their separate cases.
BRIEF BACKSTORY:
The Turner-Dodge House was built in 1858 (on what is now 100 E. North Street) by James Turner, who moved to Lansing from Mason and had a general store inside Lansing's first hotel, the Seymour House. In 1899, Frank Dodge (Turner's son-in-law), bought the house and made improvements. The City of Lansing bought the house and the property in 1974, two years after it was listed as an historic site. The mansion has been described as a "happy house" by those who have lived there ever since 1858; many wonderful times were spent by children and adults alike on the property. Chief Okemos spent evenings there and many Native Americans traveled by on the trails.The land was also visited by bears and many more wild animals. Read more about those 'happy' times at the mansion by
CLICKING HERE. It is currently a museum opened to everyone and I suggest you pay a visit; especially if you've never been there...the hidden staircase and third floor ballroom were treats for me when I visited. See mansion pictures inside and out by CLICKING HERE.
Again, it's understandable why some may feel it's haunted, since it's a beautiful gothic old mansion...but if anyone else has any tales to tell, please do.
Do I believe it's haunted? Not yet.
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