HAUNTED HOUSES
From the most famous tales of murder and mayhem (like the Amityville Horror House) to lesser-known haunts across the country, these houses allegedly have ghosts that go bump in the night. They are not for sale, but they will send shivers down your spine.
The Haunted Hinsdale Dandy House
Gather ’round the campfire and hear one of our haunted house stories in our Halloween series. The story of the haunted Hinsdale Dandy House is one that has captivated paranormal enthusiasts for many years. Situated in Hinsdale, New York, the house gained notoriety due to the reported supernatural activities experienced by the Dandy family, who resided there in the 1970s. Not for sale, simply for entertainment. The Dandy House, an old Greek Revival farmhouse located in a secluded area, appeared to be an idyllic home at first glance. However, the family soon began to witness strange occurrences that would change their lives forever. They reported a wide range of paranormal phenomena, including unexplained footsteps, disembodied voices, objects moving on their own, and even physical encounters with unseen entities. The activity in the house escalated to a point where the Dandy family felt terrorized and sought help from the renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warrens, known for their work on various paranormal cases, arrived at the Hinsdale Dandy House to conduct an investigation and provide assistance to the distressed family. During their time at the house, the Warrens experienced firsthand the intensity of the paranormal activity. They claimed to have witnessed furniture moving, heard strange voices, and encountered a malevolent entity that seemed to feed off the fear of the residents. The Warrens determined that the Hinsdale Dandy House was infested with multiple spirits, including a powerful demonic presence. View video here. The Warrens concluded that the house was a hotbed of supernatural energy due to its location. It was believed to be built on Native American burial grounds, which might have contributed to the heightened paranormal activity. The spirits, according to the Warrens, were restless and sought to torment the living. The story of the haunted Hinsdale Dandy House gained widespread attention through media coverage and documentaries. It became a subject of fascination for paranormal enthusiasts and ghost hunters alike. Many investigators and curious individuals flocked to the house to experience the paranormal phenomena themselves. Over the years, the house changed hands several times, with each new owner sharing their own encounters with the supernatural. Some reported continuing experiences of disembodied voices, unexplained footsteps, and objects moving inexplicably. The Hinsdale Dandy House became a staple in paranormal lore, cementing its reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the United States. Today, the Hinsdale Dandy House stands as a testament to the enduring mystery of the paranormal. It serves as a reminder of the inexplicable forces that exist beyond our understanding and continues to intrigue those who dare to explore the realm of the supernatural.
Cedar Grove Mansion Vicksburg Haunted House
Cedar Grove Mansion Haunted House, Vicksburg, Mississippi In our series of haunted houses during Halloween month, this is the tragic tale of Cedar Grove Mansion. This home is NOT currently for sale, just an interesting haunted house for those who enjoy ghost stories. Cedar Grove Mansion appears normal on the outside, but things are not always as they seem. The mansion was built in 1840 by John Klein, a wealthy entrepreneur, for Elizabeth Bartley Day. When John met Elizabeth, a pretty young woman from New Orleans, he instantly fell in love. The two married in 1842 and subsequently spent a year-long honeymoon in Europe. While in Europe, the couple purchased many of the furnishings found in Cedar Gove today. Deaths The mansion operated as an inn until September 2020, was restored and is currently open again, but when the Klein family owned it, several unfortunate deaths occurred. Elizabeth gave birth to 10 children, but only four survived. Two infants died of unknown causes, a daughter passed away at a young age from a childhood disease, and their 15-year-old son, Rudolph was killed after he accidentally shot himself in the eye with a Winchester rifle. Elizabeth herself, an invalid by this time, died in the home at an advanced age in 1909. The War Elizabeth was yet pregnant again when the Civil War started and John set off to fight. Elizabeth’s uncle, General Sherman, moved her and the children to a safer location during this time. Sherman also kept the mansion safe by employing it as a Union hospital – although it does have a cannon ball embedded in it. General Sherman Hauntings The Klein family sold the mansion in 1919, but apparently did not totally leave. John Klein often enjoyed smoking his pipe in the library, where guests have reported the smell. Elizabeth, too, has been seen throughout the house carrying out her daily chores. The apparition of a young girl descending the main staircase, and footsteps on the back porch stairs have also been reported as paranormal activity. According to housekeepers, the children make appearance, too. Ghosts of a young girl and older boy have been seen, and giggling and crying is sometimes heard. Also, it is not uncommon for the bed shown below to suddenly appear as if someone has been laying in it after it’s been made. Additionally, several guests have experienced hearing a buzzing sound and seeing soldiers roaming the house and grounds, most likely ghosts from when the home was utilized as a Union hospital. Vicksburg has some of the most well-known haunted houses, but Cedar Grove Mansion is perhaps the most haunted in the state. It most recently was named the top haunt in Mississippi. Unfortunately, in September of this year, the Cedar Grove Inn sold, the employees were laid off and events canceled. The good news, however, is that after being on the market for six months, the home was sold to Vicksburg natives and descendants of the Klein family. The family ghosts had the mansion all to themselves for quite a while, so we shall have to see how they react to guests again.
Haunted Belhurst Castle of Geneva New York
From doors mysteriously slamming in the night to a man in a top hat roaming the grounds, Belhurst Castle in Geneva, New York, allegedly has ghosts that go bump in the night. The castle is Not for sale, but its story is an interesting one.
History Tuesday – 3 Ghost Towns East of the Mississippi
It is History Tuesday – Slices of America, not for sale, simply of interest. Today we visit three ghost towns east of the Mississippi River. Centralia, Pennsylvania Centralia is a ghost town Columbia County, Pennsylvania. In its heyday the town’s population was 1,000 resident. Today population is three. Why the decline? A coal mine fire has been burning beneath the town since 1962. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania seized all the real estate under eminent domain in 1992, but allowed seven remaining residents to stay in Centralia until their deaths. In 2002, the US Postal Serice discontinued Centralia’s zip code. Cahawba, Alabama Cahawba, once the state capital of Alabama (1819-1826) and a thriving antebellum river town, became a ghost town by the early 1900s. After Alabama became a state in 1819, Cahawba was developed where the Cahaba and Alabama rivers meet. The city fathers modeled Cahawba after Philadelphia, and soon the city on the rivers became a hub of political and social life. With many stores, several hotels, two ferries, a state bank, two newspapers, eight lawyers and several physicians, the town boomed before the Civil War. The city was not built at an ideal location, however, and hardships were the name of the game. Because mosquitoes were a nuisance and the rivers often flooded, Alabama moved its state capital to Tuscaloosa in 1826. Still, the city continued to thrive with cotton plantations, steamboats, the railroad and a Confederate prison. Unfortunately, a major flood in 1865 destroyed the railroad terminal, leading to Cahawba’s decline. By 1870 only 300 residents remained, by 1900 Cahawba was abandoned, and by 1930 almost no structures survived. Today, nature has reclaimed most of Cahawba. All that remains are picturesque ruins and a resident ghost. A large, white floating ball is sometimes seen by visitors, now called Peques’s Ghost after a soldier who was mortally wounded near there. For the more scientifically minded, it likely is a phenomenon known as Will-o’-the-Wisp, methane bubbles that rise over swamps. Thurmond, West Virginia Thurmond, West Virginia, declined from a bustling town to a ghost town with only five residents. Located in the New River Gorge, when coal mining was at its peak, many thriving businesses and facilities for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad called Thurmond home. Two hotels, two banks, a post office train depot and shops lined the street. Today most of it is owned by the National Park Service.
The Villisca Axe Murder Haunted House
When it comes time to explain why some homes are priced below $50,000, OHU50K often sees comments like, “Look at those orbs in the photos,” or “It must be haunted.” Whether one believes in ghosts or not, most everyone loves a good haunted house story. In celebration of Halloween, this month we are featuring some of the most famous haunted houses stories in the country. This story is perhaps the most tragic in our series. (This home is NOT for sale.) Related: Haunted Houses Villisca Axe Murder House, Villisca, Iowa * * On a dark spring night in June of 1912, eight people, the entire family of Josiah Moore, including his wife, four children ages 5-11, and two of the oldest daughter’s overnight guests, were murdered in this Villisca, Iowa, house by an unknown assailant. Reminiscent of Lizzie Borden, in a gruesome attack, the assailant bludgeoned to death the whole household with an axe. The evening before the murders seemed like any other for the well-to-do family. They all had attended the Children’s Day program at the Presbyterian Church and had arrived home around 10 p.m. When a neighbor noticed none of the family had arisen for their morning chores the next day, she became concerned and called Josiah’s brother. He was able to unlock the door, where he discovered all eight bodies in their respective bedrooms. Two cigarette butts were found in the attic, which led investigators to believe the assailant or assailants were waiting until the family had gone to sleep. They used the blade of the axe on Josiah such that his eyes were missing, while the blunt end inflicted the fatal blows to the rest of the family. Forensics definitely were not what they are today. Below is a 1912 article that suggests the killer might be revealed by looking into a photograph of one of the victims, 12-year-old Edith Stillinger (the article misspells her name). The case made national headlines, and while many suspects were questioned and even tried – twice – the mass murder remains unsolved to this day. Today, the house may be booked for overnight tours (Covid may have paused this). Personal accounts indicate cold spots, disembodied footsteps and voices as the common occurrences. Audio and visual of the children are also widely reported, with guests most often reporting laughing and crying. Some have even heard the voices of children telling others to hide, and in one instance when asked, an apparition turned a flashlight on and off several times.
The Haunted House Known As Skene Castle
At the end of a narrow, winding road, standing as sentry overlooking the harbor and village of Whitehall, New York, stands the haunted house known as Skene Castle. Information value only. The castle is not for sale. Built in the mid-1860s as the personal residence of Judge Joseph Potter (1820-1902), a New York State Supreme Court Justice, his wife Catherine, and children Sanford, William and Henry, the Victorian manse was originally named Potter’s Terrace. Perched high on the hill looking (as one man described it) “as if Bavaria’s Mad King Ludwig had escaped to America and built a small castle,” the stone manor’s address still stands as 8 Potter’s Terrace. It is a mystery why the edifice is called Skene Manor. No one named Skene ever resided in the castle. Philip Skene lived during the American Revolution and founded the village of Whitehall, initially called Skenesborough, but that was way before the manor was constructed. Some believe Skene may have lived on the mountain in the general vicinity, but that is not known for sure. As legend has it, however, Mrs. Skene’s ghost haunts the castle. The story goes that she held the wealth in the Skene Family, and upon her death, her husband Philip would receive an annuity. Ah, but there lies the catch. He would only receive the monies as long as the body of Mrs. Skene remained above ground. She died before Philip, and not wanting to lose the cash, he put his wife in a lead coffin, propping her up in a corner of the basement. Others say that she was laid under the grand staircase, but her ghost would simply not stay put. The story of the unburied Mrs. Skene and the ghosts of Skene Manor became intertwined after new owners opened a restaurant in the establishment and built “the” coffin behind a cornerstone of the bar. Many a tipsy drinker reported seeing an apparition of a lady in a Victorian gown wearing a large ring roaming the halls of the castle. Subsequent owners eventually lost Skene Manor to taxes, allowing it to fall into disrepair and neglect. They stripped the castle of chandeliers, crystal doorknobs, and anything else they could make a quick buck on. The historic building almost was sold to a party in Vermont who planned to dismantle it block by stone block and rebuild it in the Green Mountain State. At the last minute, a group called SOS (Save Our Skene) raised the funds to pay the back taxes, but not before the dastardly previous owners were brought up on cruelty to animal charges. They tied a rare dog breed out in the yard in the cold without food, water or shelter. A UPS driver found the dog frozen to the ground still alive. Interior Photos Information value only. The castle is not for sale.