Several campus structures seem to be inhabited by haunts. Adams’ Arch, the only part left of the original campus, rings with the laughter of young women late at night. The Burpee Building and Talcott Hall are each said to be haunted by men who committed suicide. The Clark Arts Center is visited by the ghost of the man who designed the building; he likes to flicker the lights and play piano music, among other tricks. In McGaw Hall lives the spirit of a girl who died in a bathtub during an epileptic seizure. Witnesses in the showers there have heard a girl singing and a man’s garbled voice, and in other parts of the hall have experienced moving objects.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 5050 E State St
Rockford, IL 61108
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 42.269471, -89.01919220000002
- County:
- Winnebago County, Illinois
- Nearest Towns:
- Rockford, IL (3.8 mi.)
Loves Park, IL (4.0 mi.)
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New Milford, IL (6.2 mi.)
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Timberlane, IL (9.2 mi.)
Caledonia, IL (9.5 mi.)
Roscoe, IL (10.0 mi.)
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
I only have a question of what is the name if the girl who died from the epileptic siezure in McGaw Hall, the name of the man who commited suicide in the Burpee Building or Talcott Hall, and what names of people I should mention for a paranormal investigation?
Also Xeke Slicer is my alias. I do not wish to give away my real name. please contact me as soon as possible.
Thank you and have a nice day.
Xeke Slicer would you go ghost hunting with me trying to find people down to go with me
I’ll go, I’m trying to start up a team here in Illinois that is an expansion of a previous team I was with in Wisconsin. I’d like to start investigations after May 7th, my schedule can be busy. Email me at; epoleate@hotmail.com
Hey, do you still need people? Me and a buddy of mine are trying to get started with the paranormal investigating. We already have some supplies but I doubt its enough. Contact me – achee59@gmail.com
I did not know the boy who committed suicide in Talcott, but I can confirm that it happened. When I went to school here, we had many experiences in the Clark Arts Center with the ghost known as Knox. There is a plaque on the wall in the green room dedicated to him. During the production of “Phantom” in April 2004, the lifts mysteriously went out only on campus and did not come back on until 1 am that night. That was his greatest prank of all the ones I witnessed. Knox is for real.
The guy who committed suicide in Talcott Hall would have been Tobias (Toby) Liebermann. He was a really great guy; very very smart; I think he had a full scholarship to attend Rockford; but I think he was manic depressive and suffered very bad depressions.I believe he was a math and computer science major. He was active in the radio and was a DJ. He was a very nerdy yet cool and sweet guy. I believe he was a sophmore or a junior when I was a freshman. He was from Rockford. I want to say it was 1990 when he committed suicide. I hung out with him and his friends sometimes.
I went to Rockford College from 1990-1994 and stayed in McGaw. I liked it as it was surrounded by woods. I knew Toby and he was a great guy. Tragic what happened. Never though experienced anything paranormal.
Wendy, I was also friends with Toby. It was exactly as you said. I think about him a lot and miss him terribly. In 1990 I lived down the hall from him and his roommate Dave Wilson and a bunch of other great friends on 4th floor McGaw Hall. I miss them all but I can not locate any of them. His death affected me very deeply. I can’t imagine that he would haunt any place after his death. I wish could find them-Martin Crull
McGaw Hall was did not close in 1976. It was still open in 1990. I believe it closed in 2004. It was not built very well and was far away from the other dorms. Nobody liked it because it had no character.
There were periods between 1986-1989 (’87-’88 certainly) when McGaw was closed. Enrollment was down, and the large building cost a lot to keep up. And as you said, it lacked character.
And you’re right, it was November 1990 that Toby…
McGaw Hall is now torn down. I can vouch that a young woman died in a bath tub there. There was a dance going on on the ground floor and they had to clear everyone out. I was “sitting desk” at the time and was asked to stay in case the phone rang. I turned my chair to the wall so I would not see anything. Very sad.
As an art major, I spent many nights in Clark Arts Center. Apparently, the apparitions didn’t bother visiting the art side of the building. Nothing ever happened there other than a broken window when people were “traying” off the roof one night.
It wasn’t closed down in 1976.