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| By WarthPhoto.com, via TheThirstyMuse.com |
The Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus is an institution on Columbus' High Street. The building was erected in 1897 as Bott Brothers' Buffet and Billiards, a tavern and gentleman's saloon that sold cigars as well.
On a cold February evening in 1909, Colonel Randolph Pritchard, known to all as a womanizer, sat in the candlelit tavern. He was summoned to the door and what he found there would change his life forever; in fact, it would END his life. A woman was waiting for him, and as he approached her, she revealed a knife that she used to stab the Colonel over and over again.
Trying to summon help, the Colonel stumbled toward the doorway of the tavern and fell, bleeding to death in the snow. His attacker, who many believe was a spurned lover, made her escape in a waiting coach, leaving no trace except for two dainty footprints in the snow. The time of the murder was 10:05 p.m....a time that would be forever ingrained in the memory of those in the city, as the restaurant's large outdoor clock mysterious stopped, its hands frozen in time marking the hour of the Colonel's death.
Years later, building on that story, the tavern was renamed The Clock. Today, it's known as The Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus, offering an upscale array of American cuisine and over a dozen specialty brews. And, while most people probably come for the food and the spirits...I'm going for the uh, spirits, lol.
As the legends go, the restaurant is haunted by both the Colonel AND his murderer. The Colonel is seen manifesting as a brilliant ball of light throughout the facility. But, his killer makes her presence known in a slightly more subtle way. On snowy February evenings, especially on the anniversary of the stabbing, patrons and staff alike have observed two dainty little footprints appearing in the snow before their very eyes! These phantom footprints fade as mysteriously as they appear, proof that the young woman is doomed to never leave the site of her greatest sin. She was never caught, and her identity is not known, but many believe that she died the night of the murder, possibly freezing to death out in the winter storm that tore through the city that evening.
I personally haven't had much luck finding ANY historical evidence to support these claims, and several websites that cover the story claim that its just a nice legend...and a good back story to explain why the clock was broken and to draw in customers. I'll let ya know what I find out in my travels!
Happy Haunting!
Twenty-seven years ago, when it was still The Clock, my friend, Tom worked the bar. He was responsible for closing after last-call, and there alone, he experienced plenty… HE said. I hung out after hours a couple times to see if I’d get any surprises. Going to the basement to use the facilities was creepy enough, but using the urinal, and having an empty toilet stall flush? Weird.
ReplyDeleteOne other time, everything was wiped down, and in its place, we locked up and left. He calls me at 10 the next morning, and said, “You gotta come see this.” The chairs for the back tables were doing a balancing act. Pretty high. I looked at him and said, “Nice work, bud.” We had a drink.