Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, OH

Hello friends! So, I’ve been going back and forth about whether or not I wanted to post about some spooky/supposedly haunted places because the last time I did I received some negative feedback. However, it is something that has always been of interest to me, and I feel I need to be true to myself. With that being said, I want to start this post off by saying I don’t necessarily believe that these places I will be sharing are “haunted.” I am just going to tell some facts and share some experiences had by others and I will let you make the call. Or don’t make a call and just enjoy some spooky stories! Anyways, somewhat soapbox over. Let’s get to some spooky!

Today I am sharing one of the cooler places I’ve visited in Cleveland! Lake View Cemetery is the resting place of many famous Clevelanders throughout the years. Buried in the rolling hills of Lake View are people like John D. Rockefeller, Elliot Ness, and James A. Garfield (tomb is pictured above), just to name a few. You might be surprised at some of these names, but back in the late 1800s/early 1900s Cleveland was actually home to more millionaires than any city in America. The oil and railroad trades boomed in Cleveland, making it a very wealthy city! That meant the wealthiest could afford to be buried in the most beautiful location in Cleveland, Lake View Cemetery.

The cemetery itself is massive, spanning over 285 acres. With all this land and lots of twisted pathways, it’s not hard to get lost. But, that is the beauty of Lake View, getting lost for an hour or two looking at all of the beautifully haunting graves.

It’s amazing to me the detail that was put in to making some of these graves. The beautiful mausoleums, intricate gravestones, and hauntingly realistic sculptures greet you at every turn. It’s not hard to get the sense of not being alone.

One of my favorite graves is for a family named Haserot. It is perhaps the most photographed grave in the entire cemetery because it is so foreboding. Nestled back behind some tombs sits the Haserot angel.

The name of the dark angel is actually “The Angel of Death Victorious.” The angel sits with an extinguished torch upside-down to symbolize life being extinguished. She stares straight ahead, unmoving. The eeriest part of the Haserot angel comes from years of being exposed to the elements; the bronze has worn and it looks as if she is crying black tears. Even if you see nothing else in the cemetery, you must  visit the Haserot Angel.

The final grave I would like to share comes with a bit of a story. Hans Tiedemann was a German immigrant who came to live in Cleveland in the late 1800s. He built an incredible home called Franklin Castle.

If you are from Cleveland (or Ohio in general) you have most likely heard of this house. Franklin Castle is known for being the most haunted house in Ohio. Years and years of stories and mystery have shrouded this home and they all trace back to the supposed horrors of Mr. Tiedemann.

Tiedemann and his family built the mansion (shown above) from 1881-1883 in one of the most influential and wealthy parts of Cleveland. He moved into the home with his wife Louise, and their two children. The Tiedemann’s lost several children due to the common diseases of the time, but rumor had it that more people had died in the home (of not so natural causes, if you catch my drift). The home switched owners several times through the years. Some say it was built above part of the underground railroad. Others say in the 1920s during prohibition, the basement was used as a speakeasy. Some even say it belonged to a group of Nazis. One thing always stays the same however, the owners always say the house is haunted. What is most commonly seen is a woman in black standing on the second floor balcony. People report mysterious mists appearing and the feeling of being pushed. I’m not quite sure if we’ll ever know what really happened in Franklin Castle, but it sure makes for a good spooky story! If you want to hear more creepy details about Franklin Castle I highly recommend the book “Haunted Ohio.”

Well, that’s all for this weeks spooky wandering post! If you ever get the chance to visit Lake View Cemetery in Ohio, it’s worth the trip! Say hello to the Haserot Angel for me… and let’s all hope she doesn’t say hello back.

❤ Abbie

Wandering Wednesday: The Myrtles, St. Francisville, LA

Hey everyone and happy Wandering Wednesday! Today is the very first of our spooky locations to explore for October! We will be visiting the quaint town of St.Francisville, Louisiana! I absolutely love St.Francisville! And not only because I got married there! It’s quite, beautiful, and all around adorable. And did I mention that it has 8 plantation homes within a 20 mile radius?!?! Each plantation is unique, but one stands out from the rest…. The Myrtles Plantation. The Myrtles Plantation has been around since 1796. Yes, you read that correctly. 1796. And unfortunately the beautiful plantation has seen it’s share of heartache. It’s no wonder that the Myrtles has been deemed as one of America’s most haunted houses! So get ready for some spooky story-telling, because this one’s a doozy.

The house is said to have had at least 10 murders in it. This may or may not be accurate, but the house is definitely creepy! They offer ghost tours of the plantation and tell some of the supposed grizzly happenings. The ghost that most people have heard about relating to the Myrtles is of a slave named Chloe. Legend has it that one day she lost favor with the master of the house after she was caught listening in on a private conversation. As punishment her master cut off her ear. She was so distraught that she sought revenge. She supposedly poisoned a birthday cake of  the daughter of the house, and wished only to make them sick. But she put too much poison in the cake which killed all of the children and the master’s wife. Chloe was hanged for killing the wife and children. Chloe is said to haunt the grounds to this day. They even have an eerie picture that is said to be the ghost of Chloe.

Now in the story, the wife and two children have died. It is said that their handprints and faces can be seen occasionally in the mirror in the hallway. The owners have supposedly taken the mirror down several times to be cleaned but the handprints remain.

They also say that a judge was shot and killed on the porch. They often see a man dressed in 1800s attire standing looking out on the balcony.

As if all this weren’t scary enough, you can actually stay at the plantation! They will tell you stories of ghostly happenings that occur in the rooms. They’ve heard everything from civil war soldiers stealing your shoes to a dead voodoo priestess staring down at you from the ceiling.  Yeah. Good luck with that.

If you ever get the chance to visit the Myrtles I highly suggest it. If you’re not into spooky stuff they do historical tours and house tours during the day. The house is a beautiful historical landmark and should definitely be at the top your list of places to see in St.Francisville!

And if you take a ghost tour or even dare to stay the night, be careful you don’t get stuck with the ghosts!

Happy wandering!

❤ Abbie