Halloween: Haunted Houses

Today is Halloween, so intstead of posting regularly I think I'll write about supposedly real haunted houses.

James A. Garfield's House in Mentor, Ohio -This house, which is now a National Landmark, was the former residence of president James A. Garfield. Security guards have reported hearing the president's wife, Lucretia, walking upstairs at night. She is said to turn lights on after the guards have turned them off. While renovating the inside of the house, workers tended to leave the room in which they were working a mess. The next morning, everything would be neatly in place.

Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee - Local legends say that the Bell Witch has haunted the area surrounding the caves for hundreds of years. It is said that the witch appears to people in human form. There are many unexplainable pictures of shadows and other such entities in the cave. Upon entering the cave, it is alleged that one will be overcome by the feeling of being watched. It is further asserted that if one is to take a rock from the cave, they shall be forever cursed. Many others have also reported voices in restricted areas of the cave that cannot be reached by any human.

The Collinwood School in Cleveland, Ohio - Now a state monument, this school was the site of a huge fire in the early twentieth century. Over one hundred people died because the doors in the school opened inwardly rather than outwardly, preventing escape. Residents that live near the school have reported seeing a light come on in one room, traverse the hall and go back from whence it came. Police investigated and found no one living in the building.

Royalty Theater in Clearwater, Florida - The Royalty Theater was once an old vaudevillian movie house and since 1921, it has been plagued by paranormal activity. The theater’s apparition is nicknamed Captain. He is said to be a bearded, blue-eyed man in a blue coat and hat. Footsteps are heard moving across the stage when no one is present. On one stage wall, there is an image of a knife that simply will not go away–it has been covered by twenty coats of paint! Users of the theater do maintain, however, that Captain is actually very friendly and does not harm anyone.

Ghost Light Road in Jacksonville, Florida - A man was once drag racing down this road on his motorcyle in the 50's or 60's when he crashed and was subsequently decapitated. If one drives on this road at about five miles an hour, a white light (single headlight of a motorcyle) will appear in the rearview mirror of the car and approach the car and then disappear and a red light (taillight) will appear in front of the car driving away.

The Boston House in Fort Pierce, Florida - In 1901, a woman hanged herself in the attic of this building. The attic, which now serves as an attorney's office, is haunted by the woman. The woman now haunts the buildings. Her visits occur so often that the story has been featured in the local newspaper numerous times.

Reynolds Hall in Tallahassee, Florida - Located on one of the lower floors of this dormitory is a communal shower in which a janitor once hanged himself. Today, the man haunts the facilities. The showers will turn themselves on and off and the bathroom doors open and close.

Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine, Florida - The building that is now a college used to be the Ponce de Leon Hotel, run by Henry Flagler and his mentally unstable wife. After their daughter died, Mrs. Flagler hanged herself on the fourth floor of the hotel. The building, which is also the girls dormitory is plagued by many strange events. Girls on the third floor constantly hear ballroom music above them, although the 4th floor is sealed off. One girl reportedly went into hysterics because her bed began to shake wildly, though no one was in the room with her. Though they need the space, administrators will not allow students to room on the fourth floor.