Spooky Stories: Exploring the Haunted Sites of Cleveland
It’s that time of year already – the season of bonfires, scary movies, and spooky stories – and my favorite stories to discover are those from our own backyard. Growing up in Cleveland, I’ve heard my fair share of local rumors and stories about our city growing up; whether being dared to sneak out to Gore Orphanage in High School, or driving past Franklin Castle and gazing into the windows, hoping for a glimpse at a ghost. Cleveland has such a rich and storied past, I needed time to fully dive in and discover these sites for myself, before working on the artwork for this map. Thanks to some internet digging and my spooky friend Chris, I was finally able to put it together and hope it inspires you to do some digging of your own! You can shop this design on a tote bag, tee, and print in either Black or Creme.
There are many more locations than what’s shown on my map design, but I narrowed it down to a handful that felt the most iconic or inspired me the most – you may discover some others as you do your own research. Also, Lake Erie certainly deserves its own map, so these are mostly city sites ;) If you’d like to learn a bit more about each location on the map, I’ve pulled together brief summaries for each. Read on…
FRANKLIN CASTLE: Built in 1881 by Hannes Tiedemann, this home was named after the street it occupies in Ohio City. The family suffered the tragic deaths of four of their children, along with Hannes’ mother and wife – although any suspicion of foul play by Hannes is said to be unfounded. The castle has since gone through many different owners, and with each one, have come new accounts of strange ghostly activity, stories of secret rooms, and attempts to contact the dead that may haunt the property. It’s now a private residence, but admiring its looming presence from the street is enough to send shivers down your spine.
RENAISSANCE HOTEL: This beautiful and historic hotel has hosted a variety of celebrities over the years – including guests like Eliot Ness, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Duke Ellington. Built in 1918 and originally named Hotel Cleveland, the Renaissance has spawned a collection of ghost stories and encounters – with reports of flushing toilets, possessed faucets, and slamming doors. These “visitors” are said to perhaps be guests of the tavern that originally stood on this land – but it’s clear they aren’t ready to check out.
FAIRPORT HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE: The first lighthouse keeper’s wife, Mary Babcock, became ill and was bedridden in the keeper’s quarters – with her cats around to keep her company. A gray cat, named Sentinel, disappeared after Mary’s death, only for his remains to be found during renovations in 2001. The remains of the mummified cat are kept on display in the lighthouse museum, and the ghost of the cat has been spotted on the property. The site has since been explored by paranormal researchers – you can climb to the top of the tower and see for yourself, if you dare!
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK: The Federal Reserve Bank in downtown Cleveland, built in 1914, is said to be haunted by a woman named Matilda. She took her own life in 1929 after the stock market crashed, and she lost everything. When she appears to people, they have said she’s dressed like a flapper – so keep your eyes peeled when you’re in the bank! Fun fact: its original vault door is the largest in the world, and incorporates the largest hinge ever to be built.
PLAYHOUSE SQUARE: Many guests of the theaters have reported spooky encounters – from seeing people who aren’t actually there show up in photos, to the feeling of being watched, to sightings of the infamous man in the green suit. It’s said that theaters are a hotbed for ghost activity, as they are attracted to the bustling human energy within them, allowing them to make their earthly visit. Have you ever spotted a theater ghost when catching a show?
GRAYS ARMORY: The Cleveland Grays were a private, volunteer military organization that assisted local law enforcement, and had duties in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I. Now a museum, this Romanesque building from 1893 features several incredible rooms – including a ballroom, a pub, a billiards room (that has hosted the likes of Teddy Roosevelt) and a full shooting range in the basement. Having toured this space myself, it’s wild to imagine what those walls could say if they could talk. Reports of hearing voices, doors locking on their own, and sightings of a woman in white by the piano have all contributed to this landmark’s haunted history.
SAILORS’ AND SOLDIERS’ MONUMENT: Did you know that this memorial in the heart of Cleveland’s Public Square sits atop an underground tunnel system? Yeah, I didn’t either! The tunnels were used as storage for the city, and at one point, a fallout shelter. Those brave enough to explore the tunnels have reported footsteps, voices, and ghostly apparitions seen in photographs. Public tours are available each October, if you aren’t too claustrophobic to run into a ghost underground!
ERIE STREET CEMETERY: As Cleveland’s oldest standing cemetery, it’s a sight to behold right in the middle of the city, across from Progressive Field. Some of Cleveland’s earliest settlers are buried here, along with Joc-O-Sot, the proud Chief of the Mesquakie, a Native American tribe from Iowa. In traveling back home to Iowa, Joc-O-Sot became ill and passed away, and was buried in Cleveland against his wishes. It’s said that he remains restless here, causing him to crack his grave marker. Other stories include seeing a woman in white, and various apparitions – which is no surprise, as it’s estimated that thousands are buried within this small plot of land.
DRURY MANSION: Built in 1912 by industrialist Francis Drury, this sprawling mansion features over 50 rooms, maze-like hallways. and a secret tunnel that runs under Euclid Avenue to the Drury Theater. In its later years, the property served as a boarding house, and then a halfway house in 1972 – and that’s when the ghost stories seem to begin. Inmates reported the feeling of being watched, hearing footsteps, doors closing, and window blinds sliding up and down on their own. An employee reported seeing a ghost of a mysterious woman with a top knot, who has been spotted in the main staircase as well as the kitchen. Eek!
SQUIRE’S CASTLE: Tucked away in the North Chagrin area of the Metroparks, F.B. Squire built this mansion as a summer home for himself and his family, where they could eventually live off the land and he could enjoy hunting at his leisure. The story that’s become legend is one where his wife ventured down into the trophy room with her red lantern, saw something terrifying, fell and broke her neck – however, records show she didn’t pass in that manor. Still, there are reports that you can spot a red light coming from the windows of the castle at night – or see something moving about within the interior. The building is an empty shell now, with only the exterior remaining, but I’d venture to guess it’s still a spooky sight to behold if you’re hanging around the woods late at night.
Sources: Cleveland 19, Ghosts of Ohio, Only In Your State, Rock the Lake, Wikipedia, New Day Cleveland
Fashion Flash
{photo: Allison Carey for the Plain Dealer}
I had a little moment in the Plain Dealer yesterday – check out my Fashion Flash feature online here. It was so fun to talk style with the editor, Allison, and to shoot some of my favorite looks. It's inspired me to keep remixing the clothes I have, although I'm already itching to shop for spring. At least there's plenty of time to prepare (sadly).
On the bright side – February is almost half over! What spring things are you shopping for?
Made in the 216 Holiday Shoppe
The ever-fabulous Made in the 216 Holiday Shoppe launches with a bang this Friday, the 29th and runs until Christmas Eve. If you're interested in more local-focused Black Friday shopping, then head to Room Service for some handmade goods, a hot toddy, and some sweets!
I'm thrilled to have some prints and handmade ornaments in this year's shoppe. This event is not to be missed!
More details below - hope to see you all there!
Back for Summer: Lake Erie Love Tanks
the style letters' Re-Launch Party
You can see even more photos of the details and outfits over on the style letters. Congratulations, Maria, on being a super great client, having a brand new blog, and on a successful debut party!
The store we visited was located at Beachwood Place, so if you're local, be sure to stop in and say hello to Jen, Liz, and Bethany!
Lake Erie Love tanks
A few weeks ago, I worked with a group here at American Greetings to produce my "Lake Erie Love" prints into some cute tanks for summertime.
They came out great and I love the little anchor on the back. There is still plenty of summer left, so you can head over here to check them out. I'll definitely be wearing mine on our next boating trip!
WMC Fest talk video
My talk from this year's WMC Fest was recorded, and is now uploaded for those of you who might have missed it. Or for me to watch and cringe ;) You can follow along with my slides in PDF form since you can't see them in the video, there's a link in the video description. You can also see all of the other awesome talks on WMC Fest's YouTube channel. I can't believe this was already two months ago, I had such a blast and watching the talks totally takes me back.
WMC Fest 2012 Wrap-up
I wish I saw enough talks to give a play-by-play of the speakers like I did last year, but with working a table both days, it was very tough to be in two places at once. However, I can at least share a bit about my experience and what it was like to be on the other side of the fest. If you're looking for some great write-ups, check out here, here and here (you will also be able to see the true fluorescence of my pants somewhere in there).
This was my first time speaking {ever} and I had so much fun. I can't wait to do it again. The first time is always the hardest - but the ice has been broken! My talk was called Side Hustle, and was aimed at encouraging young designers to continue working for themselves even after getting a steady 9-to-5. It's so vital to remain relevant outside of your job, and I gave some tips about how to make this process less overwhelming.
After the talk I made a beeline for the Happy Dog to get some food (and a big, cold beer! woo!) and then we checked out some of the bands at Saigon Plaza. You can tell I'm pretty relieved at this point ;)
I had a vendor table set up in the iLTHY Workshop gallery both Saturday and Sunday, and we had a great little crew. It was a tight space behind the tables so we all got reeeeal familiar with each other (occasional ass bumps will do that).
The fest was amazing as always, and it was incredible to see the amount of people who came out this weekend – WMC is definitely growing and gaining some serious momentum. It's just proof that there's such great strength and energy in the creative community, and that "if you build it, they will come." So if that doesn't give you a swift kick in the ass to get your latest project off the ground, I don't know what will. There isn't anything we can't accomplish with our passion, networks, and relentless hard work.
Big thanks to all my friends and family who came out to help, support, be there, etc. You guys are THE BEST. And thank you to Dean for taking these photos – I pretty much blinked and the weekend was over, and had barely any pics to show for it.
So did you guys attend WMC? Who was your favorite speaker or band – and what did you love about the weekend?
Announcing: WMC Fest 2012
