Griggs Mansion: St. Paul’s Most Haunted

Sitting on Summit Avenue, in St. Paul, Minnesota, amidst other Civil War-era mansions, is a stately 10-bedroom mansion.

This well-preserved home was named after it’s original owner, Chauncey W. Griggs.

Griggs was a Civil War officer and a grocery tycoon who had this lavish Victorian home built in 1883. He however only lived in this mansion for 4 years, before he headed west for more adventure and profits.

Griggs Mansion still retains its beautiful wood-paneled walls and stain glass windows. The original carriage house still stands in the back.

In the late 1930s, the mansion was donated to an art school that stayed for 25 years. The school had a beautiful skylight placed above the top floor.

This art school was the exception, for most who have owned Griggs Mansion, over the past Century, have moved out quickly.

This mansion is known to be St. Paul’s most haunted house—it has several ghosts and a variety of paranormal activity occurs in the home.

One of the most active ghosts is a maid who worked in the mansion at the turn of the 20^th Century. She committed suicide by hanging herself on the top floor’s landing after a failed love affair.

A maid and butler that worked in the mansion first saw her ghost in the early 20th Century.

Her apparition has been seen in a white mist ever since. Many witnesses have felt her presence—stating they got an overwhelming sense of doom while standing near the landing.

Another former employee haunts the library in the home. Charles Wade was the mansion’s obsessive caretaker and gardener.

Library door.

It is believed he spent hours in the mansion’s library, doing research on how to do his work better. His apparition has been seen in this room, and people have heard the rustling of pages of a book when no one else is around.

When he died, he was in the middle of a project in the garden. Some feel he lingers because of this unfinished business.

In 1964, Mr. Waschke bought the mansion intending to use it as his home and office. While working at his desk, in the library, he saw a man with a long face, white hat, and a dark suit, who was glaring at him from the doorway.

As he watched this apparition faded away.

When he had the home renovated, one window kept opening by itself—he finally had it nailed shut, but the next morning it was open once more.

Another ghost seen often is an old man with white hair, who wears a black suit and top hat. This male ghost has been seen in several different rooms.

In the early 1950s, Dr. Delmar Kolb joined the art school staff. He moved into a front basement apartment in the mansion. One night he awoke to two cold fingers pressed to his forehead.

When he turned on the light, he saw a blue flash that disappeared. Two nights later, he was awakened again. He saw a man dressed in a black suit and top hat standing at the foot of his bed.

This figure then turned and dissolved into a nearby brick wall.

Students, when the home was an art school, often reported, as they drew on easels, they felt something unseen looking over their shoulders. They speculated that it might be the maid who committed suicide on the upper floor.

When the art school moved out of the mansion to their new building, it is said the staff were relieved for they did not want to deal with unseen ghosts anymore.

One story often told is about three skeptical journalists, from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, who stayed at the house one night in 1969, to do research for an article. These three remained on the top floor near where the unfortunate maid had died, over 50 years before.

By 4:00 a.m., these three men fled the mansion in terror. They heard heavy footsteps on the stairs heading toward the upper floor. 

Staircase

One of these men braved the staircase on his own, at which point he felt a presence near him. All three men then ran out of the house—through the back entrance.

Recent owners of the mansion have discouraged paranormal interest in the home, but they all have left quickly. Griggs Mansion was put on the market in 2012, but it has not sold.

The price was reduced from 1.8 million to 1.1 million—but it was still on the market this year.

This says a lot because anyone who owns the home can rent out the basement apartments, that have the potential to bring in as much as $60,000 in revenue each year. That is if the tenants are willing to stay.

In 1959, three students moved into one basement apartment. One of the three was awakened to see the head of a child floating above his bed. Other students that have stayed in these apartments claim they were shaken awake.

The Ghost That Screamed

A former paranormal show on Destination America entitled, Casefiles Unknown first presented this story.

One segment entitled, The Ghost That Screamed talks about a teenager who died in a car crash in 1984.

Photo of the car crash. Photo credit: Big Picture Agency, Inc.

Four teenagers were driving near the Hyde Park golf course headed to a rock concert on a foggy, wet street when the 4-wheel-drive they were in hit a curve and left the road and crashed into a group of trees.

Two teenage boys and one girl survived the impact. The fourth a 16-year-old boy seated in the front passenger seat died at the scene of the crash.

When Officer Brian Coyle and his partner of the St. Paul Police Department arrived at the scene—the fourth teenager was wedged inside the car under the dashboard. Coyle took several photographs at the crash site.

Several days after he turned the department camera into the Film Property Room, he received a call from the officer who developed the photos he snapped at the crash site. This officer requested he should stop by.

Coyle was shown the photos from the scene. There were images on these snapshots that had not been there at the time they were taken.

Several had strange red and yellow lights streaking through them. In another one taken above the driver’s side door--there was a face that appeared to be in agony and was screaming.

This image had both distinct hair and profile. Neither officer had an explanation for what they were looking at.

Photo: Big Picture Agency, Inc.

Another clear image in this photo was outlined clearly on the driver’s side door. It was the translucent figure of a Labrador dog sitting.

These photos were taken before the advent of digital photography and photoshop.

Later, several experts who were consulted could not explain several of the images that appeared in these photos. For a long time, Officer Coyle did not address this issue in public, knowing how the friends and family of the deceased boy felt.

It has been over 30 years since this accident occurred, but these photos still elicit strong emotional responses.

A psychic who contacted Officer Coyle afterward feels that the face is the image of the boy’s soul leaving his body—he is resisting—saying “no” because dying was not what he expected that December evening two days after Christmas.

As for the dog—it is a Chocolate Lab—it was the deceased teen’s pet—which had passed away before the crash. The psychic feels this dog was sent to escort its master with other spirit guides to the afterlife—proving pets have souls too. 

Click to enlarge the first photo on this post--dog outline can be seen clearly. Plus look past the hood of the crashed car--three fuzzy figures are standing between the trees.

The Forepaugh Mansion: Molly’s Fate

In the 1800s Joseph L. Forepaugh was a respected businessman in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the age of 36 he was the senior partner in the Midwest’s largest dry goods store. His store provided needed supplies to the Union troops during the Civil War.

To show off his success he bought not 1 but 5 lots in an exclusive neighborhood, which today is near historic downtown St. Paul. Forepaugh had a grand mansion built on this property. His home was designed so each window looked out over the manicured grounds and beautiful gardens that surrounded it.

He filled the interior with the finest furniture.

In 1870, Forepaugh's wife, Mary, and their two daughters moved into the sprawling 3-story home. A larger staff was hired to cater to all the families needs.

One young woman named Molly was hired as a serving maid, for Mrs. Forepaugh. Molly had a natural beauty that outshone her drab uniform, she also had a pleasant personality.

It wasn’t long before Joseph took note of this new servant. In the months that followed he found many reasons to keep Molly nearby. It was noted by the other household staff that these two often disappeared into rooms in the mansion for hours--the doors closed to prevent prying eyes.

Mary found out about her husbands illicit activities when one afternoon she discovered Joseph and Molly in bed. Furious she demanded Joseph end the affair immediately. He did. But her intervention was too late, for Molly afterward discovered she was pregnant.

In despair, Molly tied a rope to a third-floor chandelier and looped the other end around her neck. She then threw herself out the window ending her life.

The Forepaugh’s sold the mansion after this and moved to Europe for a time in an attempt to repair their marriage. When they returned to St. Paul they had a new home built on the same block within sight of their first mansion.

By 1892, Joseph Forpaugh had sunk into a deep depression. The family excuse given was he was worried about his business, but it was doing fine. The real reason was he still mourned Molly's death.

At the age of 58, Joseph went to a secluded area on the grounds of his original mansion and shot himself in the head--ending his life.

After his death, his original mansion quickly gained the reputation as being haunted.

Molly and Joseph’s Ghosts

In 1970, the Forepaugh mansion was renovated and turned into a French restaurant. It recently changed hands, was once more remodeled and has opened again as a restaurant.

There have been numerous sightings of what people feel are both Molly’s and Joseph’s ghosts in the building.

Molly’s ghost is considered to be a prankster.

The third floor dining room is often active. It is in this room where Molly hung herself.

One night, an employee who closed the restaurant noticed as he drew near his car that a light was still on upstairs. He went to check but found the 3rd-floor dining room dark. He locked up once more and headed to his car only to see a brighter light on upstairs.

This time as he entered the dining-room he saw a candlelit on one table. Frustrated, he announced out loud, “Molly, I am tired and I want to go home. No more games.” He blew out the candle and left.

This time the room stayed dark. Molly normally obeys when asked to behave.

During a costume party, several employees saw Molly’s ghost. An unknown woman appeared in authentic period clothing and glided past a server. She was then seen walking down a hall where she vanished into thin air.

Molly has also talked to guests. The restaurant frequently hosts wedding parties and she likes to talk to new brides.

One photo, the original restaurant displayed, has a mysterious woman with dark hair in it. She is looking with adorning eyes at someone just outside the frame.

It is said that when Molly is seen, Joseph’s ghost is not far away.

He has been spotted roaming all over the mansion. He is seen in the mansion’s basement frequently. In this room cold spots are felt, lights flicker on and off, and odd rustling noises are heard.

The lights are always kept on in the basement for if they are shut off his ghost has been known to make a huge mess. 

Often tables and chairs in the dining rooms are found rearranged.

Joseph’s ghost is described as wearing a black waistcoat, silk vest, derby hat, and pinstriped trousers. He is seen rushing up and down the mansion’s main staircase.

His ghost, like Molly's has been captured in photographs. One photo shows his hand reaching out to touch a bride’s knee. This photo disappeared shortly after it was displayed. Many believe Joseph himself stole it not wanting Molly to know about his wandering eye.

Other photos depict him always standing near the prettiest lady in the room.