With Halloween right around the corner, it is not just the brisk fall air making the Fairfield University students feel a chill down their spines, but the possible presence of an otherworldly being. Sitting atop a hill on the outskirts of campus lies the eerily beautiful Dolan Hall. One of the first chapels to be built here on campus, it is a breathtaking glance back into the past. Now acting as a residence hall for upper-class students, some parts of the building have been left untouched by time, creating the perfect atmosphere for lost spirits to dwell.
As the frightful tale tells (and as was reported by The Mirror in 2003 and 2018), a nun, who was rumored to be with child, was found dead on the fourth floor of the old convent. It is said her spirit still haunts the halls of Dolan Hall, specifically the room where she devastatingly lost her life, room 403. To this day, the poor unfortunate souls who find themselves living amongst the dead on the fourth floor report sounds of running up and down the long dreary hallways, only to look and see nobody there. Similarly, reports of misplaced items within the rooms, or even fans and lights possessing a mind of their own, changing speeds and flickering intensely. Loud banging noises, whispered voices and spouts of cold air leave students uneasy and chilled to the bone. All of this leaves one to wonder, whether or not they are truly alone, or if a vengeful spirit dwells.
Alumna Erin Bailey ‘23 found herself living within the chilling halls of the old building. Over the course of her stay there, Erin experienced what could be believed as some paranormal activity. Describing how early one morning, around 4 a.m. to be exact, Bailey shares that “the fire alarm went off only in our apartment, even though each of us was sleeping.” Now this could be chalked up to a technical malfunction, but could there be a possibility that something, or someone, was telling them to get out? Similarly, a roommate’s shower caddy was found in the middle of the hallway one morning, with no trace of who would’ve—or could’ve—moved it, as “no one knew who did it.”
Founded in 1942, it’s easy to believe that students are not the only souls to live on Fairfield’s Campus. Dolan Hall being one of the oldest buildings to stand on campus, it is not so far-fetched to believe that a spirit may still find themselves trapped within the long dark halls. For students who find themselves living in the old convent, they may discover that they have an undead neighbor, who may or may not make their presence known.
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