Haunted Preston Castle

Preston Castle originally opened in 1894 as Preston School of Industry’s primary administration facility. Sitting not far from Sacramento, California, Preston School was an early reformatory that incarcerated young boys with checkered pasts. Named in honor of the senator who financed its creation, its imposing structure and appearance were no accident. The staff was believed to be more focused on rehabilitation of the children than outright isolation. The young men housed there were not entirely dangerous criminals, but those on the low end of the totem pole in society. Those under watch were called wards of the state. However, conditions were far from ideal for those housed inside. The place was overcrowded and overcome with harsh abuse and disease. Because of this, it’s no surprise to learn the location has a well-known reputation to be paranormally active. Past inmate Samuel Goins attempted a bold escape but was shot by a guard just outside the building and buried nearby. Those who have been there often report disembodied voices of male youths playing and crying, as well as sounds of objects being thrown through the dark corridors. The intake office sits adjacent to a chemical pool, where those admitted are thoroughly stripped and cleansed prior to residence. That same room in the basement was the site of a brutal murder in 1950. Anna Corbin, then the main housekeeper, was found bludgeoned in a savage manner in a specific corner of the office by 1 or 2 unknown assailant(s). To date, the real killer was never found, but witnesses experience the distinct aroma of perfume that Anna was known to wear. Some even report coming in contact with a shadowy figure that’s widely believed to be her spirit. What’s known is that she may have witnessed something nefarious that she was not supposed to be privy to, and someone chased her through the basement to silence her. It seems mostly likely that 1 or 2 of the wards imprisoned there were responsible, but nobody is absolutely sure.