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| The only structure I could find so far. |
A few years back, my sister, brother-in-law, two nephews and
I decided to make a pre-Halloween adventure out of visiting all of the local
haunted spots. I made a hauntings map on a piece of poster board with the boys
and we headed out. On that map was a place their dad mentioned–a boy's camp.
Locals would have you think it was some kind of bad kids camp, but as far as I
can tell, Camp Ousamequin was a Y.M.C.A summer camp dating back to at least the 20s. In other words, a place where any boy could go to find "many ways to
have a good time." Check out
this article on it dated April, 1925.
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You see the blue dot in the middle of the woods?
That's us. Keep going. |
Way back at the end of Lingan St. in Halifax, there is a
ball field. Behind that field is a concrete structure that was part of the camp
to the best of my knowledge. It's a creepy place with lots of graffiti. When we visited, the doors were open and there had been a fire, as
evidenced by a huge pile of burnt debris in front of the place. We went inside
(it was wide open with no signs barring entry) and found several small rooms
and one big room–all concrete. This is definitely suggestive of a camp, but I
could easily see why someone would think it was a small detention center. Interestingly, though, I can't find any historical photos of concrete buildings. I see a lot of
this.
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| The woods are starting to take it back. |
A few days ago, my husband and I went back with the same two
nephews to kill some time. This visit wasn't as successful. While there are
still no signs, the doors were locked up tight. I managed to get the few
pictures you see here, but the light was terrible for getting photos through
the windows. If I ever manage to get in lawfully again, I will certainly update
this post.
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| Zombie movie, anyone? |
I'm skeptical of any kind of haunting, and I don't know any
stories about this place beyond some local kids saying it's haunted in general.
However, I will say it's an eerie place. The rundown building in the middle of
a forest backed by a huge lake right next to a ball field kind of gives it a
scary movie feel, which I can appreciate.
This handout is definitely suggestive of some old-school Friday the 13th-style wholesomeness.
I suggest a stroll in the
woods at Camp Ousamequin, but remember a locked door is as good as a No Trespassing sign. Respect
the town and check the place out from the outside. If you are sure of the origin of this building, please let us know in the comments section. We're also happy to hear your ghost stories if you've got them.
