GEORGETOWN – Located just within the town limits of Georgetown in Madison County, the historical Spirit House has sat vacant for over two decades. Spiritual enthusiast and founder of the Spirit House Society Madis Senner is hoping to change that.

Built circa 1868 by Georgetown resident Timothy Brown as a spiritual temple, the structure was originally constructed as a gathering place for the spiritualist movement between 1864 and 1885. At a time when New York hosted more spiritual converts than any other state, Georgetown, and the Spirit House, stood at the epicenter of the movement.

Registered as a national historic site in 2005, the structure will require tens of thousands of dollars in renovations, due to rain damage and neglect, said Senner. All of the interior walls have been removed, as well as the finished flooring and furnace. The recently formed Spirit House Society is hoping to, at a minimum, prevent further decay to the structure and, if possible, help to restore it, he added.

“There is something special about this place. Brown tapped into that and we want to honor what was here before. He was no different than other people, he just got swept up in spiritualism, which was the rage at the time,” said Senner. “We’d like to make the people of this area aware that this is sacred ground, a place for people to come for spiritual healing and a place where they can raise their consciousness.”