The Demon of Brownsville Road

Bob Cranmer, a former Allegheny County Commissioner, bought in 1988, what he thought would be his family’s dream home . . .

Grand Oaks Manor

This house, just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was huge, in good shape for its age, and the right price.

But the family quickly regretted this purchase.

During the walk-through as Bob, his wife, Lesa, and their four children inspected their new home they found their youngest son sitting on the staircase crying hysterically.

They never discovered why.

Bob Cranmer

At first, unusual activities like faucets, radios, and lights turning off and on, didn’t bother Bob. He brushed it off--it must be just old plumbing and wiring.

But then other strange things began to happen.

Members of the family began to wake up with unexplained scratch and bite marks on their legs. At night they heard loud pounding on the walls.

Mysterious footsteps where heard in the hallway and members of the family were either tripped or pushed by invisible hands.

The family began to avoid one room in the house, known as the Blue Room, because of a shadowy, dark figure that they had seen and sensed was evil. This figure was always accompanied by a “rotting smell.”

The home's living room.

Members of the family began to wear crosses for protection. These often would be found bent, broken in two, and some were flung across the room.

Bob did research about the history of the home and discovered it had a violent past.

The property it sat upon was the site of a 1700 massacre. Native Americans had killed a group of white settlers.

In 1909, the builder of the home had become so disturbed by what he felt was haunting the area that he “cursed the house.”

In the 1920s and 30s, a doctor rented a room in the home. It was believed he performed hundreds of abortions in this space.

By 2003, this evil presence drove Bob’s wife and two of his sons into temporary insanity. All three spent time in psychiatric wards.

After living in the home for 18 years, in 2006, the family decided to fight back.

Bob spent months reading Bible verses out loud each night despite the fact bite and scratch marks continued to appear on his body.

He brought in a demonologist, who felt the activity centered in one closet in the home. When a wall was torn down in this area, items belonging to previous owners, plus Bob’s family, were discovered.

The items all had scribbling on the back, with hateful, mean things written about each object’s owner.

Cranmer's Book

A local priest then performed an exorcism.

Bob, who still lives at Grand Oaks, feels this worked, for there has been no further demonic activity in the home.

In his book, The Demon of Brownsville Road, Bob shares more details about this story.

Mad Anthony: Spectral Midnight Rider

Even though ghosts are seen during the day the most dramatic sightings often are witnessed at night. Specifically, at midnight known as the witching hour.

Mad Anthony Wayne

This ghost story takes place at the witching hour in both upstate New York and Pennsylvania. After midnight one must gather their courage in these two states for many have reported seeing a spectral horse and its owner.

This ghost is Major General Mad Anthony Wayne and his horse Nancy. They are seen charging across shadowed hills and isolated roads.

Wayne was a hero during the American Revolutionary War. He got the nickname “Mad Anthony” because he took dangerous risks that exhibited a restless and daring courage.

Wayne with Nancy

His partner in this heroism was his horse Nancy. In one spot where he is seen, Storm King Pass, in 1779 he raced across the Hudson River in New York on Nancy’s back in order to warn a group of American troops that British soldiers were fast approaching.

This scene is still witnessed at midnight. People state Wayne and Nancy show no signs of fear.

In more dramatic witness accounts of this sighting it is said that white-hot orange sparks are seen flashing from Nancy’s hooves while Wayne’s dark cloak billows out behind him.

In a long standing legend it is stated Wayne’s ghost and Nancy are also seen along a road that runs between Radnor and Erie, Pennsylvania. The cause for this haunting is said to be the fact the old general is looking for some of his bones.

Old Fort on Presque Isle

These sightings occur on Presque Isle as well as at the old Wayne blockhouse in Erie.

Hooves are also heard pounding on Contestoga Road into Lancaster, along the Susquehanna River, then up the west bank to the Alleghenies all the way to the shores of Lake Erie.

It was along this route that Wayne’s remains journeyed in a wagon. The general was buried at the Old Fort on Presque Isle originally.

St. David's Episcopal churchyard.

But after his death his son, Isaac arranged to have his body dug up in 1809. He wanted his father’s remains buried at the old St. David Episcopal churchyard in Radnor—Wayne was a lifelong member of this church.

The box brought to carry his body was too small for all of Wayne’s bones so a surgeon made the decision to leave part of the bones buried at the fort. The rest were placed in this box and carried in a wagon across what was then still a wilderness.

The road to Radnor was rough and bumpy. It is said several of the bones fell out of the box and were left where they lay.

Waynes grave in Radnor.

What remained of Wayne’s body at the end of this journey was then reinterred at Old St. David’s churchyard.

The legend states that since Wayne’s body was disturbed and several of his bones were lost he still haunts this route looking for his missing bones.

His ghost is seen most often at midnight on New Years Day—this was Wayne’s birthday. Witnesses state they hear Mad Anthony whistling for Nancy his faithful horse and then her hooves are heard pounding across the rough landscape.

State Theatre: Freddy’s Ghost

State Theatre—now known as State Theatre Center for the Arts has one beloved ghost.

This theatre that opened in 1925 is in Easton, Pennsylvania. Architect William H. Lee designed it. He took his inspiration for his design from the Davanzanti Palace in Florence, Italy. The result is a unique blend of beauty and grace.

State Theater

The State Theatre was first used for touring vaudeville acts. When this era ended it like most theaters in the U.S. was then used as a movie theater.

From the 1930s until the 1960s J. Fred Osterstock managed this theater. He loved the building so much that during the flood of 1955 he lived in his office to protect the building.

After Fred’s death in the 1970s, the theatre fell on hard times. Its beautiful frescoes and artwork were painted over. The building was now used for rock concerts.

This activity evidently stirred up Freddy’s ire. It was during this time his ghost began to make appearances.

J. Fred Osterstock

The theaters’ night maintenance staff was the first to see Freddy’s ghost. On several occasions, they spotted a man who they thought was trespassing.

They first saw him standing in the back of the theater. When they approached him, he vanished into thin air. This shocked them for he appeared real.

On another occasion, they watched this figure as it went into a utility closet—they followed him, but he just disappeared.

They were so alarmed they called in the police. The first time the officers found nothing. The second time they were called out, the officers brought their police dogs.

Once in the theater, these dogs stopped in their tracks and refused to move. They stood still, their hair on end and growled at a sight no one else could see.

In the 1970s historian Ken Klabunde was closing the building for the night when he spotted a figure walk off the stage while he was alone. Intrigued, he did some research. He discovered a photo of Freddy and realized this was the man he had seen.

By the 1980s the theater was in such terrible shape plans were made to tear it down. A group of concerned citizens came together and saved the building.

Today, the State Theatre has been restored to its original beauty. Live theatre and concerts are performed in the building once more.

Freddy’s ghost still haunts the building—it appears he is pleased. He is so active, a live radio show broadcasts from the building every Halloween. Listeners can call in with their questions for Freddy.

His ghost is so appreciated that the State Theatre gives out an award named the “Freddy Awards.” This ceremony is the theatre's own Oscars.

2014 Freddy Awards
Photo: Bill Adams

Culp’s Ghost: Haunted Death Row

The old Allegheny County Prison in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania became famous in 1907 when the New York Times published a short article entitled, Murderers Saw A Ghost.

According to this piece prisoners housed in the jail’s “Murderers Row” or Death Row, were complaining that a prisoner that had committed suicide was keeping them awake at night.

Old Allegheny Jail

The Allegheny County Jail, like many of its counterparts of the time, is an impressive structure. Henry Richardson, a Boston architect, designed the prison in the 1880s. It took five years to complete, and cost 2 million dollars.

This fortress is a mixture of Syrian arches, French Gothic dormer windows, French Renaissance roofs, and Byzantine columns. Turrets and arches rise 300 feet above the prison’s massive walls. Today it is a National Historic Landmark.

A centerpiece of this design is a Courthouse tower, that is connected to the jail by a Renaissance footbridge dubbed the “Bridge of Sighs.”

This old-world atmosphere is the perfect setting for a haunting.

According to the Times article W. A. Culp was awaiting trial for the murder of his brother, in a cell on Death Row, in 1907, when guilt overcame him, and he took his own life.

At this time, there were 14 other men being held on Death Row in the Allegheny jail. Shortly after Culp’s death, these men began to complain that they were being kept awake all night.

They stated the cause for this was Culp’s ghost. He was visiting them in the row each night and keeping them awake until daybreak when his spirit would then disappear.

At first, their complaints were ignored but these men were so vehement about this ghostly harassment, that the warden at the time—a man by the name of Lewis was forced to move all 14 prisoners to another part of the jail.

This evidently worked for Culp’s ghost then left these men alone.

The article relaying this information was published in the New York Times newspaper on September 15, 1907, as an exclusive. It can be read here.

Another article published in the Times also focuses upon a haunting. This ghostly activity happened in Sag Harbor in 1895—it can be read here.

Historical Museum Ghosts: Caught on Camera?

The following two stories have gotten attention in recent years. The first claims a ghost was caught on museum security cameras in Utah the second was a digital photo taken in a museum in Pennsylvania.

The first capture occurred in October of 2007 at a Pioneer Memorial Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Late one night when the museum was dark security officers noticed what appeared to be a woman’s face on their security video cameras.

When this image moved, they became concerned an intruder was in the building—they called in the Highway Patrol to investigate.

When these officers arrived the image on the screens slowly faded—it had remained on the screens for several minutes. The police found no one in the museum. But this story did not end here.

Three more times over the next seven days various museum employees spotted this female face on the security videos. The camera lenses were cleaned and items where shifted but this image continued to appear.

At the end of this week it was seen for the last time.

Image captured

Some state the image seen was just a reflection in glass that the cameras picked up. But it was recorded in various rooms and even more compelling it changed positions.

So was this a ghost?

The second image was captured in 2014 on a digital camera.

A Civil War re-enactor and his brother were visiting the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum when a friend snapped a photo of them in one room.

He captured a fuzzy out-of-focus figure that looks odd.

It should be noted the three visitors claim they were the only three in the room at the time this photo was taken.

The photographer stated, “The coat the figure wears had an old fashioned rain flap and it is wearing high gloves. There appears to be a sword on the figures left side.”

It was also noted the figure’s feet appeared odd.

This photo has been shared multiple times on reddit and Pinterest.

Click on image to enlarge.

Skeptics state this is just another re-enactor but the visitors insist they were the only three in the room.

So was this a ghost?

Haunted Carnegie Library

Carnegie Library

In 1903, the town of Easton Pennsylvania chose a lot to build their new library on.

There was one problem the lot they chose contained an old cemetery. This meant 514 graves had to be moved.

Most of these remains where claimed by relatives and re-interred at other cemeteries. But there were 30 bodies that were dug up that went unclaimed.

One of these deceased was “Mammy” Elizabeth Bell Morgan who was buried under the west lawn of the new Carnegie library.

Another was William Parson who was placed in the front yard of the library.

The remaining 28 unidentified bodies were reburied in a common vault under the northeast driveway that leads to the library.

As mentioned in other posts it is never a good idea to disturb the dead.

In the case of Easton’s new library this stirred up quite a bit of paranormal activity.

Evidently, Mammy did not like being disturbed for her ghost is seen floating across the library lawn at night.

She was first spotted 3 months before the library opened, after floating across the lawn she was seen—her head glowing—looking out of one of the new building’s windows.

People who have seen her apparition over the years state she is transparent.

The driveway where the common vault is located has become a trouble spot. The area above the vault keeps sinking in and has to be repaired frequently.

The library displays a map that shows the location of these graves.

The Carnegie library building is also haunted.

People hear doors slam shut loudly and on the second floor items are often moved.

There have been numerous reports of books thrown from shelves and people who work in the library often report being touched by unseen hands.

One ghost in particular likes to mess with people’s hair as the stand near the stacks.

When Carnegie still had a card file the drawers where often seen opening and closing of there own accord.

Both employees and patrons of the library have also seen ghostly figures walking through the building’s basement.

This ghostly activity happens so frequently that staff state they take it all in stride. It seems they do not mind sharing the space with spirits.