History:
The Lappin-Gessert-Rossiter home, located in Janesville's historic Courthouse Hill area, was built in
1864 by Irish immigrant, Thomas Lappin. In 1855, he built a business on what is now the Lappin-Hayes
block in downtown Janesville. He later married Mary Jackman, daughter of another Janesville pioneer,
Timothy Jackman.In the 1940's, the Lappin-Gessert-Rossiter home was converted into a multi-family
dwelling, consisting of seven apartment units.The Gessert family had lived for several years in northern
Wisconsin and after returning to Janesville, purchased the home in 1964. Currently, owner Joan Rossiter
lives in the downstairs dwelling. The six apartment units upstairs are currently occupied. The
Lappin-Gessert-Rossiter home is considered a community treasure. It has been open to the public for
touring on the Rock County Historical Society tours a total of six times. Numerous antiques can be seen
throughout. Great restoration has been done to keep the home up-to-date and in its originality, at the
same time.
Reports:
Reports of a ghostly little girl have been consistent throughout the years, observed not only by Joan's
family, but by numerous tenants as well. The little girl is described as eight to ten years of age, with dark
hair and ringlet curls, wearing a turn of the century blue dress with a light colored, squared collar. The
spirit is said to be benevolent in nature and some tenants are at ease with her; however, one tenant, was
terribly frightened in one incident: as the tenant was about to ascend the back staircase, she was stunned
to observe the little girl, standing at the top of the stairs. This frightened the tenant enough to want to leave.
We were told of this incident from a tenant who still lives there now. On another occasion, Joan's son,
Christopher spotted the little girl in the basement as he was repairing antique toys. Christopher, it
seemed, was a "draw" for this ghostly visitor and he often had other encounters with the specter, including
while mowing the lawn and even at another establishment. Joan reports that cigarette smoking is
forbidden in the home, yet a tenant that was living there at one point decided to bend this rule. The woman
awoke in the morning to find her pack of cigarettes smashed and her cigarettes broken, lying on the
middle of her apartment floor. At one point, another tenant reported seeing three children playing in their
apartment. Also, Joan could smell the strong aroma of pipe tobacco a few years back; so much so that it
made her almost sick. Tenants we spoke with reported hearing voices and singing.
Team members, Katy Hess and Amy Tomlin took a brief tour of the home and visited with Joan before the
preliminary investigation. As Joan was showing us the upstairs and upon entering apartment #5, Katy's
hands turned bitterly cold to the touch. The month was June and the apartment was not chilly in the least.
Amy also noted seeing what she described as "whispy" movement, at one point, out of the corner of her
eye, while in this apartment as well. These incidents were only personal experiences and no recorders or
cameras were brought in to the home this evening, nor was scientific data recorded on this visit, therefore,
we couldn't say that this was anything paranormal in nature at this point in time.
Investigations:
A preliminary investigation was done on June 11th, 2006. The formal investigation was conducted on
June 23rd, 2006. EMF sweeps were recorded throughout the entire house. Digital recorders were placed
throughout and EVP sessions were conducted accordingly. Digital and 35mm cameras were both used.
Joan was again interviewed as well as were some tenants. There were a couple of, what could be
termed, "strange" occurrences while we were there. While Joan, Amy and Vicki were about to leave the
cellar, Amy began to feel goose bumps on her skin and she noted this on her digital recorder. Vicki was
standing 8-10 feet away, with her digital recorder running. The voice of a woman can be heard on Amy's
recorder (not that of Vicki, Joan or Amy), saying immediately after Amy speaks, "Who is that?". That EVP
capture can be heard with the other EVP captures from the residence, below. Oddly, Vicki's recorder did
not pick this up. Another strange occurrence happened in the attic area, when Amy and Vicki were
recording. After Amy asks the purported "child ghost" to give her a name, a few seconds pass and there is
some conversation between Vicki and Amy. Amy and Vicki then hear a high-pitched squeaking noise. On
the recording, you will hear Amy ask Vicki if she "heard that". Vicki states that she did. When analyzing their
recordings, the name, "Babette" came through very clearly; not once, but twice. They state that this was
nothing remotely like the high-pitched noise that they had heard.
June 11th Preliminary June 23rd Investigation
Temperature: 60 F (16 C) Temperature: 73 F (23 C)
Dew Pt: 44 F (7 C) Dew Pt: 60 F (16 C)
Winds: ESE at 12 MPH Winds: E at 7 MPH
Sky Conditions: Mostly Clear Sky Cond.: Clear
Rel. Humidity: 49% Rel. Humidity: 72%
Moon: Waning Gibbous Moon: Waning
Solar: Normal Solar: Normal
Geo: Quiet Geo: Quiet
Other than one minor spike in EMF fluctuations on the second floor, all meters stayed in their normal
range and nothing unusual was noted. Photos were negative. This includes photos taken inside as well
as outside the home. EVP was positive. The captures can be heard below. The team is in agreement that
Joan, her family and many of her tenants have been experiencing paranormal phenomena for quite some
time, more than likely in the form of a benevolent haunting.
The Lappin-Gessert-Rossiter home, located in Janesville's historic Courthouse Hill area, was built in
1864 by Irish immigrant, Thomas Lappin. In 1855, he built a business on what is now the Lappin-Hayes
block in downtown Janesville. He later married Mary Jackman, daughter of another Janesville pioneer,
Timothy Jackman.In the 1940's, the Lappin-Gessert-Rossiter home was converted into a multi-family
dwelling, consisting of seven apartment units.The Gessert family had lived for several years in northern
Wisconsin and after returning to Janesville, purchased the home in 1964. Currently, owner Joan Rossiter
lives in the downstairs dwelling. The six apartment units upstairs are currently occupied. The
Lappin-Gessert-Rossiter home is considered a community treasure. It has been open to the public for
touring on the Rock County Historical Society tours a total of six times. Numerous antiques can be seen
throughout. Great restoration has been done to keep the home up-to-date and in its originality, at the
same time.
Reports:
Reports of a ghostly little girl have been consistent throughout the years, observed not only by Joan's
family, but by numerous tenants as well. The little girl is described as eight to ten years of age, with dark
hair and ringlet curls, wearing a turn of the century blue dress with a light colored, squared collar. The
spirit is said to be benevolent in nature and some tenants are at ease with her; however, one tenant, was
terribly frightened in one incident: as the tenant was about to ascend the back staircase, she was stunned
to observe the little girl, standing at the top of the stairs. This frightened the tenant enough to want to leave.
We were told of this incident from a tenant who still lives there now. On another occasion, Joan's son,
Christopher spotted the little girl in the basement as he was repairing antique toys. Christopher, it
seemed, was a "draw" for this ghostly visitor and he often had other encounters with the specter, including
while mowing the lawn and even at another establishment. Joan reports that cigarette smoking is
forbidden in the home, yet a tenant that was living there at one point decided to bend this rule. The woman
awoke in the morning to find her pack of cigarettes smashed and her cigarettes broken, lying on the
middle of her apartment floor. At one point, another tenant reported seeing three children playing in their
apartment. Also, Joan could smell the strong aroma of pipe tobacco a few years back; so much so that it
made her almost sick. Tenants we spoke with reported hearing voices and singing.
Team members, Katy Hess and Amy Tomlin took a brief tour of the home and visited with Joan before the
preliminary investigation. As Joan was showing us the upstairs and upon entering apartment #5, Katy's
hands turned bitterly cold to the touch. The month was June and the apartment was not chilly in the least.
Amy also noted seeing what she described as "whispy" movement, at one point, out of the corner of her
eye, while in this apartment as well. These incidents were only personal experiences and no recorders or
cameras were brought in to the home this evening, nor was scientific data recorded on this visit, therefore,
we couldn't say that this was anything paranormal in nature at this point in time.
Investigations:
A preliminary investigation was done on June 11th, 2006. The formal investigation was conducted on
June 23rd, 2006. EMF sweeps were recorded throughout the entire house. Digital recorders were placed
throughout and EVP sessions were conducted accordingly. Digital and 35mm cameras were both used.
Joan was again interviewed as well as were some tenants. There were a couple of, what could be
termed, "strange" occurrences while we were there. While Joan, Amy and Vicki were about to leave the
cellar, Amy began to feel goose bumps on her skin and she noted this on her digital recorder. Vicki was
standing 8-10 feet away, with her digital recorder running. The voice of a woman can be heard on Amy's
recorder (not that of Vicki, Joan or Amy), saying immediately after Amy speaks, "Who is that?". That EVP
capture can be heard with the other EVP captures from the residence, below. Oddly, Vicki's recorder did
not pick this up. Another strange occurrence happened in the attic area, when Amy and Vicki were
recording. After Amy asks the purported "child ghost" to give her a name, a few seconds pass and there is
some conversation between Vicki and Amy. Amy and Vicki then hear a high-pitched squeaking noise. On
the recording, you will hear Amy ask Vicki if she "heard that". Vicki states that she did. When analyzing their
recordings, the name, "Babette" came through very clearly; not once, but twice. They state that this was
nothing remotely like the high-pitched noise that they had heard.
June 11th Preliminary June 23rd Investigation
Temperature: 60 F (16 C) Temperature: 73 F (23 C)
Dew Pt: 44 F (7 C) Dew Pt: 60 F (16 C)
Winds: ESE at 12 MPH Winds: E at 7 MPH
Sky Conditions: Mostly Clear Sky Cond.: Clear
Rel. Humidity: 49% Rel. Humidity: 72%
Moon: Waning Gibbous Moon: Waning
Solar: Normal Solar: Normal
Geo: Quiet Geo: Quiet
Other than one minor spike in EMF fluctuations on the second floor, all meters stayed in their normal
range and nothing unusual was noted. Photos were negative. This includes photos taken inside as well
as outside the home. EVP was positive. The captures can be heard below. The team is in agreement that
Joan, her family and many of her tenants have been experiencing paranormal phenomena for quite some
time, more than likely in the form of a benevolent haunting.
The Lappin-Gessert-Rossiter home
| "In the dining room area" Female. Captured by Amy Tomlin in the downstairs dining room after she made a comment about the "dining room area". (captured with recorder brand Sony P210, set at LP mode) |
| "I wouldn't" Female. Interactive. Katy Hess asks, Is there anyone here who would like to speak to me? to the answer of, I wouldn't. (captured with recorder brand Sony P210 set at LP mode. |
| "That's my baby" Female. Unprovoked. Captured by Vicki Turner in apartment No. 5. (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN-1000 set at LP mode) |
| "No one" Male. Interactive. Captured by Katy Hess in the attic area when she asks, "Is there anyone here who would like to speak to us?" A male voice responds with, "No one". (captured with recorder brand Sony P210, set at LP mode) |
| "Babette...Babette" Child. Interactive. Captured in the attic on both Vicki and Amy's recorders after they had noted hearing a high-pitched noise. Upon analyzing the strange noise, we noticed it to be childlike and stating the name, "Babette". The EVP only can be heard below. (captured with recorder brand Sony P210 set at LP |
| "Babette...Babette" EVP only. |
| "Be quiet!" Female. Unprovoked. Captured by Vicki Turner. A very loud and clear capture. (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN-1000, set at LP mode) |
| "Who is that?" Female. Interactive. Captured by Amy Tomlin in the cellar after Amy verbally noted feeling goosebumps. Vicki Turner was standing 8-10 feet away with her recorder, yet strangely, did not pick up this capture. (captured with recorder brand Sony P210, set at LP mode) |
| "I hate you" Male. Unprovoked. Captured by Vicki Turner in apartment No. 5 while she was talking with a female tenant from another apartment. (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN-1000, set at LP mode) |
| "Never" Female. Interactive. Captured by Amy Tomlin in what Amy thought was an old dining room area. We later found out, through Joan, it was a renovated room made into a present day dining area. In this capture, someone else let us know that as well. (captured with recorder brand Sony P210, set at LP mode) |
| "Fancy" Unprovoked response. Captured by Amy Tomlin in the downstairs living area in the Lappin-Gessert-Rossiter home. (Captured with recorder brand Sony P210, set at LP mode) |
| "Charlie likes to drink his beer" Female. Unprovoked response. Captured by Vicki Turner in the downstairs living quarters while no questioning was taking place. (captured with recorder brand VN-1000, set at LP mode) |
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