Hill View Manor
Paranormal entities have helped give this former poor house a new lease on life…and death
Paranormal Activity at
Hill View Manor
- A child spirit named 'Jeffrey' has been seen around the building
- A woman's spirit can supposedly be felt in Room 105
- The spirit of an old man is said to yell at people who visit the boiler room
- Potential EVPs have been captured by previous investigators
- Phantom footsteps have been reported in the past
- Photographic anomalies are said to be common throughout the building
- Sounds of slamming doors have been reported by visitors
Haunting History of Hill View Manor
Take Highway 65 south from New Castle, Pennsylvania, and you’ll be greeted by a unique sight just as the urban sprawl begins to taper off. Hill View Manor, a large mass of red brick easily spotted from the road, looms large over the small homes in the neighborhood around it.
Hill View Manor’s broad, sturdy appearance and its wide, flourishing front lawn might give the appearance of a school at first glance. But, in reality, it has been many years since Hill View Manor has been anything at all.
Once a poorhouse and a nursing home, Hill View Manor has been shuttered since 2004. But, that doesn’t mean it’s abandoned.
On the contrary, stories of paranormal encounters have kept people visiting the old facility for years, with more coming all the time. Around New Castle today, it’s hard to find a place with more haunting legends than Hill View Manor.
Timeline of Hill View Manor's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Hill View Manor through the years
1926
Hill View Manor first opened on October 19, 1926 as the Lawrence County Home for the Aged. It was constructed to replace the previous, well-worn almshouse, the New Castle City Home. When the Lawrence County Home for the Aged first opened, it was operated by Perry and Mary Snyder.
They were a married couple who had been administrators for the city almshouse since 1913. The Snyders quickly moved in with 12 staff members and 20 inmates. And thus began the life of what would become Hill View Manor.
1944
The Lawrence County Home for the Aged operated quietly for its first years. However, by the early 1940s controversy began to stir. In 1944, locals and former County Home residents accused city officials and the Snyders of negligence. As a result of this. the Snyders were soon forced into retirement and later evicted from the facility.
After that, Mantz Hogue, then-director of the welfare department, took over operations. Under Hogue, many conditions improved.
1973
The building continued to operate as the Lawrence County Home for the Aged until the early 1970s. It was then slowly converted over to a skilled nursing facility. The conversion finished in 1973, as many former almshouse inmates turned instead to social security. After an expansion, the updated facility took on its current title: Hill View Manor.
Hill View Manor continued to function as a nursing home until it finally closed in 2004 due to financial issues.
2004
After closure, Hill View Manor sat dormant and empty for a few years before paranormal legends spread through the community. Whispers turned to open conversation, and open conversation turned to action. Paranormal investigators first started poking around the building in the late 2000s. Interest in Hill View’s ghost stories spiked swiftly from there.
After first appearing on ghost hunting TV shows in 2010, Hill View Manor became a national name in spooky circles.
Is Hill View Manor Haunted?
The heightened interest in the old building has continued up to today. Paranormal tours and investigations are held regularly, alongside larger-scale events.
Today, the ghost stories around Hill View Manor keep the building standing. In turn, those who visit keep the ghostly legends alive as well.
More than just leaving with a good ghost story, some visitors leave Hill View with unexplained photos and videos to back up their claims.
The building’s ghosts don’t seem camera shy at all. Mysterious photo and video anomalies are now one of the site’s regular claims. But just who are these camera-ready phantoms?
The Ghosts of Jeffrey & Mary
One spirit said to wander the halls of Hill View Manor is a child spirit with an odd legend tied with him. The child, reportedly a young boy of six or seven, has been named ‘Jeffrey’. He is sometimes spotted passing through the hallways or drifting from room-to-room.
A popular Jeffrey legend is that anyone who sees his apparition will die soon afterwards. While no deaths have been recorded from anyone seeing him, the legend remains.
Jeffrey isn’t alone in haunting Hill View Manor. Another often reported spirit in the building is named Mary Virginia.
Mary Virginia is believed to be the ghost of a former resident who once lived in Room 105. Her presence is often reported as a heavy, palpable uneasy feeling in Room 105 today.
The Specter in the Boiler Room
The ghost of an elderly former worker reportedly lurks in the boiler room. Visitors who have seen this spirit describe him as a grumpy old man. They often find him wandering the lower floors searching out trespassers.
He is known to not take kindly to any visitors. Past ghost hunters have claimed to capture his voice on recorders, demanding they leave. Others have claimed to hear his short-tempered demands with their own ears.
Hill View’s Noisy Phantoms
Aside from its well-known spirits, Hill View Manor is said to be rife with countless other restless ghosts as well. In particular, Hill View is known for its especially talkative spirits.
Across all the investigations done at the building, EVPs are some of the most common reports.. Almost every group that goes to investigate Hill View Manor comes away with potential EVPs to share.
Slamming Doors and Shivering Cold
Other activity in the building includes reports of slamming doors and sudden gusts of cold air that cannot be explained.
At least one person has reported the cold air being accompanied by visible mist figures that follow the cold air wherever it goes. Sounds of footsteps are also reported in the hallways. Some visitors even claim to hear the footsteps sprinting towards them through the darkness.
Visit Hill View Manor
The paranormal claims around Hill View Manor have given the old structure a second chance at life.
While many other buildings like it sat abandoned forever, Hill View Manor has thrived in its emptiness. It’s now the furthest from forgotten as it could ever hope to be.
In recent years, the paranormal claims have appeared on hit paranormal television shows. These include Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, Discovery’s Ghost Lab, and Destination America’s Ghost Asylum.
Ghost hunts, as well as tours, are now offered at Hill View Manor, and prove increasingly popular. So, if you’re looking for a place to find some ghosts, you might be in luck if you live near New Castle, Pennsylvania. But if you happen to spot Jeffrey on your visit, you might become Hill View Manor’s next resident ghost.
