Gertrude's Ghost (EJ Carpenter Mansion of Minneapolis)

E.J. Carpenter House ca 1915
Photo from the Minneapolis Historical Society

Today's post is dedicated to the people of Minneapolis who are fighting the good fight. The ice is melting. 

At 300 Clifton Avenue, in the Loring Park district of Minneapolis, MN, sits a palatial residence known as the E.J. Carpenter Mansion. The home was originally built in 1887 in the Queen Ann style by C.M. Douglas, owner of a coal delivery business. Several years later, it became home to banker Harvey Brown, who passed away there in late 1901. 

Mrs. Brown passed away several years later and the property was transferred in November 1905 to Eugene (E.J.) Carpenter, and his wife, Merrette. The two had a daughter, Olivia, born around 1898. Mr. Carpenter was a lumberman, and a rather wealthy one at that. Yet, he had an eye for the arts. In 1906, he hired architect, Edwin Hewitt, to do some massive renovations on the house. When all was said and done, the former Queen Anne was now a Georgian Revival. 

The Carpenters were instrumental in the arts in other ways, most notably with the creation of the Minneapolis Institute of Art and their own private collection of pieces, which decorated the home. This art collection plays a vital role in one of the home's most prolific ghost stories. 

According to sources, in 1911 fire broke out in the Carpenter home. Merrette's personal maid, a young lady named Gertrude, was trying to save a valuable painting and somehow ended up drowning in a cistern in the basement. Surprisingly, at the time of writing, I cannot find any documentation that this event took place. I cannot even find confirmation that a lady named Gertrude was employed by the Carpenters. In the 1910 census, the family employed multiple servants, most of whom were Swedish or Norwegian-born (see list below) but no Gertrude. However, Gertrude is believed to be the primary spirit haunting the property. 

Source: Wikipedia

Gertrude has been heard humming in the maids' quarters. She has been heard walking up the stairs at times. An original rocking chair belonging to the family mysteriously rocks, presumably by Gertrude.  On the rare occasion that she is seen, she is described as having long blond hair. 

Gertrude is also said to be a protective spirit, guiding the fate of the home. After Mr. Carpenter passed in 1922, the home went to his wife and daughter, who owned it until 1948. But after that, it went through a string of owners, including the Mack's, who broke the home up into several residences. At one point, the home was slated for demolition but was saved. Those close to the source believe it was Gertrude who saved the home. 

The E.J. Carpenter Mansion was added to National Register of Historic Places and today operates as a B&B called 300 Clifton.  In 2025, manager Norman Kulba admitted to not having SEEN the spirits, but definitely feeling and hearing them, including an incident where he was alone in the house and heard shuffling and the tinkling of glasses in an empty dining area. He also notes that guests to the B&B have seen an entire phantom family in the carriage house. 

Current owners have embraced this spooky history. Gertrude's Cistern (aka Gertrude's Haunted Lounge) is an area in the basement that guests can rent or otherwise utilize to enjoy snacks, watch horror flicks, and hopefully catch a glimpse of Gertrude herself. Those seeking a little more adventure can book a haunted trolley tour of Minneapolis, which leaves and returns from 300 Clifton. And, there are plenty of beautifully and historically decorated rooms to rent and hopefully have a spooky experience of your own. 

Sources and Further Reading:

Eugene J. Carpenter House (Wikipedia Article)

300 Clifton (Website) (FaceBook)

How to Explore Minneapolis' Haunted History This Halloween, by Shay Scanlan. 22 October 2025. The Minnesota Daily

The Most Haunted Places in Minneapolis--and Other Fun Scary Things to Do, by Meet Minneapolis Blog

List of Servants in the Carpenter Home (According to 1910 Census Records):

Hans Nichelson M/40

Emma Nichelson F/36

Kate Sullivan F/54

Carrie Kutteron F/26

Palma Frederickson F/23

Ella Carlson F/21

Milly Thompson F/25

The Minneapolis Journal
01 January 1902

Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
23 March 1922

Minneapolis' Haunted Washington Avenue Bridge

Source: Twin Cities Pioneer Press

Of all the haunted locations throughout Minneapolis, the one I find most interesting is the Washington Avenue Bridge. Built in 1965 to replace an older bridge from 1884, the Washington Avenue Bridge crosses the Mississippi River, connecting the east and the west sides of the University of Minnesota campus. The bridge is unique in that its a double-decker; the top deck is a pedestrian and cyclist pathway, while the bottom deck is reserved for cars and the METRO Green Line light rail system. 

Unfortunately, over the its years of operation, the Washington Avenue Bridge has become what locals call a suicide hot spot. On January 7, 1972, John Berryman, a poet and university professor, possibly became the first to take his own life on the bridge when he jumped to his death, landing on the west bank of the river. Berryman had suffered from years of depression and alcoholism. A recent religious conversion wasn't enough to stop him from taking the plunge off the bridge that winter morning.

Following Berryman were at least half a dozen more, including a young male university student who allegedly wrapped himself up in his comic book collection before taking the fatal jump. It seems that any place so entwined with emotional and tragic tales of death must naturally gain a haunted reputation, and that's true of the Washington Avenue Bridge.

Pedestrian Level Source: 123RF

Pedestrians traversing the top deck of the bridge have reported hearing phantom footsteps coming up behind them. A feeling of being watched by an unseen presence lurking in the shadows is also often reported. In one alleged encounter, a pedestrian claimed that the figure of a man was seen coming towards him, but the figure vanished before the startled witness' eyes. Cold spots are another ghostly phenomenon linked to the bridge, despite the fact that heaters (while often not working or not working properly) have been installed in the pedestrian walkway areas. 

The Washington Avenue Bridge is a unique pathway connecting the University of Minnesota campus, but it has seen more than it's fair share of tragedy over the nearly 50 years since it was built. If you find yourself walking, biking, or just simply driving across it one day, remember to keep those who lost their lives below you in your thoughts.  And keep your eyes and ears open---you might just meet a ghost! 

Sources:

Sparber, Max. "Haunted Twin Cities: The Washington Avenue Bridge." MinnPost 24 October 2011

Washington Avenue Bridge Wikipedia

John Berryman Wikipedia