YORKTOWNE HOTEL INVESTIGATION: Remote View & Full On-Site Report

All the remote viewing and telepathic information was then provided to Lon Strickler and Rissa Miller.

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Yorktowne Hotel Investigation

Rissa Miller and Lon Strickler

July 10, 2024

Rissa Miller’s Report

Advance Notes

Before the visit, Lon forwarded only the coordinates of the location to RV coordinator, Deleece Cook, who remotely tapped into the space’s energy. She picked up several ghost signatures in the building, but nothing malevolent, though one was sassy, and one was sad. Deleece picked up a newer, spunkier entity named Jane and sent Lon a drawn image of what looked VERY similar to the border around the rooftop lounge. Deleece’s notes described it more as a balcony looking over a street. This is one of Jane’s preferred locations.

Jane & the Lounge Areas

On the day of, Lon & I started at the rooftop lounge. Both instruments in use went off in the same areas, indicating an entity might be present (EMF meter and visual energy camera). Her presence was first lit up in the hall by the bathrooms, then out in the main room, then onto the rooftop outdoor area.

Notes from psychic - Jane was not an old ghost like the other two. She may have lived as recently as the 1960s-1970s. She has a lot of energy and curiosity. She has likely interfered with electronics, or broken things like plates because she’s just young and curious. Not young like a child, but like a younger soul, a person who did not like old age. It was said that Jane did not grow up in York but came here to marry someone suggested by her family. But she loved it in York and had dined at the Yorktowne as a living person. It held good memories for her.

Jane may be visible to others as a shadow in the lounge or lobby, but where there should not be one. She is responsive to her name. She likes it when the lounge areas (lobby and rooftop) are busy; she likes people, music, and activities. She may also be noticeable when there is an orange blossom perfume scent (when there shouldn’t be one).

Please note, that Jane has enough energy to move things. She is not dark-intentioned and has no cruelty, but she is very curious and may move things because she wants to explore - or because she wants to be part of what is happening at the hotel.

Jane can show up anywhere in the hotel. Unlike the Ghost of Hospitality or the Nanny Ghost, she is not locked into one region. She is what investigators call a “walk-in” - she walked into the hotel as a ghost and decided to stay. She is bound to space by her own choice. Jane is an intelligent haunting, meaning she can and does interact.

8th Floor - The Ghost of Hospitality

This floor is home to the hotel’s longest-running ghost story and is well within the public domain. There are many versions of the story of this entity, but the one that matches an actual obituary is about a cigar salesman who “lived” at the hotel in the 1950s. He was unmarried and came from Philadelphia. Herman Eugene Abrams, “Eugene” to friends, was a full-time salesman and spent so much time with the staff of the Yorktowne, that he considered them his family. He went into a heart attack in the lobby and died at what we now think of as Wellspan-York Hospital. But he returned to the Hotel to stay forever.

Eugene is a formal, old-school gentleman. He is seen dressed in formal attire from the early to mid-1950s. He wears a hat and is known to tip it if you see him as he walks by. His usual room was always on the 8th floor and that is where he most often stays. Sometimes he goes out into town, and you know he’s coming or going because the 8th floor button will light up. Also, he does smell like cigar smoke, so if anyone smells cigars on the 8th floor in the currently nonsmoking hotel, it’s just Eugene. He does not know how to speak or move things around; he conducts himself as a gentleman would.

Lon and I had some activity in the lobby of the 8th floor right by the elevators and for a moment, both had a whiff of cigar smoke (Lon did not know the story going into the investigation and had never visited Yorktowne). EMF meter had readings by the lobby, but not in the hallways.

This long-standing story is still relevant and held up to investigation, and the distance-psychic reader also picked up on Eugene. Eugene is an intelligent spirit.

Violet and the 4th & 5th Floors

Another less well-known, but in-the-public-domain ghost story about the Hotel is the Nanny Ghost. The legends say that on the 4th floor, she appears to comfort children and babies who are upset. She is said to be gentle and kind, not at all frightening. In her presence, fussy little ones are said to calmly go to sleep. Again, Lon did not know this story going into the investigation. Deleece, the psychic noted a sad female presence in this area of the hotel.

Psychic notes - The name Violet came through strongly. As well as a uniform, like Violet worked at the hotel as a maid or in some other capacity. Her hair is dark and cut into a bob, like would have been stylish in the late 1920s, and her attire, as described, matches that timeframe. It’s very possible Violet did not marry or have children of her own, but very badly wanted a family. She absolutely LOVES babies and children and feels tenderly towards them.

Dark Theme - There was also the feeling she may have been a victim of rape and had a miscarriage. I could not find any police reports in old newspapers to verify this. However, it’s not likely an unmarried woman would have reported such a crime in the 1920s. There is also a likelihood Violet died young, like in her 20s. Possibly from a crime or severe/fast-acting illness. But like the others, the Hotel was her home, so she came back to stay there.

There were strong equipment hits around the maids’ closets on the 4th and 5th floors. Like almost as high as the meter could go. If there was room 507 (it’s where the closest is), that would be the hottest spot on these two floors.

Violet is an intelligent spirit but reserved. She will not show herself readily and prefers young children to most adults. She has not been known to speak or interact very often.

Ballroom

In the ballroom, there was some meter activity but nothing specific. Lon and I both wondered if there is residual energy for all the events there. Most likely there were happy memories, like parties and dancing. It wouldn’t surprise us if late at night, residuals of such events show up.

Overall Observations

There are ghosts at the Yorktowne, but they’re not malevolent and don’t seem to have any requests or demands. Rissa Miller

The Yorktowne Hotel, York, PA (Hilton Hotels)

Yorktown Hotel lobby (Rissa Miller)

Yorktowne Hotel ballroom (Rissa Miller)

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Yorktowne Hotel Investigation

Rissa Miller and Lon Strickler

July 10, 2024

Lon Strickler’s Report

This was my first and only visit to the Yorktowne Hotel, a venerable and contemporary 1920s-style structure and interior.

From what I was told by Rissa, the management had requested an investigation because much of the previous interactions between the known spirit energies and staff/guests had waned since the multi-year renovation of the hotel. We were asked to give our impressions as to why this occurred.

On-Site Investigation

At the beginning of the investigation, Rissa and I took the elevator to the roof area. The location includes a bar/restaurant as well as an outside promenade. The balustrade (The exact design described by Deleece) completely encompassed the promenade.

Rissa and I both remark that we felt a female presence as we disembarked the elevator onto the floor. It was obvious to us that this was Jane’s energy greeting us. She is a boisterous spirit, demonstrating her desire to interact with us.

As we descended from the roof to the guest levels, Jane remained with us. It seemed that she was directing us to a location that she wanted us to concentrate on.

Rissa was very aware of some of the known history and energies that have interacted with guests and staff during the past 100 years. As we made our way to each subsequent floor, there were indications of spiritual energy, especially on the 8^th floor (Herman Eugene Abrams and the cigar odor both Rissa and I pick up on).

There were also a few other impressions sensed during our walk-through, particularly the odor of burning wood, possible portal activity between descending floors, and the constant presence of Jane.

When we reached the 5^th floor, both Rissa and I experienced a heightened sense of the past. Deleece had mentioned in her report that the number 507 was significant to Jane. I believe that 507 referred to a room number.

As we got closer to the area where a possible Room #507 would have been located it was obvious that was now a housekeeping storage room or closet. But there was a deep sense of dread and pain at the door of this housekeeping storage room. As I approached the door and touched the original molding the word ‘violence’ immediately came from my mouth. At the same exact time, Rissa stated ‘Violet.’ We both received a message, though I believe both Violet’ and ‘violence’ were relevant terms under the circumstances.

I instantly ‘sensed’ a female figure, of short, petite stature, and wearing a one-piece dress/uniform. She was African American with very short black shiny hair. She was in distress and pain. I saw a stream of blood flowing down her left leg. I then saw her lying on her right side with her legs extending out of the room into the hallway.

I felt her intense pain. I felt her shock. I felt her ‘death.’

I feel that this was the Nanny that Rissa had told me about. I truly believe that Jane was telling us the Nanny’s story… and her demise.

Because of the times when this occurred, which I feel was either in 1927 or 1928, the violent death of an African American woman, by whatever means, would have been silenced. But Jane wanted us to know.

I make these assumptions based on my intuition and ability to interpret spiritual energy. In the time since our investigation, I have not been able to gather any other intuitive evidence from the location, not even remotely. It was as if my instant connection to this terrible act was suddenly turned off. I would surely like to find tangible evidence of the assault, but I realize that this may not be possible.

Final Notes:

I was truly privileged to have been allowed to work with Rissa. We had only talked and texted before the Yorktowne Hotel on-site investigation, but I quickly felt comfortable with her when we met that day. I am very appreciative to have become acquainted with an experienced, capable, and intelligent colleague. I look forward to future collaboration with Rissa. Lon Strickler

Former Room #507 - Housekeeping Storage currently (Rissa Miller)

Former Room #507 - Housekeeping Storage currently (Rissa Miller)

Saving Yorktowne: Unlikely story of how York landed Hilton and why that's such a big deal

(York Daily Record)