I would like to start out with a trigger warning: if you have a fear of dolls, please do not read any further. I completely understand if you need to skip this post as I know many people suffer from pediophobia, the fear of dolls.
For those who feel they may do okay with reading this post, I'm going to discuss a haunted doll hospital. Yes, you read that correctly...a doll hospital. Let's take a trip to Old Town Spring, Texas.
Located just north of Houston, Old Town Spring is a historic community where many people go for leisure time; relax, shop, enjoy live music entertainment - a more laid-back pace. It's a nice place to go when you need to get out of the fast paced, hectic city life.
While you are perusing the city, window shopping through most if not all of the 150 shops, walking past the original jailhouse, the old Wunsche Bros. Saloon, and perhaps taking pictures outside of the original bank building that is now Mallott's Hardware because it is rumored to have been robbed by Bonnie and Clyde, you may find yourself wandering over to The Doll Hospital.
Started by Mary Ann Pizzolato in 1987, The Doll Hospital is a place with a wide selection of antique and classic, modern, reproduction porcelain, and original artist dolls. They also have some stuffed animals. They specialize in restoration and repairs.
What happens if a doll is brought in for restoration/repairs and has a spirit attached to it? You fix it, of course! The story goes that a mysterious package arrived at the hospital which had an antique doll inside it. There was a note from the family who sent it requesting The Doll Hospital to repair and restore the doll for a sick family member. The doll was believed to have been made during the Imperial Age in Germany (1871 - 1918 CE).
Sounds like the staff did not like this doll right away. As the restoration began, strange things started to happening around the shop. A worker was walking down stairs to get some supplies and felt like someone pushed her. She fell down the stairs. When she reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up to see who had pushed her, there was no one there. Ummmmm....that's a big NO for me! Pretty sure I would've been out of there real quick if that had happened to me.
Well, this worker was much tougher than me and stayed. Later in the day, as she was cleaning the doll's face, she felt a sharp pain at the tip of her finger when she touched the doll's mouth. When I first read this part of the story, my brain went, "she probably pricked her finger with a sewing needle", but then I remember she was cleaning the face. Does anyone clean a doll's face with a sewing needle? Probably not! So, this had to have been a paranormal thing, right? I can't say it was or it wasn't...all I can say is the lady said that her finger was bleeding after she felt the pain.
This lady was pushed down the stairs, the doll "bit" her finger and made it bleed...and she continued and completed the restoration of the doll. She had way more guts than I ever would! While the doll was at The Doll Hospital, workers claimed that the doll would move about the store, finding the doll is different locations than where they had left it. Again, I really don't know how the staff continued this project, but they did finish everything within record time!
When you are ready for a little trip, some tranquil window shopping, maybe dinner and live music, and perhaps want to take home a possibly haunted doll, find your way to Old Town Spring, TX. Sounds like there are a lot of options for you to check out...might be haunted, might not. Who knows?
Photo by: Mommy Nearest
Sources: houstonghosttour.com
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