Rolling Hills Asylum

Bethany, NY

Established in 1827, the Genesee County Poor House (originally a working farm) soon became a refuge for some of society’s less fortunate. Widows and orphans mingled with the mentally ill and the unclaimed dead were buried on the property. By the early 1950s, the facility served only as a nursing home, where it was then closed by 1972; stepping aside for a new facility in Batavia, NY. After which, the building stood empty until 1992, when it was re-opened as Carriage Village, a mall of unique shops.

One tragic story involved a resident named Roy. Roy suffered from extreme gigantism, a physical deformity that left his face deformed, his hands and feet oversized, and his height well over seven feet. He was sent to live at the asylum because his family considered him an embarrassment. He was brought to the asylum when he was 12, and died there at the age of 62. One of the nurses in the infirmary, Nurse Emmie, was known for her absolute cruelty. She was feared by the inmates and staff. Reports have circulated that Nurse Emmie still walks the halls of Rolling Hills.

August 3, 2012
Investigators: Beth Rosen, Matt Rosen, Travis Spitzer & Heather Olsen with guests Tammy Spitzer & Vince Olsen.

Location Photos: (click to enlarge)

  • In 1826, the Genesee Board of Supervisors met to establish a county poorhouse, known today as Rolling Hills Asylum. At its zenith, it was a self-sufficient farm that spanned over 200 acres – and over 1000 deaths are said to have taken place on the property before closing in 1974.
  • Back view of the facade of Rolling Hills Asylum, with its tangibly ominous steeple.
  • Close-up of the steeple. Seems like the neighborhood kids have been playing a little too much baseball, huh?
  • Side view – to give you a sense of how deep this structure really is.
  • A sign of prouder and more productive days long passed.
  • This is Nurse Emma’s room. As history has it, she didn’t win any popularity contests at Rolling Hills and is said to have delved in the black arts. However, her association with hellfire and brimstone is widely considered mere folklore.
  • Rolling Hills School Room – here we had an amazing flashlight session accompanied by that amazing EVP. (See Audio Section for details.)
  • Roy’s Room – a gentle giant at Rolling Hills and his hulking apparition has been seen here time and again. Roy was the son of a prominent banker and suffered from Gigantism. Consequently, he was abandoned to Rolling Hills at age twelve. (Doesn’t make you feel any better about bankers now does it?)
  • C’mon, what were you expecting from an organization named ‘Grave Concerns’ – a Stop Sign? JEEZ!
  • The Morgue – where our investigators, Beth and Tammy, heard a chair move across the floor with everyone accounted for. (See Audio Section for details.)
  • The Kitchen – can’t you just see Giada hosting a dinner party in this state-of-the-art culinary delight? (Dinner is served everyone.)

Findings:

School Room: We get what we think are intelligent responses on cue via blue and red maglite flashlights. While asking who could possibly be responsible for the action, we uncovered an eerie EVP that suggests the culprit at hand.

Morgue: While our investigators try to coax an entity seen in the past in this area to come forward, a chair scoots across the floor with absolutely no one near. Unfortunately, the action occurred just off-frame on a video camera mounted nearby.

Grave Concerns Paranormal does not view findings presented on this page as evidence of ghosts or the paranormal. These are merely experiences that we can not explain at this time.