Since the Sweeney or Farnsworth House is one of the oldest that is still standing on Baltimore Street, there is plenty of history that originates with it. Five different families have owned the house with their own stories and tales from members that have passed through the doors. Then you have the Civil War and the soldiers from the North and the South using the house for shelter, for coverage during skirmishes, and afterwards for recovering from their injuries. Within the outside walls of the Sweeney house is a brick wall that is peppered with civil war ammunition holes from gunshots. In total, there is approximately 125 to 175 holes in the wall.
After all the soldiers had left Gettysburg either by walking, train, or wagon, you still had the memories and the damage that was left behind. Civilians were able to walk around the fields and pick up artifacts from the battle ranging from rifles, uniforms, shoes, bullets, and maybe even unexploded cannon shells. Within the Farnsworth house, there’s an attic on the third floor. Confederate soldiers that were sharpshooters were firing outside the window. Remnants of artifacts were found within the walls as in musket balls and minnie balls. Visitors and paranormal experts have witnessed shadows, and the feeling of a soldier being on his rounds around the house. They hear creaky floors and the sensation of sheets being moved up to tuck visitors in at night.
Due to all these instances and more, tales of the paranormal started to arise throughout the town. Usually citizens around town, visitors, and little children mention that they get tugs on their shirt, or doors opening without any reason. Some of the odd occurrences are hearing drums, or the click of loading a musket. Other things that have happened are feeling fingertips on your skin, your hair is moved, or the bed covers move on their own. Depending on if your have paranormal equipment, people have heard voices of young children giggling, older men, soldiers with different accents, and older women who may have been nurses in the house after the battle.
- Jeremy – young boy who may have been ran over by a horse/buggy outside the Farnsworth
- Mary – an older woman, possibly a nurse or midwife, who protects the young children that reside here
- Michael – soldier who passed away on July 1st – also protects the young children who are frequent here
- Walter – older man that is heard from time to time around the house
- Growling voices in the basement – scares the children on the paranormal side and is protected by Mary and Michael
The most well-known spirit may be Jeremy. He was playing horse and wagon tag in the early 1800s, when he tripped and was run over by the carriage. He was brought to the Sarah Black room upstairs. The doctor that was brought in to look at Jeremy’s injuries mentioned to him that he would survive. Sadly though, he passed away. Jeremy seems to be the most playful spirit within the house playing with marbles, giggling at questions being asked, and thumps on the floor within the bathroom.