Location:
5000 St. Paul Ave.
Lincoln, NE 68504
402-466-2371
The building was torn down in May and June of 1973 and replaced by a new administration building (Boye 1987).
The History:
Wesleyan University was built as a Methodist College in 1888 in an area that was outside of the city of Lincoln during that time period at 50th and Huntington (Boye, Hansen, & Morris 1993).
The C. C. White Building, which was demolished in 1973, was built between 1903 and 1907 (Harrison, 2005).
According to Boye (1987), Miss Mary Allen Smith, a music teacher at the University, died in 1920 inside the C. C. White Building. Another woman, Miss Urania Clara Mills, also a music teacher, is claimed to have died in the building as well in April of 1940 according to Boye. However, according to Harrison (2005), Urania Mills worked in the building from 1912-1936 and the date of her death is October 3, 1936, rather than April 12, 1940. Both October 3 and April 12 are significant dates due to the local lore on the topic. In one story recorded by Boye (1987), Mr. Thomas McCourt died on April 12 a few years after being assigned Urania’s office while working as a visiting professor. October 3 as Urania’s date of death is significant because this is the date when Mrs. Colleen Buterbaugh entered the office next door to (or the actual office that belong to) Miss Mill’s office and experienced a trip back in time. Indeed, if October 3, 1936 was the date of Urania’s death, then if makes sense that October 3, 1963 would be a likely date for such a striking paranormal event to occur.
The Haunting:
Urania Mills is credited most frequently was the one producing paranormal activities in the building.
No reports of paranormal activity were reported in the building until Thursday, October 3, 1963, a little over 2 decades after the death of music teacher number 2 in the C. C. White Building. On that morning, a woman named Mrs. Buterbaugh was going to see a visiting professor from Scotland named Thomas McCourt. Mr. McCourt had been assigned the 2 room office once occupied by Urania Mills. When Mrs. Buterbaugh stepped into the office, the sounds of students changing classes ceased abruptly and suddenly she smelled a strong musty odor. Mrs. Buterbaugh saw a woman standing across the room, facing the cabinets, reaching into one of the drawers. She was a tall, thin woman with black hair tied up in a bun. She wore a long brown skirt. Mrs. Buterbaugh, then, looking out the woman realized that the scenery outside reflected what might have been seen many years prior. She ran from the room and reported the event to the Dean and to Mr. McCourt. Both accepted the story.
Thomas McCourt returned to Scotland and died a few years later on April 12, the same day that Miss Urania Clara Mills is said to have passed (Boye, 1987).
Paranormal incidents that have been reported by others include lights coming on in the middle of the night, footsteps along the hallway of the second floor and the sound of piano music coming from a theatre in the basement of the building. Issues with amplifiers and broadcast equipment were also reported. Cold spots in the north hallway, sounds of laughter, and strange smells have also been reported (Boye, 1987).
Observations:
Resources:
Boye, A. (1987). A Guide to the Ghosts of Lincoln. St. Johnsbury, VT: Saltillo Press
Boye, A., Hansen, R., Morris, W. (1993). The Complete Roadside Guide to Nebraska. St. Johnsbury, VT: Saltillo Press.
Harrison, K. (2005). USA Teachers-L Archives. Retrieved November 2, 2008 from http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/USA-TEACHERS/2005-10/1129065092