From the street, the Barnes-Hiscock mansion is ominous. It sits high on a hill, warm light pouring from the windows onto the finely-manicured lawn. Massive pillars tower over the entrance, the paint and brickwork chipped and weathered after 163 years of exposure.

The house, built in 1856, was once the home of George Barnes, a lawyer and railroad tycoon. According to the George and Rebecca Barnes Foundation, the Barnes were supporters of the abolitionist movement who used their wealth and influence to support the cause. The home was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. Those familiar with the home say it bustles with activity, but not always the activity of the living.

Kevin Cook, a former history teacher and the co-founder of Syracuse Paranormal, believes the spirits of the Barnes-Hiscock family are still in the home. Cook, who prefers to be called a paranormal investigator rather than a ghost hunter, is very familiar with the eccentricities of the house. He led investigations in the mansion before. For almost five years, he led believers and skeptics alike through the mansion as they searched for paranormal activity. They start from the top floor and work their way to the basement, allowing visitors to watch as they investigate before setting them loose to investigate on their own.

Cook’s goal, though, is not to convince anyone that the Barnes-Hiscock mansion is haunted. It’s to preserve history. Like any historical foundation, the George and Rebecca Barnes Foundation relies on sales and donations. Tickets for the investigation cost $25, but all proceeds went to the George and Rebecca Barnes Foundation.

“This is the last original mansion on the street,” Cook said. “It's tough to save stuff. Historic preservation is hard. It sounds funny, but we're familiar and friendly with the spirits that are here. It's a fun activity, to try to connect with them, and it brings people to the mansion.”

The Paranormal Society Directory reports there are 208 paranormal societies in the state of New York. Most are located upstate, and five are based in the Syracuse area. A Gallup poll shows that 73% of Americans believe in the paranormal, and 37% believe buildings can be haunted. Cook, his team, and the clients they’ve served across the state share this belief.

Since Syracuse Paranormal’s founding in 2015, Cook and his team have investigated over 50 locations free of charge. Most investigations took place in Upstate New York, but the team has traveled all over New England investigating homes, factories, hotels, and even the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.

Cook’s interest in the paranormal began when he was still a child growing up in Syracuse, Long Island and New Jersey. When he was 10 years old, Cook began to have vivid dreams about a deceased family member. He does not like to think on these dreams or the family member he saw in them, but it was these dreams which piqued his interest in the supernatural. He’s continued to have experiences as an adult.

“In one of the houses I lived in, not too far from here, I was touched on the hand as I was walking upstairs. I was clearly tapped on the hand three times,” Cook said. “The lights were out, and I thought it was my wife. I said, ‘Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run into you,’ but was she was sound asleep in bed. It wasn't her.”

Despite his beliefs and personal experiences, Cook knows not all reports of hauntings are valid. When investigating a home, he first begins by interviewing the residents.

“It’s not to say that we don't believe everybody, but if [they] watch an episode of Ghost Hunters the night before, and the person repeats everything that they saw, then you know that they're not serious about it. But I'd say 90 to 95% of the people that we see are serious.”

For Cook, the interview is the most important part of the investigation. It not only helps determine if the report in credible, but it also allows them to determine if the residents’ experiences are caused by something more earthly. Cook does not jump to conclusions at reports of strange noises or footsteps.

“The more specific the activity, the more concerned I am about what's happening there,” Cook said.

One location Cook’s team investigated is the home of Kara Haggerty. Haggerty, her husband, and their three children lived in their home for years. It was not until 2015, when they began renovations, that they experienced anything strange. Haggerty said she witnessed a range of paranormal occurrences, from apparitions to reflections, but it was after a knife flew off her counter that she contacted Cook.

Haggerty said, “They told us, ‘This is the most active place we've ever been to.’”

Cook begins every investigation by having a psychic visit the location to determine if there is a spiritual presence. Cook explains the psychic goes into a building without any prior knowledge of the location’s history or the experiences reported there. Then, the team reads the energy levels of the home with infrared cameras, temperature gauges and EMF meters, which detect fluctuations in electromagnetic fields. Cook also uses a piece of equipment called a “spirit box.” Spirit boxes sweep radio frequencies at rapid speeds, creating white noise. Paranormal investigators claim this gives spirits the energy needed to communicate. The team documents as much as possible with photos, audio, and video recordings. Once the investigation is complete, they review the documentation and report their findings to their clients.

Cook prides himself on his team’s professionalism. He does not believe an investigation should be a spectacle like one might see on television.

“What you see on TV is about two weeks’ worth of investigation boiled down to 42 minutes,” Cook said. “The majority of the time, nothing happens when we do these [investigations]. We could sit for three hours and get nothing. That's very common.”

Cook was honest with the group following the investigation at the Barnes-Hiscock mansion on October 19. He said the team investigated the home several times before they documented any activity. But he was hopeful the visitors there that evening would witness something incredible. While setting up and testing equipment, Cook found that the ballroom on the third floor was very active.

“The meters were all over the place up there tonight,” he said.

It was Cook’s professionalism, honesty, and level-headed approach that encouraged Ken LeBlond to become his investigative partner.

“Both of us, we take it seriously. We are quiet on our investigations. We don't do a lot of screaming and yelling. We don't provoke spirits,” LeBlond said. “We have the same view on how to approach investigations.”

For the past two years, Cook’s daughter, 15-year-old Molly Cook, has been joining him on his investigations. She was skeptical at first, but her views changed during an investigation of a factory once owned by Welch Allyn, Inc. She, her father, and a psychic were in the old break room when she had her first supernatural experience.

“Out of the corner of my eye, it looked like someone was like sneaking up behind me. It was like a shadow,” Molly Cook said. “It scared me so I jumped, but then I turned around and no one was there. The psychic was the only other person who saw it.” She has since accompanied her father on his other investigations, including those at the Barnes-Hiscock mansion.

Many who joined the investigation of the Barnes-Hiscock mansion had their first brush with the paranormal that evening. They reported being touched, noticing temperature changes, feeling nauseous or lightheaded, and witnessing EMF meters and temperature gauges going haywire. When what sounded like voices came from the spirit box, visitors were visibly disturbed. Cook, though, spoke with the spirits of the home as he would with a good friend. He even greeted some by name.

He asked the spirits of the children if they liked the toys he left for them in the ballroom. A smile spread across his face when a small, quiet voice came through the spirit box. “Yes,” it said.

“Can you tell me what color that ball is?” Cook asked the spirit, pointing at a tennis ball.

“Yellow,” the voice answered.

Shocked murmurs and quiet shrieks sounded from the group, but Cook simply smiled and told the spirit he was happy the children came out to play.