College of the Holy Cross

You'll find the entrance to the “Holy Cross Exorcism Room” on the fourth floor of Fenwick, where that adamant edifice of brick and stone connects with O'Kane, forming a looming L shape on the northern slopes of Mount St. James. Twenty well-worn steps, generally known as the Stairway to Nowhere, lead up to a locked door. The stairway apparently jogs to the right and continues its ascension, but a wall has been erected to hide the staircase; one can see only the disembodied banisters and handrail disappearing into the ceiling above. Holes have been dug out of the plaster at the foot of this wall, giving the impression of someone or something trying to burrow in or out. Above the lock on the door someone has scribbled “666.” At the foot of the door is a tiny sticker that reads:
To: Students
Help me!
From: Demon

In the late 1970s, a rumor spread around campus that nationally syndicated astrologer Jeane Dixon had predicted an axe murder in a college dormitory overlooking a Jesuit cemetery at a Catholic college. The murder was supposed to take place in 1978.

Since at least the 1960s, students have climbed to the upper floors of the western tower of Fenwick Hall to leave letters addressed to future visitors who stumble upon their words. The letters lay in a neat pile, slowly molding in the damp, dusty, unlit attics.