Curious Iowa: How did Edinburgh Manor become a haunted attraction?

Out in rural Scotch Grove, Iowa, a massive, century old building sits almost frozen in time. The property has had many uses over the years, from being the site of a poor farm and later, the Jones County Home until 2009. While the building doesn’t house living residents anymore, some say spirits remain. Today, Edinburgh Manor attracts paranormal investigators and curious visitors for tours and overnight stays.

But how did it transform from a home to a haunted attraction, and what’s the history behind the building? That’s what one curious Iowan wanted to know.

Curious Iowa is a series from The Gazette that seeks to answer Iowans’ questions about the state, its culture and the people who live here.

What was Edinburgh Manor used for? And who lived there?

The history of Edinburgh Manor starts long before the building was constructed. According to the 1910 edition of “History of Jones County, Iowa Past and Present” by Robert McClain Corbit, Edinburgh Manor was built on land originally deeded for a courthouse.

The town of Edinburgh never took off so the county seat was moved and the Edinburgh manor became a county poor farm.

Poor farms were managed by the county and provided housing and meals in exchange for labor on the farm. A steward and matron were hired to run the farm, care for residents and sell farm products. People who lived on poor farms were typically destitute, elderly, disabled, orphaned or experiencing mental illness. Although residents were free to come and go as they pleased, they were referred to as inmates.

According to records from the 1890s and 1900s, at least 30 people lived at the Jones County poor farm at a given time.

In 1909, the Jones County Board of Supervisors planned to replace the residential home on the farm — now referred to as the Jones County home — with a new building.

Edinburgh Manor was completed in 1912. It provided a place to live for people who couldn’t live on their own but did not need the level of care a hospital would provide. Residents held jobs and participated in life outside of the county home.

The introduction of Social Security in 1935 and subsequent social welfare programs supported people who would rely on poor farms or county homes. Over the years, Edinburgh Manor transitioned to a residential care facility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or mental illnesses.

Why did it close?

In 1999, Edinburgh Manor was one of seven remaining Iowa county homes. The Gazette reported that a task force formed to decide whether to continue operating Edinburgh Manor.

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In 2001, Edinburgh Manor became a private facility operated by nonprofit organization Community Care Inc. of Clinton. Ultimately, it was deemed a surplus property and closed. The 36 remaining residents, all of whom experienced chronic mental illness, were moved to Fairview Care Center in Anamosa in the fall of 2010.

The county parceled off the property and put it up for bid. In 2011, the county accepted a bid of $52,050 from Q Farm Land Trust, of which Cindy Anderson is the trustee. Anderson, who has an interest in architecture, was attracted to the “majestic” brick building located 11 miles northeast of Anamosa.

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“There were no plans, it was kind of a fluke,” said Anderson, who today is the Edinburgh Manor Facility Coordinator. “I never expected to win the bid and all of a sudden I’m like, what am I supposed to do with it?”

How it became a haunted attraction

After taking final possession of the property, Anderson and her partner began experiencing things they could not explain, like items moving around the building when nobody was there.

“Nothing paranormal was ever on our radar,” Anderson said. “It wasn’t a belief or a nonbelief, it just didn’t exist in our world. And we’ve learned a lot over the last several years and we’ve just come to accept that there are things that we can’t explain and we’re OK with that.”

An experience in 2012 inspired Anderson to research how to operate a haunted attraction business. Her partner, while staying overnight at Edinburgh Manor, felt something squeeze his foot in the night, despite seeing nothing there.

Anderson’s relatives, upon hearing about the encounter, asked to spend a night at the manor and conduct a paranormal investigation.

“We had no idea what that was, so we said no.” Anderson said.

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Eventually, Anderson and her partner gave in and allowed the paranormal visit. During the relatives’ investigation, an electronic voice phenomenon or EVP — a measure used by paranormal investigators — was captured.

Since then, Anderson has done extensive research on the property, talking with locals and former Edinburgh Manor employees and searching through historical documents. She has consulted with owners of other haunted attractions, like the Villisca Axe Murder House and the Farrar Schoolhouse, to influence how guests could be hosted.

Edinburgh Manor is private property but Anderson regularly hosts day tours. Guests looking for an extended visit can pay to stay overnight, which Anderson books up fast.

“We have waivers that people sign when they come, we explain — most people that come have been other places so they know what to expect,” Anderson said. “We don’t heat the building so in the winter it gets very cold but there are people that prefer to come when it’s cold.”

Overnight guests are given access to a house on the property that has heat, air conditioning and a bathroom. Edinburgh Manor has been featured on Travel Channel’s ghost hunting shows “Ghost Adventures” and “Destination Fear.”

Anderson said the property attracts more than just paranormal investigators. People have used it as a setting for music videos and senior pictures.

“Those are unusual requests but I try to accommodate. Again, I want to be able to share if people have an interest because it’s just a really, really cool place,” Anderson said.

What is Edinburgh Manor like inside?

Walk into Edinburgh Manor today and you’ll find uninhabited rooms, antique furniture and peeling paint. Some rooms feel frozen in time, like the kitchen which has silverware wrapped and ready for dinner. Other areas have been rearranged by paranormal investigators. In the boiler room, a circle of chairs sits leftover from a past investigation. Items from the residents remain, like pairs of slippers and a postcard reminder for a dentist appointment.

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Some rooms have musical instruments. Anderson confirmed with past Edinburgh Manor staff that music played a large role in residents’ lives. Some would go off-site to perform at group homes.

“I’ve also been told that when groups come, sometimes they will play music and they get more interaction,” Anderson said.

What experiences have people had?

Paranormal Investigators of Milwaukee have been to Edinburgh Manor many times between 2016 and 2022, and they have two investigations planned for 2024.

Lead Investigator Noah Leigh said the property is unique because of the on-site amenities for overnight guests, its remote location and the property’s condition.

“On the men’s recreation side we actually had a door there close on its own,” Leigh said. “It may have just been friction related but we actually captured that on video. So that’s something that we want to continue to investigate to see if we can further evaluate that process.”

Leigh said the team takes into consideration the “normal” noises of the building, like paint peels hitting the floor or window frames adjusting to changing temperatures.

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“Once the sun starts going down or is down, as they cool, they contract and they make some pretty substantial noises when that happens as well,” Leigh said. “So there’s a lot of like, debunking that sort of stuff and trying to figure out what’s an abnormal noise and what’s a normal noise.”

"But other than that door closing and, you know, some very personal experiences, we don’t have a ton of evidence from our investigations.“

Leigh said his team returns to Edinburgh Manor because investigating the paranormal requires collecting data over time.

“Doing one investigation and leaving isn’t really going to provide you a lot of information,” Leigh said. “So having multiple investigations over a course of time really, in my opinion, is the best way to go about it to get a very good idea of what is and isn’t happening at a location.”

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Paranormal investigative team Midwest Paranormal Files spent two days at Edinburgh Manor in June 2016. In an email to The Gazette, co-founder Jeremy Buermann said the group heard footsteps, a loud bang on the front door and voices they couldn’t explain during their investigation.

“We had security cameras pointed at the exits and hallways. There were several times we had to chase the public away,” Buermann said. “They were all seen on camera or by one of us.”

Anderson said she has been pushed in the basement, her hair was pulled and she heard children running up and down the halls.

Anderson said guests have been scratched or taken puzzle pieces home with them without meaning to. Others have claimed to see the shadow figure “The Joker” who is said to live in the basement, where the boiler room and padded room are located.

“The one thing that I always tell people is that whatever your experience is, is your experience,” Anderson said. “I am never going to tell you it didn’t happen.”

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Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com