The Seaford Poltergeist

In February 1958, the Hermann family of Seaford, Long Island, experienced a series of bizarre events that would become one of the most investigated poltergeist cases in American history. Bottles of household products unscrewed their caps and spilled their contents. Figurines moved across tables. Objects flew through the air. The case attracted police investigators, parapsychologists, and national media attention.

The Hermann Family

James and Lucille Hermann lived in their modest Seaford home with their children James Jr. (12) and Lucille (13). The family was respectable and had no history of mental illness or attention-seeking behavior.

The phenomena began on February 3, 1958, when multiple bottles around the house simultaneously had their caps pop off. A bottle of holy water, a bleach bottle, and several others in different rooms all opened at the same time.

Escalating Activity

Over the following weeks, the activity intensified. Bottles continued to open spontaneously. A figurine flew across a room and crashed to the floor. A globe spun without being touched. A heavy bookcase moved away from the wall.

The Hermann family was frightened and confused. They called the police.

Investigation

Detective Joseph Tozzi of the Nassau County Police investigated the case thoroughly. He inspected the house for vibrations, tested for high-frequency sounds that might affect bottle caps, checked for underground water and geological activity, and considered every normal explanation he could imagine.

He found nothing. The bottles continued to open in his presence, defying his attempts to explain them.

Dr. J.G. Pratt and William Roll of the Duke University Parapsychology Laboratory also investigated. They documented the phenomena and noted that the activity seemed to center on twelve-year-old James Jr. When he was away from the house, the activity ceased. When he returned, it resumed.

Media Attention

The case made national news. Journalists descended on Seaford. The Hermann family, who had sought only to understand what was happening, found themselves thrust into an unwanted spotlight.

Skeptics accused the family of fraud, suggesting James Jr. was playing pranks. However, investigators noted that many incidents occurred when he was under direct observation and could not have physically caused them.

Resolution

The activity ceased as suddenly as it had begun, ending in mid-March 1958 after approximately six weeks. James Jr. grew up without further incident. The family maintained throughout their lives that the events were genuine and unexplained.

Assessment

The Seaford poltergeist is notable for the quality of its investigation. Police detectives and parapsychologists documented the case thoroughly. Multiple reliable witnesses observed the phenomena.

The pattern of activity centering on a teenage boy fits the classic poltergeist profile. Whether James Jr. unconsciously generated the activity through some unknown psychic mechanism, whether an external force used him as a focus, or whether the family perpetrated an elaborate hoax remains debated.

What is certain is that something happened in that Seaford house that defied explanation by everyone who investigated it.