Est. 1858 · Built 1858 in Genesee County, NY · Adjacent to Bergen-Byron Swamp, a protected wetland estimated at over 10,000 years old · Travel Channel top-10 most terrifying locations designation · Haunted History Trail of New York State member
The farmhouse at 6571 W. Sweden Road in Bergen, Genesee County, was built in 1858. The property sits directly adjacent to the Bergen-Byron Swamp, a protected wetland covering thousands of acres. Local tradition associates the swamp, estimated by geologists at over 10,000 years old, with accounts of unusual activity stretching back generations.
The Heglund family purchased the house in the 1950s, and Cathy Heglund grew up there. She has lived with the property's documented paranormal record for most of her life, having had her first reported encounter — a figure she described as a Native American spirit — at age three. The house remained in the family through subsequent decades, during which Heglund documented an expanding pattern of phenomena including electronic voice phenomena (EVPs), independently moving objects, and what she characterizes as distinct day/night behavioral differences in the activity.
The house came to wider attention when it was featured in a Travel Channel countdown of the world's top ten most terrifying locations. That recognition drew paranormal investigators, journalists, and eventually tour groups. Heglund has given tours of the property to community members, paranormal researchers, and television crews, and the location was listed on the Haunted History Trail of New York State.
The house is privately owned and operates as a working residence. All visits are arranged directly with the owner by appointment.
Sources
- https://www.wkbw.com/lifestyle/taste-and-see/genesee-county-home-named-a-top-10-most-terrifying-place
- https://www.gvpennysaver.com/my_hometown/hometown_stories/current_events/haunted-bergen-house-homeowner-cathy-heglund-talks-sounds-spirits-the-supernatural/article_f720dd70-38c3-11ec-a654-5fcb92402d17.html
- https://spookeats.com/2019/09/04/the-bergen-house-strange-unusual-spotlight/
Electronic voice phenomena (EVPs)Moving objectsDoors and lights operating independentlyApparitions (outdoor and indoor figures)Claimed portal location inside the structureDay/night behavioral difference in reported activity
Cathy Heglund has catalogued activity at the Bergen House across decades of personal observation and investigator visits. Documented phenomena include lights turning on independently, doors closing without apparent cause, television volume adjusting without contact, and objects moving around the residence. In one account from her adolescence, her sister's room appeared ransacked then returned to normal, while her sister was confirmed to have been away at school.
Heglund and visiting paranormal investigators have reported EVP recordings capturing voices not audible during the session. Investigators have also described what they characterize as a portal — a location within the house they associate with unusual instrument readings. Some accounts include a figure standing at the top of the barn, a second figure observed looking into the house from outside, and what witnesses describe as children making their presence known inside.
The property's lore also includes a reported death of a young woman in the barn, though the historical record of this event has not been independently documented. Heglund notes a behavioral distinction between daytime and nighttime activity: daytime spirits present as curious and playful, while accounts from after dark are more unsettling in character. The adjacent Bergen-Byron Swamp, long associated in local tradition with unusual activity, is considered by some investigators to be relevant to the property's history.
Notable Entities
Unnamed Native American spirit (Heglund childhood account)Figure at top of barn (unidentified)Children (unidentified)
Media Appearances
- Top 10 Most Terrifying Locations (Television (Travel Channel), 2021)