SHIRREFF HALL

DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY

6385 South Street, Halifax, NS

(902) 494-2428

Status: Student Residence

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History

This building is Dalhousie’s first – and logically oldest – residence. Until the mid-2000’s it was a female only residence.

It was originally constructed – many additions have been made since – in the 1920’s to provide female students with a safe place to live. Most landlords at the time did not want to take in female tenants.

During this time one female student – other versions of the story identify her a maid – was named Penelope.

Penelope fell in love with an older man – possibly a professor – and became pregnant as a result. Her lover quickly disavowed Penelope and left her as an unwed pregnant woman; a very bad position to be left in during the early 20th century with a huge unfair scarlet letter on your reputation.

Left with little choice she climbed to the 4th floor of the residence and hung herself from the rafters.

Now it must be said that there is no historical records of anyone named Penelope from that time or of anyone hanging themselves. Records were easily altered and buried in that time so. . .

Either way every year more students tell of encounters with Penelope in the building.

 

Paranormal Activity

The University only has records of stories of Penelope since the 1990’s.

Penelope could be a tulpa or the ghost of a girl driven to suicide in the 1920’s. At this point her origins don’t really matter in the long run. As many people will tell you she is very much real to those who encounter her.

It is also universally said that while Penelope could give you a good fright; she is not actually someone to be afraid of.

When she does appear as a full body apparition – very rarely – she is described as a young woman in a blue dress and is almost always walking across a room.

She has also been seen as a shadow figure in the middle of the night often appearing in student’s room, which could of course frighten people.

Either way there is no history of her interacting with the living beyond the occasional glance that may or may not directed toward someone specifically so her ghost could be residual.

Other Reported Activity: a breeze of cold air with no apparent source; footprints that lead to a wall before disappearing; phantom sounds of an organ and feelings of being watched.