Local historical site featured in Travel Channel series

The Greene County Historical Society was recently featured in an episode of the paranormal show “Kindred Spirits” that aired on Jan. 20. 

Kindred Spirits is a television show starring Amy Bruni and Adam Berry as they take on “emotional and terrifying cases” to help distraught families according to Travel Channel’s website, www.travelchannel.com. One of its more recent stakeouts brought them to Greene County.

“One of our board members, and a recent Waynesburg University alumni, Kenny Knouse actually got in contact with them,” Matt Cumberledge, executive director of the Greene County Historical Society, said. “He saw that they were putting out feelers to find locations to film the new season, and contacted them and suggested our museum.”

Once the preparations were complete, the filming crew showed up at the door and filmed for “about four days.” According to Cumberledge, the first day included interviews, a tour through the building, and a rundown of the history of the location. After the first day of filming was over, the real hunt for paranormal activity began.

“Over the next several days and night, the crew shot b-roll in the daytime and the cast did their investigating at night,” Cumberledge said. 

On day three of filming, Chip Coffey, the “psychic medium,” was brought in to search the place. Cumberledge mentioned that Coffey was brought in “blind,” meaning that he was unaware of most details about the Historical Society in hopes that he would get an unbiased and real response not influenced by prior knowledge.

Since the premiere of the episode, the Historical Society has been receiving more requests to search the premises for haunted activity. 

“Most weekends, for a fee, we allow investigative groups to bring their equipment to the Museum and conduct their own investigation,” Cumberledge said. 

After the episode aired, the Historical Society’s email was “already flooded with requests for investigations,” and they have been booked almost every day since.

“The revenue we gain from these investigations helps to keep our building in good shape and everything running,” he said. “Overall, it was a remarkably fun experience filming with ‘Kindred Spirits’, and seeing the completed episode, and we look forward to the next TV Show.”