October in South Denver .
How can the conversation not turn to ghosts, specifically the alleged haunting of the University
of Denver ?
Any self respecting college is bound to have a ghost story
or two, but few are as well documented as the spectral sightings at DU. Let’s start with the Mary Reed building, its dark, gothic
interior and imposing castle tower making it one of the easily recognizable and
most stately buildings on campus.
Completed in 1931, the building served as the university’s
second library and today houses administrative offices and Penrose Library
storage.
A transparent female figure is occasionally seen reading in
the dark in a high back chair in the building's DuPont Room (believed by some to be Mary
Reed herself). Others have complained of cold drafts in otherwise warm rooms,
doors that jam and then mysteriously open and fresh light bulbs that
inexplicably burn out. Frankly, that isn’t too hard to imagine, since the building
is XXX years old.
But there have been numerous eyewitness accounts from staff
and students. Ghosts.org features a great tale of a student who wandered into the DuPont room and switched on
a light, only to be started by an elderly woman in old fashioned dress, who
stood up, faced the student and said hello. The student apologized and backed
out of the room, leaving the light on. When he looked back, the light had
turned off.
Books have been known to fly off the shelf in both the DuPont and
Renaissance Rooms, and staff has complained publicly about
strange rattling noises, and the elevator’s penchant for running on its own. Mary Reed herself is apparently watching
over her building’s Renaissance Room, and the eyes in a portrait of her can be
seen following visitors,
Some say the spirit is Mary Reed herself, while others say
it is Marcella Miller DuPont, daughter of wealthy Colorado pioneers who were contributors to
the university.
Either way, custodial staff have refused to work alone in
the building after 10PM, when the building’s workers head out.
Equally creepy stories emanate from the Lamont School of
Music’s Dunklee Hall. Legend has it that a student killed herself on the second
floor of the hall, when it was a dorm. Music students have reported strange
lights. One door, the last door on the right out of the elevator) is usually
standing open. Upon exiting, students experienced the door quietly closing
itself.
Other ghosts in the DU neighborhood include a ghost child, allegedly seen in an alley near Jewell and Downing. There are also reports of a spectral flight crew from a WWII bomber that crashed on South Marion, near Porter Hospital. The crew's spirits have reportedly shown up in backyards and kitchens of area homes for decades now.
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