While Franklin Castle in Ohio is a large and beautifully constructed building, it is far from a fairytale mansion. Countless deaths and cruel murders have taken place within its walls, leading Franklin Castle to be considered Ohio’s most haunted places.
Built by German immigrant Hannes Tiedemann in 1865, the castle features at least twenty-one rooms, a ballroom, wine cellars, and numerous secret passageways. Over the years, it has served as everything from a German Socialist headquarters to a doctor’s office. It’s also home to plenty of ghosts, many of whom were viciously murdered or destroyed by disease as humans…
One of the most popular stories is that of a young girl hanged in one of the hidden corridors. Of course, there are many rumors surrounding her murder. Some say she was Tiedemann’s illegitimate daughter, and was killed solely for that. Others claim she had gone insane, and was hanged by her uncle who had been trying to end her misery. Still others have named the girl Karen, and say she was killed in a fight between her father and boyfriend. No matter what happened, her ghost is the one most commonly sighted in Franklin castle. She is described as tall, thin, and dressed entirely in black.
Unfortunately, soon after Hannes Tiedemann’s family had moved into Franklin Castle, tragedy struck. His teenage daughter Emma died from diabetes, which, back then, meant a long and painful death. His wife lost her life soon after to liver troubles, and three of his smallest children also suffered mysterious deaths. However, Tiedemann wasn’t exactly the world’s most faithful husband. He allegedly shot his young mistress for wanting to marry someone else, and her choking sounds can still be heard in a certain room.
Franklin Castle was also the setting for a Nazi mass murder, a bloody axe homicide, and probably more. The political discussions of the Nazis can still be heard throughout the halls, and the axe-murder victim is occasionally seen in the front tower window. But perhaps the most eerie discovery was found in the 1970’s…a room filled entirely with bones. Human baby skeletons, to be exact. After being examined by medical specialists as well as the castle’s occupants, the accepted theory is that the children were victims of an insane scientist and his botched medical experiments.
While the home is usually not a tourist attraction, many visitors have still experienced the haunts Franklin Castle has to offer. On the very afternoon the Romano family moved in, the six children went upstairs to play. They rushed down a few minutes later, asking their mother if they could give a cookie to their “new friend”. The children claimed many times that they had seen a little girl crying, but neither parent could ever find anyone. However, Mrs. Romano often heard eerie organ music, as well as voices and the clinking of glass. She finally asked a priest to perform an exorcism on the house, and afterwards, he demanded that they leave immediately.
Not shockingly, the supposedly cursed mansion has many more surprises in store. A full skeleton was found in one of the secret panels, but it may have just been a publicity stunt. A large bloodstain can be seen on the marble floor of the ballroom, and many visitors have reported noticing “cold spots” throughout the house. However, seeing as Franklin castle is a historical landmark, people have been trying to renovate it for years. But I doubt its original visitors are ever going to leave…
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