Near downtown Cleveland, Ohio is what some people consider the most haunted house in Ohio. I am not sure if there is any way to confirm that, but it was featured on an episode of the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures. In 1881, German immigrant, and Cleveland banker, Hannes Tiedemann, built the large four-story stone home on Franklin Boulevard. The area was one of the most prestigious in the city, and Tiedemann’s house stood out among the surrounding homes.
Shortly after moving into the home, Hannes’ fifteen year old daughter died from Diabetes. Soon afterwards, his mother-in-law died, and over the next three years, three more of his children died. To distract his wife from the death of their children, Tiedemann began adding new construction to their home. He added a ballroom which runs the length of the house on the fourth floor. Workman also added turrets and gargoyles to the exterior, making it look more like a castle. In 1895, his wife Louise died from a liver disease, and with her death, Hannes’ entire family had died. The next year, Tiedemann sold the house, and he died in 1908 with no relatives to inherit his wealth.
From 1921 to 1968, the house functioned as a home to various German and cultural organizations. It is rumored that it was used as a speakeasy by bootleggers during prohibition. In 1968, a family with six children purchased the house and while living in it claimed to have encounters with spirits in the home. They sold it soon afterwards, and the new owner gave ghost tours trying to raise money to convert it into a church. During this time, the notoriety of the house being haunted grew. How true the hauntings were, I am not sure, but I am sure stories were exaggerated to sell more ghost tours.
In early 1984, Michael DeVinko, Judy Garland’s fifth and last husband, purchased Franklin Castle. He spent over a million dollars making renovations to the house. He even tracked down some of the original furnishings for the house. He sold the castle in 1994, and since then, various people have owned it over the years. The house on Franklin Street is still privately owned. Although it is not open to the public, you can get a good view of it from the street and wonder about the man who built it and the death of his family.
If you enjoyed this story, I hope you will take a look at my Lost In Ohio book. This is one of the many stories contained within its pages and it is available on Amazon HERE
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