Phantoms at the Pfister Hotel

Early Postcard View
Pfister Hotel

Today's blog takes us all the way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for an overnight stay at one of the most interesting haunted hotels in the midwest. What makes the phantoms of the Pfister Hotel, located just blocks away from Lake Michigan at 424 E. Wisconsin Avenue, stand out is their apparent love of the local Major League Baseball team. Yes, the ghosts at the Pfister seem to do everything in their power to give the Brewers as much of a home team advantage as possible. But, more on that in a minute...

The Pfister Hotel is a stunning, 307 room luxury hotel built in 1893 by Charles Pfister. Charles Pfister, known affectionately as "Charlie" was born in Milwaukee on June 17, 1859. At the age of 11, he was adopted by Guido Pfister, a German immigrant. Guido, who originally operated a shoe shop, teamed up with his cousin Frederick Vogel who operated a tannery, to establish a hugely successful leather business. A successful business meant money---lots and lots of money---and therefore, Guido diversified his business interests. One dream of Guido's was to build an opulent hotel that would become a showplace of wealth and prestige in the Milwaukee area. 

Unfortunately, Guido passed away on February 2, 1889. With work on the hotel just beginning, Charles, who inherited an estimated $1 million and held stock in the Milwaukee Hotel Company, decided to finish the hotel in remembrance of his father. The Hotel Pfister was completed and opened for business in May of 1893, at an estimated cost of $1 million. Charles Koch was hired as the architect, and the hotel featured many state-of-the-art and luxury amenities.

Guido Pfister
Source: Find-a-Grave user, Anthony S.

Every US president since William McKinley stayed at the hotel at one point or another, as well as a host of celebrities, many who have had their own paranormal experiences staying there. Even Elvis Presley was a guest in 1977, a few months before his untimely death. For many years, Charles, who never married and never had children of his own, lived in the hotel to oversee its daily operations. For the first year it was opened, the hotel actually LOST money, sometimes hundreds of dollars a day. But, when the 1894 state Republican Convention was held there, all rooms were filled to capacity, and the hotel became a base of political operations for Milwaukee and Wisconsin as a whole. 

In 1927, Charles suffered a paralytic stroke and sold the hotel to long-time employee, Ray Smith. Charles had acted as a mentor to Smith, so he was the perfect candidate to take over the hotel. But, as times changed and the country went through the turmoil of a Great Depression and a second World War, the hotel suffered a period of decline, lasting through the 1950s and 1960s. Ben Mercer stepped in to purchase the hotel and completed extensive renovations to return the Hotel Pfister to its former splendor. He even added on the 23-guest room tower at this time. 

Charles Pfister
Source: Wisconsin Historical Society Collections

It is said that renovations are often the catalyst for paranormal activity, but it wouldn't be until the 2010's that the hotel would really hit the paranormal mainstream as a haunted location. That's because numerous stories of ghostly encounters began circulating from players of visiting baseball teams! When an out-of-town team came to play the Milwaukee Brewers, they were generally put up at the Pfister. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a running tab of players' experiences (READ ARTICLE HERE), but just a few examples are:

2018: Carlos Martinez, pitcher for the Cardinals hopped on Instagram in the middle of the night to alert his fans that he had been touched by the Pfister ghost. He played really bad the next day and blamed the performance on the ghost. 

2001: Adrian Belte of the LA Dodgers told Sports Illustrated in an interview that he had heard knocking on his door in the middle of the night, but no one was there. He watched as both the AC and the TV switched themselves on. But it was the knocking coming from his headboard that led him to sleep with his bat, in fear. He said out of a total of three nights stay at the hotel, he probably only slept for about 2 hours. 

Carlos Gomez of the Minnesota Twins heard disembodied voices and experienced his iPod turning itself on. Michael Young of the Rangers heard stomping inside his room. To this day, Mookie Betts of the Dodgers won't stay at the Pfister---he books his own lodging while in town. And it's not just baseball players experiencing things, although they certainly seem to be the number one targets. When actor Joey Lawrence stayed in 2006, he was awakened by his daughter's toys going off on their own. Megan Thee Stallion and her entourage even did a little ghost hunting while staying there for Summerfest one year. 

There's no question that there's some spooky stuff going on here, but who actually haunts the Hotel Pfister? Multiple theories abound. Some believe it's Guido, sticking around to experience the hotel that he dreamed of, but never got to experience in life. Others believe that Charles is the obvious culprit. He built the hotel, lived in the hotel, and used the hotel as the center of his business and social life. Both men may have a vested interested in seeing their local baseball team dominate...or at least, may have a little fun messing with visiting teams the night before the big game. 

Another theory is that the land itself was haunted, way before the hotel was built. In a Milwaukee Daily Sentinel newspaper article from May 5, 1893, a man named Charles "Milwaukee" Sivyer was interviewed. Sivyer is recognized as being the first white male born in Milwaukee and was often sought out to give a history of the area in its early days. He remembered living in a log cabin where the Hotel Pfister now stands and says the area around it was once a burial ground. And, as anyone who has seen the movie Poltergeist knows, the one thing you don't want to do is build atop a burial ground! 

Sources and Further Reading:

Pfister Hotel Website

Charles Pfister Wikipedia

The Legend of the Pfister Hotel Ghost, by Becky Mortensen for WUWM Radio. 31 October 2022

Dodgers' Mookie Betts, Other MLB Players Say They've Been Haunted by Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel, by JR Radcliffe. 13 August 2024 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Brown Hotel's Resident Ghost

Brown Hotel Entrance
August 2024

Last summer, a small faction of SRI members embarked on a trip to Louisville, Kentucky for an investigation of the infamous Waverly Hills Sanitorium. We decided to make the most out of our time and cram in as much spooky fun as we could, including taking a ghost tour of downtown with Mr. Robert Parker of Louisville Ghost Walks. 

Our tour met in front of the opulent old Brown Hotel. After brief introductions and an overview of Louisville in general, our spooky stories kicked off with the hotel itself. The Brown Hotel opened for business on October 25, 1923. It's owner, businessman John Graham Brown, had sunk over $4 million into making the 16 story hotel a showplace of elegance and refinement. But, with many businesses, the good times would come and go over the years. 

After several years of prosperity, the Great Depression (along with Prohibition) hit the hotel hard, and it stayed afloat thanks to staff members willing to forego their wages. The 1940's and 1950's were a bit easier, as the hotel hosted quite a few servicemen during the war, and became THE place for traveling celebrities and dignitaries to stay during the Kentucky Derby. However, the city as a whole began to decline in the 1960's and 1970's. 

Brown Hotel
August 2024

Throughout this whole time, John Graham Brown continued to live on the 15th floor penthouse suite of his beloved hotel. He frequented the on-site restaurant, where the famous Hot Brown sandwich was invented in 1926, and enjoyed gazing down on the 2-story lobby from the mezzanine, sometimes with binoculars. Always by his side was his little dog, Woozem, who he saved from a traveling circus that wished to get rid of him. 

Brown passed away on March 20, 1969, and the hotel closed two years later. For several years, it was owned by the public school board, and housed offices. That wouldn't be the end of the Brown Hotel forever, though. In the early 1980's, a downtown restoration project was underway, and the old hotel was renovated and reopened as a Hilton Hotel. In 1993, the hotel was sold again and further renovations restored it to (almost) its former glory, and since at least 2006 has once again been known as the Brown Hotel. 

As those of us in the paranormal community are all too familiar, renovations tend to stir up paranormal activity, and it seems as if Mr. Brown was definitely stirred up at the idea of his beloved hotel coming back to life. Of all the ghost sightings and reports of paranormal activity from this location, all seem to be caused directly by Mr. Brown (sometimes accompanied by Woozem) himself. It started with his old penthouse suite...

"Mr. Ghost Walker" Robert Parker

Employees noticed that the elevators would mysteriously tend to open up on the unoccupied 15th floor where Mr. Brown lived for so many years. Further, even though the room was not open to the public, footsteps would be observed tracking through the dust, even appearing when it was confirmed no one had been in the area but the witness! In addition, people on the floor below would complain that someone above them was either moving furniture or walking noisily throughout the empty suite.

Phantom cigar smoke is often smelled, especially in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby. But, most shockingly, Mr. Brown has been seen by multiple witnesses at multiple times throughout the hotel and grounds. He tends to favor the mezzanine, where he can still keep an eye out on his hotel, but he's also been seen in and around the hotel restaurant where he'd take his daily meals, as well as other locations. Mr. Brown has a rather distinct appearance, so to those seeing him, there's no mistaking him, especially when the ghost of his little dog accompanies him. 

Mr. Brown and Woozem

So, the next time you're in downtown Louisville, stop in at the haunted and historic Brown Hotel. Have a Hot Brown sandwich, lounge for a bit in the massive lobby, and most importantly, keep your eyes open for a short, stout man accompanied by a little dog. You might just be one of the lucky visitors to meet the hotel's owner for yourself!

Sources and Further Reading:

Haunted Louisville and Haunted Louisville 2 by Robert Parker

Wikipedia: Brown Hotel

Louisville Ghost Walks, Hosted by Robert Parker

*The Brown Hotel isn't the only haunted hotel in downtown Louisville! Check out Theresa's blog on the Seelbach Hotel, haunted by a beautiful lady in blue.*

Elkins Inn and Suites

Memorial General Hospital in Elkins, WV
Source: WV History on View 

If you read yesterday's blog about my adventures in Sutton, WV, you may remember that I recently made a trip to Elkins with my husband. Being the spooky nerd that I am, any time I travel, I have to look up what haunted locations may be close to me, whether I have time to actually stop there or not. 

The whole area around Elkins is full of Civil War history, and there are a few really cool haunted places of note, such as Graceland and Halliehurst on the campus of Davis and Elkins College and Rich Mountain Battlefield, but I happened across a new-to-me location that we drove right past: The Elkins Inn and Suites.

Since it is a college town in close proximity to several big tourist destinations and state parks (as well as the state prison at Huttonsville), there are a LOT of hotels/motels around Elkins. There's one in particular, though that you pass right on the main drag through town that at first glance doesn't really look like a hotel. There's a reason for that---it used to be a hospital! 

I haven't been able to find out a whole lot about the history, but the earliest references I can find to the old Memorial General Hospital are from the 1950's, which looks about right from the photos of the building. As with any hospital, you're going to have a location with a lot of baggage, both good and bad. I'm sure the hospital saw happy times with babies being brought into the world, deathly ill people being brought back from the brink of death, and dedicated staff who gave their all to their work. But then you also have the negative events and emotions. Sick and injured people were brought here and many never made it home alive. Death, pain, and confusion were normal, everyday things. Loved ones left behind experienced anger, grief, despair, and sadness. All these factors are believed to be ideal for creating a haunting, and the old Memorial General Hospital is no exception.

I'm not sure when the hospital closed down, but it eventually did and was converted into use as a hotel. Originally branded under the Days Inn name, the earliest TripAdvisor reviews I could find date back to 2004. At some point, they dropped the Days Inn, and renamed the hotel as the Elkins Inn and Suites. According to their website information, the hotel boasts 46 pet-friendly guest rooms, free wifi, and an on-site restaurant (which early reviewers noted was downstairs in the basement morgue). There's also conference room space available, and apparently businesses can also rent out office space. Rooms come with TV, fridge, microwave...and maybe a ghost.

Today's Elkins Inn and Suites
Photo from FaceBook

Okay, so to start off, a LOT of the reviews I read for this location weren't favorable and a lot of that had to do directly or indirectly with the hotel's former life as a hospital. The guest room bathrooms were hospital room bathrooms, with very basic shower and toilet only. Thermostat controls weren't always available in rooms. The old elevator to the third floor where either all or the majority of guest rooms are located was out of order for awhile, and when it does work, seems to be rather noisy. Some reviewers also pointed out that there were windows in their rooms looking out into the hallway (like, in a hospital, lol). But, the biggest hospital-themed complaint seemed to be simply that it was pretty weird and creepy!

In July of 2014, that simple creepiness factor would evolve into claims of actual paranormal activity reported by one couple staying at the hotel. According to a review on TripAdvisor, user yakfit had this to say about their stay:

"We stayed one night last week. I did not read any reviews as we were last minute needing a room. I told my husband "this is a hospital!' As the elevator door was closing to go to floor 3, a man walked by and said "this is not a hospital!"I looked at my husband and just thought, that was strange that he would say that to me. After midnight, My husband woke me up as I was screaming because there was a woman in a hospital gown tying to push herself into bed with us.I went back to sleep and then he woke me up again as I was screaming because there was a babydoll head next to my husband's head n the bed!" I took a photo of the bathroom and the entrance door to our room and there are 2 orbs in the door photo.The lobby clerk told us that it was a former hospital. I think it is haunted."

Photo of 2 alleged orbs
Photo by TripAdvisor user yakfit

Although there was another review with the assertion that Ghost Hunters should come check this place out, it, nor any other reviews I could find mentioned any additional evidence or personal experiences with the alleged ghosts of the old hospital-turned-hotel. I'd love to know YOUR opinion; I think it definitely has the potential to be haunted, but I'd love for some more stories to come out. If you, or someone you know has stayed here and experienced something spooky, I'd love to hear your report. Feel free to comment down below, shoot me over an email, or find me over on Theresa's Haunted History FaceBook to share your story. 

A Woman in White at the Haunted Elk Hostel

The Elk Hostel in Sutton
Source: Elk Hostel FaceBook

As many people in the paranormal community are discovering, the little town of Sutton, WV, located in the central part of the state, has quickly become a can't-miss paranormal tourist destination. Sutton is home to both the Flatwoods Monster Museum and the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum. It's home to one of SRI's favorite haunted locations, a charming Victorian home known as the William Edgar Haymond House, which can be rented out overnight for paranormal investigations or simply as a cool, spooky place to stay the night. Several festivals are held throughout the year celebrating the area's unique contributions to the world of paranormal research, and there are plenty of local businesses and attractions celebrating the town's history and its lore. 

However, there's one location in Sutton that has a long reputation of being haunted, but surprisingly doesn't get as much attention. It's a historic building where you can stay the night when you're in town, and has been the filming site of several interesting movie projects. This building is the Elk Hostel, which can be found right downtown at 200 Main Street. 

Before it was the Elk Hostel, the old building started as The Elk Hotel. Construction of the hotel was completed and it was ready for guests by April of 1894. However, the Sutton Hotel Company, which was behind the project, was formed on June 6, 1891. J.S. Hyer, a local politician and businessman, was a member of this committee, and would ultimately become the first official owner of the hotel, which was occasionally referred to as The Elk House. 

Elk Hotel prior to 1910
Source: Clio

By 1909, the Home National Bank was incorporated and moved into the bottom floor of the Elk Hotel. The following year, the hotel underwent some renovations. The outside facade was covered in a stucco, scored to imitate stone blocks. The corner entrance into the bank lobby and the Doric columns adorning this section were also added. 

Over the years, the hotel changed owners and management several times, and even became known under the ownership of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Gerwig as The Midway Hotel, because it had become a midway stop on the WV Bus Company's route. Space in the building was used as a bank, a general store, a billiards hall, and even a restaurant before the building finally was abandoned. It sat abandoned for 20 years until it was purchased by Kevin Carpenter around 1999. Kevin began the process of restoring the hotel, and opened it up as a cool little place to stay in downtown. 

But during those 20 years when the old hotel sat abandoned, it might not have been as empty as it appeared. On October 31, 2003 NPR published a wonderful little Halloween ghost story piece with reporter, Erika Celeste, talking about the alleged hauntings of the Elk Hotel/Hostel. Weird sounds, doors slamming shut, misty apparitions, and strange feelings were all experienced after Kevin purchased the building. However, two witnesses came forth and claimed that they saw something...

Lobby of the Home National Bank
Source: Sutton, West Virginia, Looking 
Back Again, by Craig A. Smith

Colleen Dickerson worked across the street from the Elk Hostel and she reports that one night about 2am, she happened to glance at one of the windows of the then-abandoned building. Knowing the building should be empty, she was shocked to see a young woman with long, blonde hair wearing an old fashioned white blouse looking out. 

Janet Butler possibly saw the same ghostly woman. She saw the apparition of a woman, possibly holding a candle as it was bathed in a dim light, looking out from the hotel's enclosed balcony. But who was this woman?

The NPR recording goes on to state that there was some historical precedence for why the Elk may be haunted by this woman and several others. To begin with, it was stated that downtown Sutton was once home to an Adena Burial Mound, which was leveled by early settlers to make room for the town. Further, there were some deaths associated with the Elk Hotel, including a story about a guest who went missing, only to be found a short distance away. He was deceased and his body was being eaten by pigs. Another story tells of a mother who took her own life at the hotel shortly after losing her child to a fever. Could this mother be the phantom woman seen by both Janet and Colleen?

As with many projects, research into this location is on-going, and I'm hoping to find some documentation of the deaths mentioned above, as well as get to finally tour the site for myself! I'll update as needed, but until then, if you have had any experiences yourself at the Elk Hostel or anywhere else around Sutton, I'd love to hear from you! Please share your story in the comments below, or find me over on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State FaceBook. And as always...happy haunting! 

For further reading and information:

Elk Hostel FaceBook Page

Info on the Elk Hostel from the Braxton County WV website

NPR Interview with Erika Celeste

Downtown Sutton Historic District Nomination for National Register of Historic Places

Theresa's Travels: Sistersville, West Virginia

On Saturday, June 12, 2021 myself and several other members of Spectral Research and Investigation headed north to Tyler County, West Virginia. We had been called in to assist a family in Sistersville who was experiencing some potential paranormal activity. As this was largely a daytime investigation and it was a 2.5 hour drive up there for me, there wasn't a ton of free time to explore the historic and spooky little town of Sistersville.  However, I wasn't about to let the opportunity to at least LOOK at some of the area's haunted hot spots pass me by!

My first stop of the afternoon was the historic and haunted Wells Inn. The Wells Inn opened in January of 1895 to cater to those connected with the recent oil boom in the area. It was built by Ephraim Wells, and he is believed to be the main ghost of the hotel. He is blamed for moving objects around, locking maids out of certain rooms, playing with the elevator, and the sounds of writing coming from his former office. Phantom footsteps have been heard in the halls and doors have been known to slam on their own. 

I had briefly entertained the idea of actually staying the night at the Wells Inn following our investigation, but since money's tight and time was short, I decided to skip the formal stay and wait until I had the time and money to really make the most out of my stay there. So, I had to be content to stop and take a few photos!  Unfortunately, there was a big sign on the front door saying that the lobby was open to guests of the hotel ONLY. I'm not sure if this was simply a COVID-19 restriction, or this is a permanent policy put in place for the safety and comfort of paying guests.  Either way, I was a little bummed (but I completely understood) that I couldn't go inside. 

I left the Wells Inn with the intent of heading up to Oakwood Cemetery and getting some good daytime photos of a very eerie monument known as the Stocking Lady. I'm not sure HOW I missed it, but my directions to Oakwood Cemetery did not work out, lol. I did, however, find myself in another local cemetery---Greenwood. I think Greenwood and Oakwood sometimes get confused, but I have heard some stories of Greenwood being haunted as well. In one report submitted to WVGhosts, a witness claims that a group of friends visited Greenwood and after touching one tombstone that felt hot, several girls in the group felt like they were being stabbed. White, moaning things were seen, and even approached their car! I can't vouch for these tales, obviously, but I think there was a reason why I ended up at this particular cemetery.  As I was driving around, looking at the tombstones, I actually stumbled upon the graves of more than one previous owner of the property we were about to investigate!

By the time I checked out Greenwood pretty thoroughly, it was time to meet up with the rest of the team. I was super bummed that I hadn't found Oakwood, as I REALLY wanted to see the Stocking Lady for myself, but I knew that we had a job to do, so I focused all my attention on getting ready for the night's investigation. 

The Spectral Research and Investigation team, accompanied by Zach Schwartz of Countere Magazine, met up at The Fort Pizza and Restaurant for lunch and to plan out how we were going to approach this particular investigation. I had a HUGE chicken wrap and fries. The food was good and the staff was friendly---it was a really nice little local place to gather our thoughts and decide what we needed to do to give our clients the best investigation we could. 

As this was a private residence case, I won't be going over details of our actual investigation, but I will say that it was a hard one for me, emotionally. It was a case unlike any other residential I've done over the years and although we plan on staying in contact with the family and continuing to work with them, I just personally feel like we were all stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to really solving their problems for them. So, that was disappointing, but the evening definitely ended on a happy note!  The family actually lived pretty close to Oakwood Cemetery...and offered to take us up there!

I first learned about Oakwood Cemetery and the Stocking Lady back in October of 2019 when I saw storyteller Granny Sue at the WV Book Festival. The Stocking Lady is a beautiful, yet damaged tombstone statue that overlooks the graves of the family of Philo and Nancy Stocking. Local legend states that those who have been bold enough to vandalize the statue of a woman in a flowing garment have suffered terrible fates. The person who broke off the statue's arms lost his own arm in an accident. The person who gouged out the eye area went blind himself. There are lots of stories of people simply touching the Stocking Lady, resulting in a run of bad luck, illness, and injury. 

Oakwood Cemetery didn't disappoint and I was thrilled to finally see the Stocking Lady for myself. I didn't get too close, though...just in case. 

Overall, the trip to Sistersville was a positive experience for me. I had driven through the area before on my way to Moundsville, but never stopped to really look around. The drive along the Ohio River between Huntington and Sistersville is a beautiful drive that takes you through so many little historic towns, each with their own legends and ghost stories. This trip to Sistersville may have been my first, but it certainly won't be my last.

So let me know...have YOU been to Sistersville? Have you stayed at the haunted Wells Inn or visited the Stocking Lady?  Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below, or join me over on Facebook at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State to share your story! Stay spooky, ya'll. 

Ghostly Goings-On at the Dude Rancher Lodge

From the Dude Rancher Lodge webpage

The Dude Rancher Lodge in Billings, Montana is a unique addition to this month's Haunted America collection---it's unique because it's a relatively 'new' haunted location!

A mix of a traditional dude ranch and modern hotel, the Dude Rancher Lodge was built between 1949 and 1950 by Annabel and Percival Goan. The couple ran the lodge together until 1962 when Percival was killed in a car crash. Annabel then took over operations, and ran the hotel alone for nearly two decades. She lived in an on-site apartment, being cared for by her staff, until her health declined to the point where she needed to be moved into a nursing home. Unfortunately, she passed on February 2, 1983.

And, according to the lodge's website, that was when the paranormal activity started!

It's not uncommon for an employee to be cleaning an empty guest room and the television come on all by itself. Lights are also known to turn themselves on and off without the help of any living person. Both guests and staff have reported knocks on guest room doors. When they go to answer the door, no one is there. Guests have even complained of children running up and down the halls, laughing, even when no children are booked for that evening. 

Montana Paranormal Research Society once caught an EVP of a woman's voice in the basement area, lending to the idea that Annabel is the resident ghost. However, it's possible that her passing was just a catalyst for latent paranormal activity.  When the lodge was built, it used bricks from the old St. Vincent's Hospital, the Russell Refinery, and the Washington School. Is it possible that those bricks, especially those from the old hospital, could have been holding onto energy that was later released after Annabel's passing?

If you'd like to experience the hauntings for yourself, staff recommends booking rooms 223, 224, or 226 (which was the room Annabel's grandson stayed in when he took over hotel operations after her death). But, if you want to visit during the Halloween season, make sure you book early, as these rooms fill up fast! 

Concord's Colonial Inn

If you're looking for an elegant place to stay in the Concord, Massachusetts area, filled with history and GHOSTS, look no further than the Colonial Inn! Originally built in 1716, Concord's Colonial Inn has been a private residence, a boarding house, and even acted as a variety store before becoming Concord's Colonial Inn in 1900. Over the years it has gone through multiple expansions and renovations and has picked up quite the haunted reputation throughout New England. 

One of the first recorded experiences of ghosts at the hotel comes from 1966. Newlyweds M.P. and Judith Fellenz were visiting from New York and were given Room 24 on the second floor. The next morning, Loring Grimes, the innkeeper, noticed that the bride looked pale, but didn't think much of it.  However, two weeks later, a letter arrived from Mrs. Fellenz. In the letter, she states that during her stay on June 14, 1966 she had encountered what she believed was a ghost and wanted to know if anyone else had reported similar experiences.

She claims to have awakened sometime during the night, feeling like there was an unknown presence in the room. She saw what she described as a grayish, shadowy mass standing to the left of the bed, about 4 feet away. The vaguely human-shaped mass floated to the foot of the bed where it stayed a moment before melting away. 

Since that fateful encounter, the Colonial Inn has embraced its haunted history, and proudly shares information about the hotel's ghosts on its website. Room 24 is still considered the most haunted room in the hotel...and for good reason. It seems that during the Revolutionary War, the inn was actually a private residence owned by a local doctor. Room 24 became an operating room for wounded soldiers, and many passed away, in great pain, within its walls. Interestingly, it is noted that the ghosts that roam the Colonial Inn rarely include Revolutionary War era soldiers.  Rather, it is the CARETAKERS of these soldiers and the inn that are more likely to be seen, including a nurse named Rosemary.

Rosemary is seen as an older woman who roams throughout the halls. Disembodied voices have been heard, floating orbs have been seen on camera and with the naked eye, and it's not uncommon to experience flickering lights or lights/televisions that come on by themselves in the middle of the night. Room 27 on the first floor was used as a morgue during the Revolutionary War and is also a favorite haunted hot spot for those wanting to experience something paranormal during their stay.

The Colonial Inn's haunted reputation has attracted both curiosity seekers looking for a spooky night's stay, and also seasoned paranormal investigators. Over the years, several teams have come to the hotel looking to collect evidence of the afterlife, including the team from TAPS.  Ghost Hunters filmed an hour long episode (Season 6 Episode 14) at the hotel in 2010. 

*Information and Photos for this blog came directly from Concord's Colonial Inn's website.*

West Virginia's Top 5 Most Haunted Hotels and Inns

Are you looking for a spooky place to rest while visiting the Mountain State? West Virginia is full of historic hotels, creepy motels, and beautiful, old bed and breakfasts---many of which claim to have a resident ghost or two! Since today is the season premier of American Horror Story: Hotel, I thought I would share with you some of MY personal favorite places to stay in West Virginia where your room might come with a little more than just a mint on the pillow...Lady Gaga not included!

Lowe Hotel

Lowe Hotel---The Lowe Hotel seems to be the central point for all things spooky in the little Ohio River town of Pt. Pleasant. Its THE place to stay during the annual Mothman Festival, at which time haunted history tours of the hotel, which opened in the early 1900s as the Spencer Hotel, are given. Various ghosts haunt the old hotel, including Juliette Smith--a beautiful young woman seen dancing on the mezzanine, and Captain Jim, who causes disturbances to guests staying in Suite 316.

The Frederick Hotel

Frederick Hotel---The Frederick Hotel in downtown Huntington officially opened to the public in 1906, and until it closed in 1973, was one of the most lavish, expensive hotels in the city. Unfortunately, you can no longer stay at the Frederick, but you CAN visit one of its fine restaurants, shop in one of the retail stores, or visit/work in one of the office suites that now occupy the former glorious hotel. That still gives you plenty of opportunity to experience the ghosts, including two children who are said to frequent the site of the 21 Club Restaurant, and whatever entities that jangle keys, cause cold spots and are responsible for all manner of paranormal activity throughout the former hotel, especially on the sixth floor.

Blennerhassett Hotel

Blennerhassett Hotel---Built in 1889 by William Chancellor, this Parkersburg hotel is a beautiful example of Queen Ann architecture. It's also a beautiful example of what a haunted hotel should be! The Blennerhassett serves as the meeting point for Susan Shepperd's Parkersburg Ghost Tours, and for good reason. William Chancellor is known to frequent his hotel, emitting a phantom smell of cigar smoke, or manifesting a weird glow in his own portrait in the front reading room. Other ghosts include a man in a white tuxedo, a sobbing woman, and a little boy from the 1920s era...among others!

General Lewis Inn

General Lewis Inn---The General Lewis Inn of Lewisburg opened in 1929 and was built around an existing structure that dated to about 1834. At least three ghosts call the General Lewis Inn home, including a former slave named Reuben who was believed to have been hanged where the current dining room sits, a little girl who is heard crying or laughing in room 208 or 206, and the Lady in White of Room 208.

Wells Inn

Wells Inn---The Wells Inn of Sistersville has been in business since 1895, and was built as a luxurious hotel in response to a local oil and gas boom. Former owner Ephraim Wells is allegedly the main (and possibly ONLY) ghost to reside at the Wells Inn. Mr. Wells likes to move items around and create unexplained noises throughout the hotel. He is especially fond of room #324 and his former office on the second floor, where he can still be heard writing to this day.

*There's your sneak peek of haunted West Virginia hotels and inns, but the state and surrounding areas are full with even more haunted accommodations! Make sure you check out Theresa's Haunted West Virginia Page for more Mountain State hauntings!*

The Blue Lady of KY's Seelbach Hilton

Seelbach, 1907

The story of the Seelbach Hotel dates back to 1869 when Bavarian brothers, Otto and Louis Seelbach came to America to learn the hotel business.  It wasn't until 1903 that they would begin construction on their hotel.  At a cost of $990,000, the Seelbach opened in May of 1905 as the city's only fireproof hotel.  It was so well received that almost immediately, a 154-room addition would begin, being completed in 1907.

Over the years, the hotel changed hands several times, but remained a center of opulence in Louisville, Kentucky.  It was a favorite hangout for organized crime leaders, and was even frequented by author F. Scott Fitzgerald while he was stationed at Camp Taylor.  So impressed with the hotel, Fitzgerald used the Grand Ballroom as a backdrop for the wedding in The Great Gatsby.

Unfortunately, life at the Seelbach wasn't so happy for everyone.  While there are numerous ghost stories attached with the hotel, ranging from an older woman wearing ragged clothing in Otto Cafe to a man seen looking out the window of an 8th floor room, the most famous of the spectral guests is hands down The Blue Lady.

Thanks to some detective work done in 1992 by Alex Hunt, it is widely accepted that The Blue Lady is the ghost of Patricia Wilson.  Born in 1911, Patricia Wilson had just moved to Louisville from Oklahoma in 1936.  She and her husband of four years had recently separated, but decided to try and work things out.  They agreed to meet at the Seelbach to talk, but unfortunately, Mr. Wilson never made it.  He died in a car crash on the way to the hotel.  Patricia was devastated and several days later, on July 15, she was found dead at the bottom of a service elevator shaft.  She had a fractured skull, broken left knee cap, broken right tibia, and broken fibula.  It is unknown whether it was a suicide or accident.  Some even say it may have been murder. She was buried in Louisville's Evergreen Cemetery.

Patricia and the rest of the ghostly gang make their presence known by disembodied footsteps, phantom perfume smells, and cold spots throughout the hotel, especially on the 8th floor.  However, Patricia seemed especially active throughout the 1980s when she was spotted numerous times.

She was seen on the 8th floor and the mezzanine area of the hotel, near the elevator, as well as several other places around the hotel.  Her apparition was always described as wearing a blue dress and having long, black hair.

Sources:
The Seelbach Hilton: A Centennial Salute to Louisville's Grand Hotel by Larry Johnson
Haunted Rooms
Find-a-Grave
The Secret Life of the Seelbach Hotel

The Haunted St. James Hotel of Alabama

From Panoramio

In 1837 the Brantley Hotel opened in Selma, Alabama.  It was named after the head financier, Brigadier General John Brantley and catered to the rich cotton traders and other wealthy agriculturists and plantation owners of the mid-19th century.

Throughout the years and throughout many different owners, the Brantley Hotel went through some interesting transitions.  Owner, Dr. James Gee renamed the Brantley renamed the hotel the Troupe House, and put his slave, Benjamin Sterling Turner in charge of management.  Turner would go on to become the first African-American mayor of Selma, and the first African-American elected to U.S. Congress.

During the Civil War, the hotel was saved from the destruction of the town.  In 1865, when Union troops took over Selma, they burned much of the business district and factories.  The hotel was saved due to the fact that the troops used it as their headquarters.

It wouldn't be until 1871 that Captain Tom Smith, the newest owner, changed the name to the St. James Hotel.  It was during Smith's tenure that the infamous Frank and Jesse James allegedly stayed at the hotel.  Unfortunately, hard times during the 1890s led to the closure of the St. James.  Afterward, the former hotel became used as storage and office space, a feed store, and a tire recapping factory.  The first floor was completely gutted, and several wings were demolished during this time period.

A group of concerned citizens and investors came together in the 1990s, and at a cost of $6 million, restored the hotel to its former glory.  Luckily, much of the upper floors were still in tact, but improvements were made to update the hotel with modern amenities.  The new St. James Hotel opened in 1997 and it wouldn't be long before the ghost stories started pouring in.

By Alex Bush, c. 1937

According to different sources, there are three main ghosts that call the St. James home.  The first is the most interesting to me.  Apparently guests have often complained about hearing a dog incessantly barking in the courtyard, keeping them up all night.  When staff goes to investigate, there are no dogs to be found.  The sound of a dog running in the halls has also been noted.

The second ghost is said to be none other than Jesse James himself.  A man in 1800s clothing, complete with spurs has been seen in several locations throughout the hotel, most notably exiting rooms 214, 314, and 315, as well as sitting at a table in the bar.

"Lucinda" is the third ghost of the St. James.  A portrait of Lucinda hangs in the Water Avenue side sitting room.  Lucinda most often makes her presence known through the strong scent of lavender, but she's been seen on occasion as well, walking the halls of the upper floors.  But who is Lucinda?  Legend has it that Lucinda was a long-term resident of the hotel...and the mistress of Jesse James.

If you stay at the hotel and are interested in the ghostly side of its history, make sure you ask the front desk staff to see the ghost photo.  The photo, allegedly showing one of the ghosts of the St. James isn't on display, but staff will be glad to show it to you.  It'll be up to you to decide whether its just lens flare...or something more!

Sources:
Article by Beverly Crider
St. James Hotel Website
St. James Virtual Tour
Southern Spirit Guide

Lexington's Haunted Gratz Park Inn

I'm still trying to build up the Haunted Kentucky page of Theresa's Haunted History, so today's blog is another Lexington haunt, the historic Gratz Park Inn!

Construction on the building began in 1916, but it wasn't until 1920 that the facility opened up as an early medical clinic for the city of Lexington and surrounding areas, under such founders as Dr. Waller Bullock and others.  And, like a good clinic of its time, the basement served as the city's first official morgue.  The clinic would only remain at its West Second Street location until it moved out in 1958.  It was replaced shortly thereafter by an engineering firm that housed its offices in the old clinic.

Photo from TripAdvisor

The engineering firm moved out around 1976, and the building sat empty for awhile before being snapped up and renovated into the luxury hotel that it is today.  Offering high class dining and other amenities within walking distance of Kentucky's most historic district, the Gratz Park Inn offers another perk; its considered to be one of the best haunted hotels in the country!

This distinction comes from both the show, This Old House, which did a special on historic haunted homes, featuring the Gratz in one of the top spots, but also USA Today.  In a 2003 article, USA Today listed the hotel as one of the top 10 Great Places to Get in Bed with a Ghost, for its "strange men in guestrooms, intoxicated apparitions partying in the halls, or a diaphanous lady in a white dress and hat."

There is definitely a plethora of paranormal activity at the hotel, and the list of manifestations include lights turning themselves on and off, phantom knocking on guests' doors, sightings of a forlorn looking man on the lower level, and an elderly man who plays tricks on the maids by messing with the television sets.

Among all this activity, two ghosts in particular stand out to the Gratz Park Inn staff.  The first is a young girl who staff have named "Lizzie."  Lizzie likes to open and close doors, tug at guests' sleeves, and play jacks on the third floor.  Whenever a guest complains of being kept awake at night by children playing and running down the halls, staff knows it has to be Lizzie!

The other prominent specter is that of a man known as John.  A member of the staff has seen an African-American gentleman in a plaid shirt, with his hands over his face.  It wasn't until later that a journal was found in the basement, describing the early years of the inn as the city's clinic.  According to the Mystery Monday segment linked below, John was the first patient of the new clinic, who came in asking for help with a possible gunshot wound.

Oddly enough the majority of paranormal activity and ghost sightings occur during the DAY, but staff is quick to point out that the strange noises, etc. can still be experienced at night as well!

Sources:
Bit of the Bluegrass
Mystery Monday video on Youtube
Southern Spirit Guide
Gratz Park Inn Website

Delaware's Haunted Addy-Sea Inn

Today, the Addy-Sea Inn is a thriving bed and breakfast on Delaware's Bethany Beach.  Built in 1902 by Pittsburg plumber John Addy, the Addy-Sea was originally meant to be the family homestead.  However, a string of circumstances ensured that the house would eventually become a vacation destination.

In the 1920s, the Addy-Sea had to be relocated twice to different lots due to the threat of storm surge damage associated with its beachfront location.  Then, it the 1930s, the Depression was hitting the whole country hard.  To make ends meet, the Addy family began renting out rooms to church groups.  From there, it grew into a bed and breakfast, with the Gravattes taking over the home and the business in the 1970s.

I absolutely love to hear about haunted bed and breakfasts, and this one is definitely not short on its ghost stories.  There are three main guest rooms that are said to be haunted, in addition to all the other crazy paranormal things that happen throughout the inn.

Room 1--Room 1 is one of the most interesting of the haunted rooms.  Its private bath contains the original copper tub that John Addy brought with him from Pittsburg.  Bathers have been more than startled to find the tub start violently shaking with them in it!

Room 6--This room has hauntingly beautiful organ music playing in it.  However, there are no organs in this room!

Room 11--If you're looking for a more visual ghostly experience, Room 11 is the one for you.  This is the room haunted by Paul Dulaney, a former handyman for the Addy's and local swim star.  Although Paul died out of state on a construction job, his spirit has found its way back to the Addy-Sea.  His apparition has been seen sitting on the bed or standing by it.

Even if you don't get to book a haunted room, you still have the opportunity to experience the paranormal activity of the Addy-Sea Inn.  The Addy's wild son, Kurtz, died in a tragic accident when he fell off the roof of the home.  Footsteps emanating from the roof are said to be his, and he also makes his presence known by running through the halls in the evenings.  Kurtz also makes his presence known by materializing his obituary out of nowhere, throughout the inn.

Other activity runs the entire gamut of haunting criteria:  strange sounds and music, lights flickering on and off, mechanical issues, including an answering machine that turns itself on, and people getting locked in their own closets. 

The Ghosts of the Cedar Grove Inn, MS

From cityprofile.com

It's somewhat bittersweet; the first round of Haunted America is almost at an end.  Just two more states remain after today's blog about a beautiful and extremely historic southern B&B in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

That bed and breakfast is known as Cedar Grove and was once the main house on the plantation of the same name. It was built by John Alexander Klein, a local planter and businessman who dabbled in many areas of commerce.

 Construction on Cedar Grove began in 1840, shortly after John met a young lady named Elizabeth Day who was visiting New Orleans with her parents.  Elizabeth was a mere 14 years old at the time, but following her 16th birthday, the couple was married.  An extended European honeymoon allowed the couple a chance to purchase plenty of furnishings for their new home while construction continued in their absence.  When they returned, they lived briefly in a nearby guest house until the elaborate home was in livable condition.  Still, construction wasn't completely finished until 1852.

The couple were able to spend only a decade enjoying their new home before the outbreak of the Civil War turned life upside down for them and many other southern families.  A skirmish left a cannon ball embedded in the wall of Cedar Grove, which can still be viewed today, but luckily the home was saved by its use as a Union Hospital.

The family was also able to hide much of their fortune in plain view, within a secret compartment in a piece of parlor furniture...yet times were not all happy for the Kleins.  One of the sons was killed in a accident on the back stairs when he dropped the gun he was carrying and it discharged.  A young daughter died of presumably natural causes on the second floor, and two infants were also lost.

With the amount of death and tragedy this home has seen over a period of close to 200 years, its easy to see how its gained a haunted reputation.  John Klein is said to still be lording over his former residence and will make his presence known by the smell of pipe tobacco near the Gentleman's Parlour.  Elizabeth has been seen walking down the front staircase and throughout the house, seemingly going about her normal routine.

The little girl who died upstairs has been seen looking sad and confused, wandering the staircase, and has been heard playing and giggling throughout the house.  The sound of babies crying has also been witnessed.  In more recent sightings, housekeeping staff have reported that they will make a bed, then come back to find it indented, as if someone unseen were lying there. Disembodied footsteps are heard on the back staircase where the teenage son died. And, of course, there are Civil War soldiers, presumably those souls who passed away when the home was used as a hospital, seen wandering the home and grounds.

Today the home is a huge and elegant bed and breakfast owned by Colleen Small.  It has grown exponentially since Buzz Harper first opened a 2-room B&B there in 1980. But, despite all these changes, it seems as if life goes on for the Klein Family, who are still presiding over their home.

Bonus Fright:  Nearby is another B&B known as Annabelle.  Annabelle was built in 1868 by John Klein for his son, Madison Conrad Klein, on the original plantation land.  Today, this location is also said to be haunted.  A one-legged Confederate soldier has been seen in what was formerly known as the Dixie Room!

Cedar Grove Inn Website

Haunted Houses of Vicksburg

KY's Benham Schoolhouse Inn

Looking for a really unique place to stay the night in Kentucky?  Bonus points if its haunted?  Look no further than the Benham Schoolhouse Inn, in Harlan County.

From Yelp user, Dave H.

Benham is a small community, once a coal camp town under the direction of the Wisconsin Steel Corporation (later International Harvester).  In 1926, Wisconsin Steel built a state of the art all-grades school for the children of the camp.  In 1961, the last high school class was graduated from the school, which continued to serve as the local elementary until 1992.  A year later, renovations were underway to turn the former school into a premier inn, encouraging tourism in the Kentucky coalfields.

Today, the Benham Schoolhouse Inn is under the direction of the Southeastern Kentucky Community and Technical College, which runs a Hospitality Management program, allowing students to work as interns at the inn.  Original hardwood floors, historic school photos, painted lockers, and other little touches remind those who stay overnight or visit for any number of special events and functions hosted by the inn, that the school spirit is still alive at the Benham Schoolhouse.  That might be true figuratively as well as literally...

The web is full of stories about the inn being haunted, and while the activity varies, almost all reported events involve the spirits of former students.  The sounds of children laughing, playing, and talking are heard at all hours throughout the former school.  Even the apparitions of children, dressed in the style of the 1920s, have been seen by the more sensitive visitors.  Other reported incidents involve an apparition of a man carrying a suitcase, lights that dim by themselves, and a shower that turned on and soaked a guest.  One theory presented as to why the school might be haunted came from a Harlan County local on a Topix post.  This contributor, who went to school at the Benham School, claims that the building was erected over a cemetery where not all the bodies were removed.  In fact, this contributor claims that an intact skeleton was unearthed and used in the school's anatomy classes to teach the skeletal system!

Benham Schoolhouse Inn Facebook Page

The Galley Restaurant and Hackett Hotel

From Hidden Marietta

Hidden Marietta just ran an awesome article about some of the many haunted places to eat throughout Marietta, Ohio...which linked to another another article on haunted accommodations as well!  I was pleased to see that I have already featured a few of the locations listed, such as Buckley House and Lafayette Hotel, but one location I hadn't heard of appears to be a recent addition on the Hidden Marietta tours:

The Galley Restaurant and Hackett Hotel

Located at 203 Second Street, the original Hackett Hotel was built in 1899 by John H. Riley, who arrived in town a decade before and quickly began building magnificent structures throughout the town.  The Hackett Hotel was strategically located across from the train station and rail yards, and featured such amenities as an in-house bowling alley and bar.  And...as a way to further accommodate the young men who arrived in Marietta by boat and by rail, the Hackett Hotel featured a bevy of "working girls."

By the 1960s, the hotel had fallen into disrepair, and it wouldn't be until the 1980s when new life was breathed into the structure, turning it into the Galley Restaurant.  Immediately upon opening, it was apparent that something was amiss.  Bottles would shatter to the ground.  Glasses would fly off racks and break.  Even chairs would mysteriously and violently be shoved across empty rooms by  unseen hands.  Employees quickly decided their resident ghost needed a name, so they christened her "Charlotte."

It is believed Charlotte was one of the Hackett's working girls because she tends to interact with men only...and interact quite malevolently at times.  In addition to the poltergeist-like activity of chairs and glasses being thrown about, those who encounter Charlotte report feeling very uneasy and threatened around her.  And...Charlotte isn't just limited to roaming the Galley Restaurant.  Her domain is the ENTIRE building!

Up until 2012, the third floor of the building held several small, private apartments, where gentleman residents occasionally ran afoul of Charlotte's shenanigans.  Just recently, however, those apartments were renovated and converted into a new, posh Hackett Hotel, featuring five brand-new rooms with a nod to its early 20th century beginnings.  And, like renovations tend to do, Charlotte's ghost got riled up.  A small child reported talking with a "woman in a long dress" that no one else present could see.

If you're looking for a fun weekend trip this year, definitely consider Marietta, Ohio!  Catch a bite at the popular Galley Restaurant, make a reservation on the Hidden Marietta tour, and spend a night in the unique Hackett Hotel.  You MIGHT just get to see Charlotte's antics up close!

Huntington's Suicide Hotel and the Ghosts of the Express Printing Building

Park Tower, Randal Brown Collection

So...the term "suicide hotel"  obviously seems a little dramatic, and you're probably wondering what the heck it has to do with a local printing company...a haunted local printing company, at that!  Honestly, I haven't really put together all the pieces myself, but I hope you enjoy reading about the wild journey that led me to both of these locations from the 700th block of Fourth Avenue in downtown Huntington!

It actually all started at another investigation...

During an HPIR investigation of another historic building in the Huntington area, our Ovilus started saying some strange things.  While in Dictionary Mode, it surprised us all when instead of saying something normally found in a dictionary, it spit out the name Edwin.  We had some other interesting things happen that evening that seemed to be associated with this entity that we now called Edwin, so when I got home after the investigation, I began the research process into finding out whether this guy really did exist, and if he did, who he could be and why was he there.

I started with a simple search on the West Virginia Division of Culture's website, looking for anyone named Edwin who died in Cabell County between 1920 and 1940.  I didn't find anything that might relate to the case we were working, but I did find something of interest that immediately drew me in:  On July 30, 1938 Edwin M. Godby, a divorced dentist from Clarksburg, took his own life.  The 41 year old shot himself in the head at a place called the Park Tower Hotel in Huntington.

I don't pretend to be an expert on Huntington's history, but I thought that I would have at least come across this location before.  But, never having heard of it, I turned to Google.  The first entry that popped up was a Find-a-Grave entry!  The entry was for a 21 year old gentleman named Ronald E. Barr.  Barr was a traveling glass salesman from Wellsburg, WV.  On October 9, 1935, Barr took his own life through an overdose of Sodium Amytal.  He did so at the Park Tower Hotel in Huntington, WV.

So within a few minutes time, I had gone from having no knowledge of the Park Tower Hotel, to finding out only two pieces of information about it:  that it was located on the corner of 7th Street and 4th Avenue, and that two people had committed suicide there.  Therefore, I facetiously nicknamed it the Suicide Hotel!  Later, I went on to do some library research and found out a little more about the history.  The Park Tower Hotel was built around 1927 by renowned architect Levi Dean.  70 guestrooms boasted private baths, while 53 rooms were available without.  George Arrington was the proprietor for many years and was a proud manager for the "fireproof" hotel.  A 1928 Marshall yearbook ad claimed that visiting sports team to the college always stayed at the Park Tower because it was clean and homey...and at rooms available for $2 or less a night, was an economical choice!  Over the years, the Engineers Club of Huntington also met here.  Unfortunately, the hotel would quickly lose its charms.  It later became known as the Milner Hotel, and had a rather seedy reputation up until the 1980s.

Park Tower after the 1937 Flood. Source

*Side Note:  In 1924 Congress passed legislation promising anyone serving in WW1 a bonus of sorts; they were to receive $1.25 for each day served overseas and $1 for each day served in the United States.  These payments were to start in 1945, but in 1932, many of these veterans were feeling the effects of the Great Depression.  Destitute, they banded together  and ascended on Washington, D.C. Calling themselves the Bonus Expeditionary Force, they demanded their payment be made early.  Much to the dismay of Huntington officials, who were already having a hard time feeding its own citizens, the fight of the BEF was brought to Huntington, and Doak Carter set up headquarters in the Park Tower Hotel.*

Anyway, this was a cool location with some tragic history, but since the building was torn down in the early 1980s and there were no actual ghost stories known, I never added it to the growing list of Haunted WV locations.  I kept it in the back of my mind, though...

Sometime before all this happened, I had been introduced to another Huntington location said to be haunted:  The Express Printing Building, located across from the courthouse.  Geoffrey Foster, a local paranormal investigator, had written a book about some of his personal experiences and local haunts...and the Express Printing Building was a location where he personally lived and experienced paranormal activity.  According to Foster's book, Ghosts of West Virginia, the most common occurrence in the three-storey building's upstairs apartment complex is hearing heavy, phantom footsteps in the hallways.  Other activity included the sounds of dishes rattling in the sink in the author's own apartment, and a collection of Happy Meal toys in a friend's finding themselves taken off a shelf and apparently played with!

It was believed that these hauntings could be a result of a fire that broke out in the back of the building...a fire that took the lives of a small child and a homeless man who had passed out on the back staircase.  The staircase in particular became a hotbed of activity, with several people having the experience of someone unseen following them up the stairs, breathing heavily, and even brushing up against them.  At the time, I didn't really pay attention to the address of this location, but knew it was across from the Cabell County courthouse.  With so many other things going on, I never got a chance to research the location further, and like the "Suicide Hotel," it got relegated to the back of my mind.

Then, last year, I needed a printer in a hurry to whip of some preview copies of my own book, Haunted Huntington, Volume I.  I chose Express Printing because it was local and I had heard good things about them.  The owners were wonderful people and they did a great job, VERY quickly, for me and seemed very interested in the subject matter of the booklet.  I only got to chat a moment with them, but they claimed to have never had any ghosts in the bottom floor of the building, where the shop was located.

Anyway, it wasn't until a week later when I was picking up my books that I came to a startling realization.  The address for Express Printing was in the 700th block of Fourth Avenue, with just a small building separating it from being on the actual corner of 7th St. and 4th Avenue.  I wracked my brain trying to remember where I had heard that address before:  it was the address of the Suicide Hotel!

There's no real reason to believe that perhaps the many souls and/or energies that permeated the Suicide Hotel moved over to Express Printing when the building was torn down, but the coincidence of how I found out about the hotel and how it does relate, at least geographically, to a reported haunting, is just one of those weird things that this field always finds me in the middle of!

Black and white photo and some historical information for the Park Tower Hotel, courtesy of Huntington: The Edwardian Age's Modern Movement (2005) by Don Daniel McMillian.