A couple renovating a 19th-century church in upstate New York has captured the attention of millions online. Lauren Gunderman and her partner are transforming the 1872 structure into a luxury wedding and events venue. During their renovations of The Stately on Main, a former Presbyterian church in Waterville, they discovered something unusual: two exterior windows leading to a room that seemed to not exist inside the building.
This discovery prompted widespread fascination as viewers followed their journey to locate what might be a hidden space within the church. People offered theories, warnings, and even expert analyses to help solve the mystery. In a video posted on Instagram by @127eastmain on May 25, the couple can be seen trying to access this ‘mystery room’.
The clip shows them examining a potential entry point in the ceiling, focusing on wooden boards placed beneath where they suspect the hidden room could be. They began pulling the boards away, attempting to gain access. “How the hell do we get into this mystery room?” the caption inquires.
Their quest started after they noticed two windows outside that didn’t match any known interior space. They believed a hidden room was somewhere inside and started searching for a way in. At one point, they found a small opening beneath the suspected area, which had been boarded over. Hopeful of finding an entrance, they removed the boards and used a phone to inspect the area. Unfortunately, they found only more structure and no hidden room.
Another video caption read, “Another attempt at getting into the mystery room in my 1872 church! Why am I wearing pink slides with socks?” In this clip, Gunderman explained they tried to access the mystery room through the floor, but encountered only more flooring instead.
Though they haven’t gained access, comments from organ experts might have solved the mystery. Gunderman shared, “Spoiler: after receiving a flood of comments from organ experts, I’ve since learned the windows were likely boarded up inside the organ room after it was electrified but I don’t want to mess with the pipes, so we may never know for sure!”
The video attracted over 4.9 million views and more than 137,000 likes as viewers became involved in their captivating exploration. One user, Jk_its_me_scarlett, humorously commented, “So you bought an old church with a boarded off room…. and your first thought was how do we get in there? That’s where the demon sleep.” Others advised caution with one stating, “Old church, boarded up room, yep I’m not opening that up!”
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