most haunted visits the whaley house San Diego Ca. episode on FRi.

[bellalaghoste]

 >:(What up with the brits getting a chance to investigate the whaley house before you?  They visited the house and was disappointed they said.  This was not one of the most active investigations.  All they did was complain

[PPI Brian]

>:(What up with the brits getting a chance to investigate the whaley house before you?? They visited the house and was disappointed they said.? This was not one of the most active investigations.? All they did was complain

Really? I missed that episode. When did it air?

[bellalaghoste]

FRIDAY 10/28/07

[PPI Brian]

Cool, I didn't miss it after all!

I hope the MH did a decent investigation there.

[dwalters]

it actually aired last year....I think this will be a re-run.

[PPI Brian]

it actually aired last year....I think this will be a re-run.

Bummer. Where the heck have I been? Oh well, I look forward to seeing the episode anyway... 

[PPI Karl]

Brian, if this is your first time seeing the episode, prepare to be blown away.  They took of the gloves for this one, locked Derek Acorah in the trunk, and didn't utter a single gratuitous scream throughout the entire investigation.  Why, it's worth buying the entire season as a boxed set for this one episode, I tells ya.

Oh . . . sorry.  That was a dream I had once.  Never mind.

[PPI Brian]

Brian, if this is your first time seeing the episode, prepare to be blown away.? They took of the gloves for this one, locked Derek Acorah in the trunk, and didn't utter a single gratuitous scream throughout the entire investigation.? Why, it's worth buying the entire season as a boxed set for this one episode, I tells ya.

Oh . . . sorry.? That was a dream I had once.? Never mind.

Darn... you had me going there...

[Kristen]

I was actually witness to some activity there when I was younger.  I went back to visit again (I've been many times) and it was completely different.  Apparently the old management company was fired and when they "moved out" they took a bunch of items with them.  The court house is the same, but the upstairs is completely different.  There is a theatre now, which is totally not part of the house's history.  They are also doing construction in the back of the home, making some kind of outdoor kitchen or something of the sort.  I was pretty let down that the former management company would do such a thing.  I guess since many of the original items are gone now the activity has also diminshed considerably.  Maybe some of the spirit activity was attached to some of the objects in the home rather than the actual home itself.  Sad story.

[PPI Brian]

I was actually witness to some activity there when I was younger.  I went back to visit again (I've been many times) and it was completely different.  Apparently the old management company was fired and when they "moved out" they took a bunch of items with them.  The court house is the same, but the upstairs is completely different.  There is a theatre now, which is totally not part of the house's history.  They are also doing construction in the back of the home, making some kind of outdoor kitchen or something of the sort.  I was pretty let down that the former management company would do such a thing.  I guess since many of the original items are gone now the activity has also diminshed considerably.  Maybe some of the spirit activity was attached to some of the objects in the home rather than the actual home itself.  Sad story.

Yes, everything has changed at the Whaley House.

I spent a lot of time working at the museum from 1980 to the mid 1990's, long before SOHO took control of the place. The house was originally purchased, restored and operated by the Historical Shrine Foundation, which was founded by June and Jim Reading. They also saved the Derby Pendleton House (with its original adobe add-on), the two pre-fabs on the back lot (one of which is cafe) and the pre-fab that now serves as the museum office. They were scheduled for deomolition when I-5 was being built, and the Readings led the effort to relocate these structures to the site. Jim used to tell the story of the trucks moving the adobe structure up Juan street with great pride of accomplishment.

After Jim passed away, June ran the place until her death, and without her vision and leadership, the Historical Shrine Foundation dissolved shortly thereafter. SOHO lobbied the County and took control of the museum. Their directors decided to conduct massive rennovations to restore the house back to it's "original" (in their opinion) condition, but what they have really done is highlight the many phases and functions of the house over the years; adding the Theatre (which was only there for two or three years when the Whaleys were living elsewhere), adding the General Store in the dining room, tearing down the fire escape that was mandated by the County of San Diego in the late 1950's when June and Jim were struggling to get County funding to save the place and rebuilding Anna Whaley's Summer Kitchen on the back porch. To their credit, SOHO has been working very closely with SDSU to catalog anything and everything that they find buried on the site, and they are excavating the back yard to find the original cistern that Thomas Whaley built to capture rain water. The HSF displayed the house as a residence, with the Court House as the only exception to the rule. It is worth noting that the current location of the General Store is incorrect; the store was in the courthouse wing, which was originally Thomas Whaley's granery before he decided to add on to the structure and build a house for his family.

Yes, much of the furnishings that were on display in the Whaley House are now gone. SOHO tried to get as much as they could, but much of it was not original to the Whaley family and belonged to other people, so it was technically "on loan" to the HSF. HSF and SOHO had some "issues" over the remaining furniture that I won't discuss here, but under June Reading's leadership the HSF always operated as a group with the highest standards and ideals, and always held the public's interests above their own. They never charged any paranormal groups for conducting investigations on the property, and they always made themselves available to anyone interested in the history of the house. June Reading compiled Thomas Whaley's papers and personal documents and had to fight with the County of San Diego for a decade to get them to scan the documents and put them in the California Room at the SD Public Library. June also transcribed Thomas Whaley's journals which documented his journey to California during the Gold Rush into a book entitled "Consignments to El Dorado". It's out of print, but worth checking out of the library. She wanted the house to remain a San Diego cultural landmark forever, and to June's credit it will continue as such. They also kept much of the Whaley's personal tragedies "quiet" out of respect for the family, and focused more of the many injustices done to them by Alonzo Horton and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 1871. June and Jim Reading and the guides were the kindest and most thoughtful people I have ever met, and I will always remember them fondly.

As for the paranormal activity being in decline, the new docents are not as well versed in the history of the place as the old guard, and as such I would not rely on them for credible information. I extensively interviewed the HSF guides in the 1980's, and they were a wealth of information. Much of the activity they experienced happened over very long periods of time. The activity there has always been subtle, in-the-corner-of-your-eye type of stuff, and I believe the old guides were much more in tune with the place than the new crew. Paranormal activity in that house has always been cyclical, and some years are more active than others, but it is consistent and appears to be localized to the house and property rather than any objects or furnishings.

Just my two cents... 

Regards,

Brian Miller

[Kristen]

Thanks for all of the information Brian.  I think the home is of great historical value and I'm glad it's still around for us to enjoy.  I just wish they hadn't changed it so much.

[PPI Brian]

Thanks for all of the information Brian.  I think the home is of great historical value and I'm glad it's still around for us to enjoy.  I just wish they hadn't changed it so much.

You're welcome. 

I too wish they hadn't changed it so much. Although SOHO claims their interpretation of the house is more accurate historically, that's simply THEIR interpretation. It was never a courthouse, a store, a residence and a theatre at the same time.

I hope to spend some quality time there in the next few months.

[Kristen]

I hope to spend some quality time there in the next few months.

Let me know if you would like a tag along.  I would love to go back there myself sometime soon.

[bellalaghoste]

SOME ONE SAID TAG A LONG  I WANT TO TAG A LONG

[xHollowedx]

i know this topic is old, but was wondering what they've done in the past year. the last time i was there they were still working on the "theater" upstairs. to be honest seeing the house change that much made me feel sick.lol. it wasent even like the same place i remembered...

[PPI Brian]

They finished the theater, and they finished the summer kitchen too, but their excavation in search of the cistern was inconclusive. Although SOHO has changed the house a great deal, it's still the Whaley House.    The place stays open until 9:00 p.m. now, which is cool. It may stay open later as we get closer to Halloween.

[bellalaghoste]

not sure last year it aired. 

[xHollowedx]

thanks Brian...havent had a chance to see it myself in over a year. last time i was down there i was getting married...didnt have time to go.lol

[bellalaghoste]

OH cool I so want to visit this location.  I live in the South Bay area kind of far.  Lets get a trip together.

[PPI Brian]

For those who may be interested, here's a calendar of October events at the Whaley House.

http://www.whaleyhouse.org/halloween.htm

As just for fun, here's a link to the Whaley House Museum in Flint, Michigan:

http://www.whaleyhouse.com/

[bellalaghoste]

open til ten and private tours after dark 75 dollars for an hour min. of two peeps.
any hours after that 50 dollars a person  limited to three hours. Wow that sounds like fun.

[johnny]

please link me to the youtube video if its a re-run from last year..  i've heard about the Whaley House in many a times in the PPI forum.  It seems to have legends like the Big Yellow House in my neck of California.  And with Karl's blessing on this episode.. how am I not suppose to watch it? and I mean that sincerely.

[PPI Karl]

please link me to the youtube video if its a re-run from last year..  i've heard about the Whaley House in many a times in the PPI forum.  It seems to have legends like the Big Yellow House in my neck of California.  And with Karl's blessing on this episode.. how am I not suppose to watch it? and I mean that sincerely.

Oh-oh.  I think I might have just destroyed what could have been a beautiful friendship.  I should have put a bigger disclaimer on that post!