Friday, April 22, 2011

Built for the Dead, Stickney Mansion - Bull Valley, Illinois

Since I was a child I've heard legends about the "mansion with no corners." For years I thought it was all a myth, until I researched for this project and found that the mansion does exist and the legends are true. When we found and stood on the grounds of the mansion a few years ago, a chill ran up my spine as I thought about the story associated with this mysterious house.

Both accomplished mediums and devout practitioners of Spiritualism, George and Sylvia Stickney built this unusual two-story house in 1836 on an isolated country highway in Bull Valley, Illinois, thinking this corner-less design would assist them when holding séances and gatherings at the property. The couple had twelve children but only three survived to adulthood; they would often try to contact their nine dead children during their séances.

The Stickneys' believed that spirits have an inclination of getting stuck in the corners of houses, producing terrible results. They also felt that having a 90 degree angle corner would attract evil spirits. Therefore, all the rooms in their mansion have round smooth corners except one. For some unknown reason this room accidentally ended up with a 90-degree measurement.


According to legend, George Stickney was one day discovered slumped to the floor, dead from an apparent heart failure next to the only corner in the house located in that very mysterious room.


Reports claim Sylvia Stickney continued to live in the house as an accomplished spirit medium. People from all over the world come to take part in séances upstairs in the converted ballroom.


In the 1970s, Rodrick Smith moved in and began to hear strange noises and his dog began to exhibit strange behavior. After awhile Smith became more and more uncomfortable in the house and decided to research the home. According to Smith's findings, satanic worship took place in the mansion during the sixties and the black magic rituals conjured up an evil presence which resides in the house. Other researchers feel it was hippies during that time that changed the atmosphere of the house with drug use and painting the rooms dark colors, spray painting messages and leaving their abandoned drugs after they left.


The mansion was later sold and the Village of Bull Valley police department moved in as their headquarters. The police have reported hearing footsteps in the ballroom area, formally the séance chamber. Disembodied voices and strange noises have been heard on the stairwell and through out the house several times. Objects have moved on their own, door knobs have been seen turning on their own. Lone workers have seen and heard doors opening and closing on their own when no one else was in the building. One police officer saw the apparition of what he later described as Stickney's father-in-law. Two police officers have quit due to the disturbances that take place in this bizarre house.


Further research into town cemetery records often yield different facts to the dates in this story, but little else is recorded of this time. We have the old legends and the stories from the mansion's modern-day occupants to work from on our journey. Most important of the details, is the fact that the reputation of the house is firmly based in the Stickneys' practice Spiritualism and the regular attempts to commune with the spirits who have passed on into the beyond.


The day we arrived to visit the mansion two springs ago was bright, warm, and friendly. On the grounds of the mansion, however, the air was still and tense. The home felt isolated on its road winding off of the main road through town. Walking around the mansion, we felt uneasy staring into the black windows as if the house was watching us. The very look of this odd house makes one feel uncomfortable, which shouldn't be a surprise since it was built specifically to talk to the dead. Perhaps the spirits still wander freely through its rooms and corridors waiting to make their presence known.

10 comments:

  1. Beautiful blog. Very interesting to read through it.

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    1. very interesting story for sure!! cant wait to go by the place...

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  3. My friend has lived next door since the 1970s. We area teens visited the mansion often calling it the "Devil Worshiper's House. This reputation does date to the 1970s, probably not the result of 1960s hippie residency.

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  4. Let me see. where do I start. The house was built with no 90 degree corners, even where the ceilings meet the walls. There are corners now, due to adding them well after the Stickney family moved out. It is a mis-conception that George Stickney died in the house. Sylvea actually died before he did, she died September 21, 1879. George Stickney did not die until 1897 after he remarried.. The Stickney's had 10 children and only 3 made it to adulthood. The house was not used for "devil worship" like many say, that was up the road from where the Stickney house sits. Alot of newpapers have asked to do a story, but everytime is around Halloween. But, let's face it when this happens the weirdo's come out to break windows and de-face this beautiful historic home.

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  5. some body can translate the history in spanish.

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  6. Great blog, and I Love the photo!! Since I was about 16 yrs old I always wanted to go inside the Stickney house (instead of just drive by it lol). Last week my mom and I decided to take a tour. We were not allowed upstairs because they were remodeling it. Anyway, we talked with a few of the police officers, and they told us they have heard and seen quite a bit going on; especially upstairs.
    Anyway, (this is kind of personal but I will get to the point) my mom used the bathroom, and she didn't notice anything unusual (especially being alone in a room). But, when I used it, and I was about to leave the bathroom, the closet door to my right just before exiting opened really quick and slammed shut. I thought it happened because of the air suction as i opened the door, but it didn't happen to my mom.
    Well, I took a total of 20 photos inside and outside of the house, and in the 13th photo I see a very unusual face in the tree. I would like you to see this and tell me what you think. Contact me, and I will send you this photo. Thanks for having this blog!
    Take care. :D

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    1. Hi I would like to see that photo please

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    2. Thank you so much! The place is amazing and I would enjoy seeing your photos! if you want to send them to me schjothphoto@gmail.com I would live to look at them. Of course I wouldn't publish them unless I had your permission.

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