Haunted College of Saint Rose in Albany – CNY Paranormal

As humans, we have a tendency to recycle. This may not always extend to putting your empty water bottle in the right bin, but when it comes to old buildings, many times instead of tearing down old buildings, they will be reused and repurposed. This preservation of our history leads to many business districts being populated by gorgeous old buildings, an example of which is the beautiful Victorian offices lining Genesee Street.
While this classical architecture enhances the appeal of many small towns, from a paranormal stand-point it can complicate a case. When investigating a location that has been re-purposed, it can be hard to determine if the activity stems from the current or the previous use of the building. In some cases, there will be activity stemming from both periods of the building’s history, further complicating matters.

An example of this is the College of Saint Rose in Albany. Now a private college, Saint Rose has always had a religious background, and the haunting of one of their buildings reflects that history.

According to local legend, at least 4 buildings in the Saint Rose complex are haunted. Prior attendees report that these hauntings are so well-documented and accepted that the Dean of Students of the college conducts a yearly presentation on the hauntings.

The four ghosts that haunt the Saint Rose campus seem to be a diverse group of spirits. One is the ghost of a former priest on the property. He is assumed to date prior to the formation of the college. Also spotted are the ghosts of a little girl killed in a fire on the property, and a former gardener. One tied to the location of her death, the other tied to the property he must have loved. The most interesting ghost, and the one with the most tenuous connection to the college is the ghost who is believed to be a man who killed himself in Chicago. His connection to the college is not documented.
According to students, these ghosts make themselves frequently known. Screaming, and a little girls voice has reported, as has apparitions of spirits, objects going missing, bright lights, footsteps, and other strange noises.

The spirits of the College of Saint Rose demonstrate the odd configuration of spirits that collect at a location when buildings are reused beyond their additional purpose. Spirits collect that come from different backgrounds, and for different purposes. When investigating a location like this, you begin to wonder how these spirits feel about the passage of time, and the impact it has on their home. Does the priest understand that the buildings he occupied are now a dormitory? How does the gardener feel about the people now caring for the grounds he loved. As time continues to pass on, what new spirits will call this campus ‘home’?

A quick clip by a student: