Farrar School
Quoted by the Haunting at Farrar
In 1919, C.G. Geddes agreed to donate 6 acres of his farm to merge the area’s one room country schoolhouses. The school boards voted and created the Washington Township Consolidated School District. The cornerstone inscribed with the year 1921 was set and the dedication ceremony commenced on April 1 1922. The schoolhouse filled with citizens from miles around. An orchestra played on stage in the auditorium as a banquet served the hundreds in attendance. Not all citizens were behind the new building with its $100,000 price tag. One disgruntled citizen refused to attend the celebration calling it a “monument to the arrogance and vanity of the school board,” with its boiler heating, electric lights, and indoor bathroom facilities. On May 3 2002, once again, the band played, a banquet served the hundreds in attendance and sadly, the 80-year-old schoolhouse closed its doors for the last time
After sitting abandoned for five years, Jim and Nancy Oliver purchased the building in 2006. It quickly became apparent they were not alone. Voices, shadow people and orbs were common. Nancy became unsteady on the stairs when a hand on her shoulder helped her catch her balance. She turned to thank her husband for the help only to find no one there. The dark distinct outline of a small boy was sighted on the well lit stairway descending into the gymnasium. The boy appeared to be about 3' 6" tall with one foot on each step and holding onto the handrail. The figure stayed motionless for almost 2 seconds before disappearing . . .
The large 17,000 square foot schoolhouse looks out of place in the small town of Farrar, Iowa. Farrar’s population of no more than 30 people has been slowly shrinking for many years. The only growing population is in the 150 year-old cemetery across from the schoolhouse. Built on six acres of rural farmland, it's old walls are beginning to crumble. Over the decades employees and students reported hearing voices, slamming doors and sightings of unnatural figures walking the halls. Adults and children have passed on and have returned and re-live their experiences, good and bad, in the old school.
Internationally known psychic Jacqui Carpenter conducted the first paranormal investigation in 2007 and quickly confirmed the owner’s suspicions. Since then many visitors and paranormal groups have witnessed and documented evidence of ghostly activity at Farrar including: Discovery Channels "My Ghost Story" and "Ghost Stalkers", Fox news, Lazor 103.3 Radio, Des Moines Register, author Steven LaChance, Villisca's Johnny Houser, Brad and Barry Klinge, Chris Dedman, John Tenney, Chad Lindberg, David Rountree, Rosalyn Bown, Dakota Laden, Jodie Parks, Mike Holeman, Tim Dwight, Jacqui Carpenter, Chad and Brian Calek, Christopher Booth, SlipKnot's Corey Taylor and more.
Are you brave enough to stay the night? Keep your cameras ready, your mind open and be prepared for anything!
Our Story Behind the Investigation
On May 25th, 2024, we Investigated this incredible school. We had our team as well as 3 guests. Around 4pm we were greeted by the groundskeeper. Soon after our introductions, we head towards the front door. The moment we step foot, each of us had a goosebumps and feelings we could not explain. Halls were dark, classrooms were silent.
After our tour, approximately 5pm we start the process of setting up our equipment. Although from the time we got there to the time we got done setting up the spirits of Farrar didn’t start to go active till 7:30pm CT.
The gym was said (by multiple people) that sometimes you can hear game(s) going on, so…. We sent a group there first, to see if they could capture audio and visuals. As we finish up the gym, our Nerve-Center Tech Chyanne radios in and says to us that we need to go up to the third floor of the building where we placed “Cat Ball” Device.
However, before investigating “The Doll Room” we ran to the control room to get debriefed before going in blind.
Now being in the room during set-up, we placed the cat ball near the doll, and it was calibrated ever so slightly that when something touches it, it lights up!
(back to debrief)
As we entered Central Nerve, Chyanne tells us we need to take a look at the monitor and at this moment the ball is lighting up. As we gather more equipment, we sent Ryne as well as one of our guest up to the 3rd floor to try and communicate with the spirits.
At 9pm CT, we asked if a guest would like to volunteer to do the “Estes Method.” That guest quickly volunteered, and Ryne followed behind to ask questions.
While in the questioning, we had our volunteer hooked up to a noise cancelling headphones, then attached with audio cord connecting that to our PSB7-T Spirit box.
Even though audio cord was hooked up, no audio would been able to come through to the user wearing the headphones during the questioning and as we asked questions the wearer of the headphones would respond with the answer from what they can hear by the spirit.
How can we tell if a spirit was in the room?
We placed a cat ball in the room and with each question, the cat ball would light up stating something was in our presence
and without any questions being asked, both C&R names were announced in a faint voice. However, it wasn’t until after we reviewed the footage we noticed anything.
After Ryne and that guest finish up the Estes method session in that room, we all gathered in the auditorium to do an Estes method to do a live event. Although nothing really happened during the rest of our time there, another one of our guests had their shirt tugged on.
Flashing forwarding to now, we had nothing going on the rest of the night. Later when we went back to the footages during the night, the auditorium where we were all at, we had captured our first apparition. “Walking” across the camera in the third-floor doll room. It was too bad that that we couldn’t experience in person, however, I am proud to have this on film for us to experience.
So far, as this being our 2nd investigation, this now considered on of our top best places we have been too. We plan on going back in the near future and cannot wait to do this again.
**We had many experiences within this location, however, the locations mentioned were the most active**
