Anton Szandor LaVey's Round Room: Grass Valley

Pictures
Group Picture of Investigators
The Actual Round Room pictures.

Anton Szandor LaVey's Round Room: Grass Valley
By Paul Dale Roberts, HPI Ghostwriter

It usually starts with a simple email. The first email from an anonymous source says.."Paul, I read your article about the Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley, but did you check out the infamous Round Room?" I reply instantly..."what is the Round Room?" Below is the message I got:

"Well, the "Round Room" is located in Grass Valley, CA. If you look it up online you can find some snippets on it and specific directions. I don't know if you deal at all with "dark forces", but this is what is rumored to be at that location. The story goes, that Dr. Anton LaVey, the guy that started the Satanic Church would take followers to that point to perform rituals, sacrifices, etc. It is also rumored to be a place that had a few unexplained murders at that point where only blood has been found, but the bodies never were. We went there in high school once and I felt some type of energy there. It made me uncomfortable, but it could have been my wondering mind at the time. Just thought it might be an interesting point to see if the legend is true. Also, apparently Anton has an abandoned house up there as well, that is rumored to be haunted with a bleeding tree on the property (a little far fetched, I think). I have never been there myself, but have heard stories about that place too."

After receiving this email, it was time for me to do a bit of research and find the location to this urban legend. I discover that the Round Room is located on Wolf Mountain Road. As you reach the top, there is an old abandoned water tower, immersed with graffiti! If you see the water tower, you found the spot! I gave Shannon 'Ms. Macabre' McCabe the details and she tells me to set up a small preliminary scouting party and proceed with this investigation. She relates the following: "Paul, get the scoop, on that day I am doing a follow-up on the residential murder sites of Richard Trenton Chase aka the Vampire of Sacramento. Let's keep cell contact, I really want to know what you find. Be safe and good luck! Rock & Roll!"

There is a lot of material written about the Founder of the Church of Satan, so I will make my briefing on Anton LaVey short. Anton Szandor LaVey was an avid reader, he enjoyed reading classic dark literature such as Bram Stroker's Dracula. Anton was considered as an 'outsider' and didn't like the gym, nor did he like sports. He was known to be a flashy dresser. Before he got involved in Satanism, he worked at circuses and carnivals. He was also a musician that played at seedy bars and taverns. He once had an affair with Marilyn Monroe, before she became a star. Anton started leaning towards the dark side of life, when he became absorbed in the writings of Aleister Crowley. As time went on, he was known as a psychic investigator/ghostbuster, while majoring in Criminology. He has a daughter named Karla Maritza and a son named Satan Xerxes Carnacki LaVey. Note: One of the investigators on my team Anne Atwell knows Karla and has met her at book events. He had a pet named Togare, a Nubian lion. Anton bought a Victorian home in San Francisco and painted it black, it became the Church of Satan. This Victorian home has now been demolished. In 1966 he declared this as year one - Anno Satanas - First Year of the Age of Satan. Anton carrying his Satanic Bible, became a media sensation, he was referred to by the press as The Black Pope. Celebrities become card carrying Satanists and befriended Anton, such as Jayne Mansfield, Sammy Davis Jr., Marilyn Manson and King Diamond. In fact it was rumored that Jayne Mansfield was cursed by Anton and shortly afterward Jayne Mansfield died in a car accident. Jayne was beheaded due to this car crash, what a horrible way to die.
Well, now you all know the short version of Anton LaVey's life, let's now talk about the scouting mission to the Round Room! The date is April 19, 2008, Saturday. At 0900 hours, I am waiting on HPI paranormal investigator Anah Denzeiberg. Anah jumps in the car and says, she is ready for today's adventure. At 10:30 hours, we arrive at the Holbrooke Hotel where we meet up with the rest of the paranormal investigators: Randy McCuddy (Randy is active Air Force) & his wife Alexis McCuddy, Anne Atwell (former professional ballerina, that has been featured on The Baryshnikov Collection DVD: The Nutcracker - a DVD that she gives me as a present this day), Tanya Curtis (professional romance paranormal author of 7 books - her website: www.cassidymckay.com Scott Young, Michele Stump/Researcher/Historian. I have a talented team and Tanya is obtaining fodder for her next romance paranormal book! I briefed everyone in the lounge area of the Holbrooke Hotel. The Holbrooke, if you have read my previous articles is very haunted. I feel like I am at home at the Holbrooke, the staff greeted me warmly, well, I know them from before (smile). The staff is hospitable to all of their clients, not only me. I ran into Kelly Sheehan the hostess and with big smiles, she came up to me to say hello. When I first interviewed Kelly, she never had any paranormal experiences at this hotel. She has only worked here for a short time. She has now been initiated to the haunting activities of this hotel. She explains that while sitting at the bar one night, a shot glass moved away from her hand and slid down the bar. She has witnessed bathroom stalls opening and closing on their own. A picture hanging on the wall of an old lady, one night seemed to follow Kelly's movements throughout the room. She has witnessed objects falling off the shelves on their own accord. While we were there, Randy walks up to me and tells me that when he was trying to snap a picture, the camera battery became dead, then when he moved away from the room, the battery was alive and fully charged again. It is known in the paranormal world, that entities sometimes feed off the energy of batteries and will drain a battery instantly. In Room #1 of the Holbrooke, there was some activity. The occupants of this room came out and told staff that the fireplace lit up on it's own and cushions were tossed to the floor.

The preliminary investigative team surveyed the Holbrooke, snapping photographs, video taping and trying to obtain some EVPs. Finally it was time to leave, because we still had the Round Room to investigate. Most of us piled up in Anne Atwell's Crysler Towne & Country van, while Michele & Scott rode together in Scott's car to McCourtney & Auburn Road. Michele was showing us the location of the North Star Mine Lodge, she has been here before. This lodge was originally built for the miners and later became a Boy's Christian Club. It was rumored that the boys were at times neglected and abused by the staff of this lodge. It was also rumored that some of the boys died under mysterious circumstances and have been buried on the property. We had a difficult time finding the Lodge and had to hike down the road, since there were no places to park. Then we had to hike into the foothills looking for the exact location of the Lodge. We were unsuccessful. After the investigation Michele & Scott went back to the location and finally discovered the remnants of the Lodge and did their own investigation.

It was time to move on, we still had the Round Room to investigate. Using a GPS system we located Wolf Mountain Road and climbed a high steep to reach the abandoned water tower. The water tower that is known as the Round Room was a shocking sight to all of us. There was graffiti painted all over the hollowed out structure. The graffiti was definitely Satanic themed.

A large pentagram was drawn on the cement flooring of the structure with a burned out campfire in the middle. Scott, Randy & Alexis became the archaeological part of our team, as they sifted through debris, ashes, dirt & rocks to see what Satanic remnants they could unearth. While we were at this site, we all felt the negative energy of this place. Urban legend has it that many animals were sacrificed here and that possibly one person may have actually died here. Of course, these are only stories told by the locals and we cannot substantiate the stories, but as a writer, I will present you with the stories and our investigation. This site is still being utilized to this day, by believers of Satan. I found date evidence from burned magazines, that indicate people are still partying at this location up to our year of 2008. I found a large syringe, that may be used on large animals to sedate them. Michele and Tanya found a ceramic wolf and the head of what looked like a gnome creature in the burnt remnants. We came in there like a CSI team, shifting through the evidence of a multitude of beer cans, paint aerosol cans, liquor bottles, burned clothing, unknown metallic devices and other oddities. Some of the investigators felt dread. They could feel the evil that resonates in the atmosphere that surrounds the Round Room.
I looked for any signs of blood and only one area seemed questionable, as the color was a deep brown that seemed soaked into the cement floor. There is a lot of negativity at this location, it may be causing a residual effect for people that visit this spot. The investigation is inconclusive, as no substantial evidence was discovered. We did find some rose quartz strategically placed around the Round Room and remnants of candle burning. The quartz is known to draw energy. I can only wonder if the dark worshippers of this room, have opened a portal that has brought in dark forces into this area? I can only wonder. On this day, we did find something positive on this extensive investigation, we were able to watch some Emus on private property playing and chasing each other. It was a comical sight and it gave us all the feeling there is still some positive energy in this world.
As I close this article, I received this email from Anne, that went on this scouting mission:

"I really had a super time today. It was fascinating seeing Mr. LaVey's forging place for the Church of Satan. Talk about wild energy. That spot had it. Utter chaos and cruelty. Did you notice the brutal pack mentality of the "artwork"? Almost every bit was about subjugation and dominance in one form or another. There's a lot of pain in that place."

Then I received an email from one of our HPI investigators, that reads:
"How strange. A client of mine was telling me this week that he lived out in an area off the grid by Grass Valley where there were Satanists in the early 70s and they surgically eviscerated his dog! Same group??"

My answer to the last email. "Yes, same group." As I conclude this article, there will always be dark forces upon this world. There will always be good vs. evil. To embrace evil, is to inherit evil. The Round Room is a historical site, but it's a site that displays mankind's dark side. A side that we wish to ignore and pretend that it doesn't exist. But to know evil, is the power to combat evil. We were here to learn evil. For we are paranormal combatants and we seek the truth. However dark the truth, it will be exposed, so others can be beware and be vigilant. Godspeed to all.

Special Note: Back in 1978, I actually did an undercover investigation of various cults from the Peoples' Temple, Hara Krishna, Church of Scientology and the Church of Satan. I was doing this for my Sociology class. I pretended to want to join each cult and The Church of Satan rejected me and told me to read the Satanic Bible. The Church of Scientology asked me to leave their church. I wrote an article, about this investigation which was published in the Sacramento Bee. My teacher gave me an A+ for the report.

Paul Dale Roberts, HPI Paranormal Investigative Reporter, Ghosthunter
WPRT Paranormal Radio - Content Editor
Email: JazmaPika@cs.com
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Copyright © 2008 Paul Dale Roberts, HPI Ghostwriter Copyright © 2008
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