Franklin Castle

Ohio · United States · House

The most haunted house in Ohio. Human bones in a closet and a family weighed down by death.

Franklin Castle, also known as the Tiedemann House, in Cleveland, Ohio was built between 1881 and 1883 for the wealthy German immigrant Hannes Tiedemann. The gloomy stone mansion is often called the most haunted house in all of Ohio.

The Tiedemann family suffered several deaths. The fifteen year old daughter Emma died of diabetes in January 1881, and his wife Louise died of liver disease in 1895, aged 57. Contrary to the rumours, however, none of the children died in the house itself, which was not completed until 1883.

The ghost stories only began in the 1960s, after a German club sold the house in 1968 and the Romano family moved in with their six children. Rumour held that the house was haunted by Mrs Tiedemann and her daughter Emma. In 1975 human bones were found in a closet, but they are believed to have been planted by an owner who wanted to advertise his ghost tours.

Historians urge caution. The author William Krejci, who has written a book about Franklin Castle, holds that the stories of Hannes Tiedemann's cruelty have grown with the years: they were very kind people, and Mr Tiedemann was a benefactor in the community. Over the years, however, residents and visitors have described women's voices, children crying, doors slamming shut on their own and a woman in black glimpsed in the tower room. Whatever the truth of the matter, Franklin Castle lives on as the most legend haunted building in Cleveland, with its turrets, gargoyles and ominous history.

Source: English Wikipedia "Franklin Castle" + clevelandhistorical.org + allthatsinteresting.com + ghostsofohio.org

FAQ

Where is Franklin Castle located?

Franklin Castle is in Ohio, United States.

Image: Christopher Busta-Peck (Talk) · CC BY-SA 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons