Once upon a time, when I would think of Gettysburg, I think the thing that most often came to mind were images of the battlefields in which the bloody clash occurred.  Just a few short days in duration, the battle of Gettysburg brought great carnage and suffering.  Wives were left without husbands, children left without fathers, and a nation was left damaged by the conflict.  The outcome may have been significant but so was the devastation. 

I’ll be honest…..what I didn’t think about is what occurred just beyond the combat zone.  Outside of the battlefields lie the retreat grounds and the areas in which the field hospitals were set up.  There too was bloodbath witnessed.  I bring you Fairfield, PA, and the David Stewart Farmhouse. 

My friends and I were in the area for an epic paranormal weekend that included the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV, as well as a few days in the Gettysburg area.  One of my paranormal besties found a great Civil War farmhouse for us to spend the night in.  The drive out to the house revealed to me an area with winding, almost melodious, roads and beautiful scenery that still keeps the secrets of those dark days. 

The farmhouse and barn are in an area that was once a field hospital during the Civil War.  Meant to be a place for the mortally wounded to find compassionate care in their final moments, they were merely temporary shelters until their expected passing so that their remains could be moved.   Paranormal enthusiasts will appreciate a stay here because it is believed to be haunted by a previous owner as well as a handful of wartime spirits.   If you are an animal lover, you will be doubly pleased since the farmhouse is home to a dog and six cats.   If you want to go check out the David Stewart Farmhouse for yourself, you will find it on Airbnb.  You can use this code www.airbnb.com/c/aporterfield1 to get $40 in travel credit when you sign up.

History

The Civil War occurred 1861 - 1865 surrounding two fundamental issues:  states rights and the financial implications of slavery in the North and the South.  You know how it is when money is involved.......it gets messy!  In this case, it resulted in the bloodiest and most brutal combat the United States has ever seen stateside.

With such combustible political angst combined with brutal and unnecessary fatalities, it is no wonder that Gettysburg is believed to be one of (if not THE) most haunted areas in the country.  My friends and I have decided to return soon and rent the Bushman House that lies within the battlegrounds.   For more historical info and details, check out American Battlefield.

Our Experiences

We arrived to the home on Saturday afternoon after flying into Pittsburgh that morning.  The drive from Pittsburgh to Fairfield gave us the opportunity to jump in and out of West Virginia and Maryland on the way.  It was still warm out but not nearly as hot as it was back home.  I was having a great time already. 

We were greeted by the owner, Stephani, who was absolutely warm, welcoming, and friendly.  She gave us a great historical account of the home and the surrounding area before we went out to grab dinner nearby.  Stephani pointed out that the house is known as the David Stewart Farm however it is really the William Douglass Farm (Stewart inherited the home upon Douglass' death).   We were just a few miles from Gettysburg so we went into town for dinner.

After dinner, my friends and I returned to the farm and began to investigate the barn.  It appeared that they were either setting up for a wedding or recently had one.  We walked around the barn taking photos and baseline readings before getting comfortable on some hay bales for an EVP session.  It was eerily quiet except for some birds that had been nesting there.

While in the barn we had some hits on a couple of devices but nothing astronomical happened.  I ended up with some hellacious allergies, probably a combination of the animals and hay, so I didn't stay all night.  I got a room in Emmitsburg, MD, but I returned in the morning so my friends and I could go grab breakfast before moving on to Weston, WV.  They stayed all night with one of them staying in a room that was once an operating room.

We didn’t have anything profound happen during the night but we are hopeful that audio and video reveal something to us. We have to keep in mind that there are animals in the home so any bumps in the night could be an animal moving about.   As all paranormal locations, spirits do not act on command so we really need to go back and spend more time there to document paranormal activity.  Fingers crossed that we find some good evidence in our photos and recordings!

Overall our visit to Fairfield was well worth it.  We learned a lot about the history of the area, and we met some fascinating people.  That is probably one of my favorite perks of our paranormal adventures.   We never know what will happen or who will cross our paths but we do know  that we will have a great time.  We always do! 

I hope you are having some adventures of your own.  If not, please come back and read about mine (ours).  Until then, make this beautiful day count!