Oregon Majiko: Ghosts at Edgefield

First we went to SE Portland, which was not as cool back in the late '70s. Belmont Street now reminds us of Haight-Ashbury in SF and we saw a guy hauling a big musical washtub into a coffee house. It's not all yuppified and it's across the Willamette River from the trendy new Pearl District. I vote for this 'hood!
Then we drove along the Columbia to one of the properties belonging to the McNemanin Brothers, who make great ale such as Ruby Red and Terminator Stout. They also own the Bagdad Theater on Belmont and have renovated old schools and other historic buildings in Portland, Bend, Chehalis etc. We spent the night and it was a bargain at around $60. The whole estate is a work of art, with no televisions, no reminders of time or worldly concerns, the sounds of bees, frogs and relaxed if tipsy people.

According to the local paper:
Ghosts at the Edgefield Manor "Poorhouse" in Troutdale, Oregon

Edgefield Manor operated as Multnomah County's farm for poor people before the days of social programs. It held elderly residents, disabled residents, poor residents, and the mentally challenged. Edgefield was well managed, with its crops feeding those who lived there and the excess sold at profit. In 1947 the site of several buildings and farmland became a nursing home. The facility closed in 1982 and remained vacant until the McMenamin brothers purchased it and began refurbishing the buildings.

The "Ad House" was the poor farm's administration building, housing the superintendent and his family. It is now a bed and breakfast and some people have been awakened by the spirit of a woman at the foot of the bed, shaking their feet! It is believed that this spirit likes to reside in the Althea Room on the top floor of the house. Some guests claim she has serenaded them with nursery rhymes!

The "Power Station" now functions as a restaurant, however it was originally the farm's power plant and laundry facility. Staff members have said they often feel a presence in the room, watching them.

Room 215 of the main building is said to be haunted. Apparently when the McMenamin brothers acquired Edgefield, this room was covered in cult graffiti which has since been removed. A few guests have complained about a large spirit dog who shoves his cold nose in their faces while they are sleeping. A woman dressed all in white was spotted peering in a window at night, and another time a young child dressed in white was seen wandering toward the parking lot. Both sightings were of spirit beings.

Occasionally a guest will call down to the front desk, to report the sounds of someone crying. Sometimes people hear the sounds of children crying and wonder if there is a daycare on the site. There isn't. During the 1960's part of the site housed troubled children, and one of the wings which now offers hotel rooms was at one time the infirmary.

Our observations:
We were surprised to find an area that was at last 20 degrees colder than the rest of the building, and our hands trembled when we put them in that space. The next morning, a guy told us he'd placed personal items in a certain configuration in the middle of his bed and gone off to drink ale and smoke cigars. The items were moved when he returned.

The housecleaner told us a young girl had been murdered in the next building & men between 20-30 years of age who were employees did not like to go there. The barista told us the place is one of the top ten most haunted places in America. I loved hearing frogs all night and finding the little shed that plays only the music of the Dead.

A co-worker told me to look up at the pipes on the third floor. This is one of them. Staff also told us that some people have left the property in the middle of the night. We felt any spirits we encountered were good ones vs malevolent.

Comments

[Doug Tarnopol]

That is wicked cool as they say in RI. I'll forward to my NW coaster friends...

[Uncle Jerry]

cool!.....they should go to Roswell NM and take picture of the UFO and Star trekki

[abbycat]

I have been to McMenamin's locations but not this
one. Also have not heard all the stories about it.
I do remember seeing Edgefield before it was owned
by McMenamins. Great pictures.

[April]

This place has everything and yes even ghost! I stayed one night for a friends wedding and that was all I could take! We stayed in the Althea room(not knowing anything at all about this place so spooked I researched it when I was back in Seattle) I felt some kind of presence all night something tried to get in our room, the attic door below our feet shook all night long. Some how I get to sleep only to be shook awake around 4am I tried to scream but nothing would come out I could not move!I feel pressure holding me down I can open my eyes finely my husband hears the muffled screams and just as he moves me closer to him something thumps my side of the bed!I was ready to leave my stuff and run!