Est. 1922 · 80-year rural school history (1922–2002) · Iowa's most-investigated paranormal site · Washington Township Consolidated School
The Washington Township Consolidated School began construction around 1920 and opened in 1922 to serve the rural farming community around Farrar in Story County, Iowa. It operated for eighty years as a public elementary school, serving generations of families in the township before declining rural enrollment and district consolidation rendered the building redundant.
The school closed in 2002. The building's closure left a structurally intact but vacant four-story structure on rural Story County property — an unusual combination of scale and abandonment that made it distinctive among Iowa's rural structures.
Prior owners converted the property to a commercial paranormal investigation venue. The Iowa Paranormal Research Society conducted an early investigation that produced what investigators described as over 200 discrete unexplained phenomena during a single weekend session — a figure that drew national attention in paranormal research communities and established Farrar's reputation.
Television productions followed: My Ghost Story on A&E, Ghost Stalkers on Destination America, and Kindred Spirits on Travel Channel all filmed episodes at the schoolhouse, each bringing new investigative methodologies and national audiences. Current owners Sam and Colby, with a substantial social media following in the paranormal content space, have continued operating the site as a commercial investigation destination. Third-party operators including Haunted Rooms also book overnight sessions at the property.
Sources
- https://www.iowahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/farrar-schoolhouse.html
- https://hauntedus.com/iowa/farrar-school/
- https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/iowa/abandoned-eerie-place-ia
- https://www.bumpinthenight.net/night-at-the-farrar-schoolhouse
- https://obscurix.com/interview-haunted-farrar-schoolhouse/
- https://www.hauntedfarrar.com/
- https://www.kcghosts.com/farrar-school
- https://www.hauntedrooms.com/iowa/ghost-hunts/haunted-farrar-elementary
ApparitionsUnexplained audio anomalies (EVP)Physical sensationsEnvironmental anomalies200+ documented phenomena (Iowa Paranormal Research Society)
The scale of documented paranormal reporting at Farrar Schoolhouse distinguishes it from comparable Iowa sites. The Iowa Paranormal Research Society's weekend session that produced 200+ documented anomalies is the most cited data point, but the volume has been independently replicated across multiple organized investigation groups using different methodologies.
The phenomena reported at Farrar distribute across the building's floors without a single concentrated locus — investigators have encountered activity in classroom spaces, stairwells, the basement level, and exterior areas of the property. This distribution has made Farrar a preferred training site for investigation groups wanting varied environmental conditions within a single venue.
Television coverage brought three separate production teams to the site with their own equipment and approaches. My Ghost Story, which focuses on personal witness accounts, documented individual investigator experiences. Ghost Stalkers and Kindred Spirits, both focused on more systematic investigation methods, added methodological variety to the site's documented record.
The building's identity as a former school — a space where children spent significant formative years over eight decades — informs the emotional register of investigation accounts, which frequently describe a quality of residual energy tied to the building's educational purpose. No specific historical incident within the school has been attributed as the origin point of the activity.
Media Appearances
- My Ghost Story (television, 2012)
- Ghost Stalkers (television, 2014)
- Kindred Spirits (television, 2016)
