Famous Haunted Places--Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
by Christine B.
Established in 1804, and located in what has been named the most haunted city in the world (Athens, Ohio, USA was dubbed this by The British Society for Psychical Research), it is little wonder that the Ohio University has been labeled the most haunted university in the United States. Many of the buildings on campus have had reports of paranormal activity. Here is a list of some of the haunted buildings in alphabetical order:
Alpha Omicron Pi sororityhouse (24 E. Washington) is haunted by a former slave named Nicodemus. The house was a station for the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s. Nicodemus was found and shot by neighbors after being discovered in the home. The house has been the location of several sororities over the years… could be because the ladies could no longer handle the harassment Nicodemus kept inflicting on them.
The Brown House—Contemporary History Institute was donated to the University by Millie Brown, a long-time resident of the area. Millie loved children and often invited them to swim in her pool. Millie can still be seen standing at one of the windows of the house looking out at the city she so loved; and the gleeful sounds of children splashing in a pool have also been heard when no one could be seen.
Bush Hall (50 East Green Dr) built in 1954 as a residence hall, there have been many unexplained events in this building as well… like the sound of hundreds of marbles being dropped and none ever found, poltergeist activity, water faucets being turned on and off and the sound of water falling, but nothing gets wet.
Crawford Hall (71 South Green Dr.), a co-ed residential building was built in 1967. The location began experiencing unexplained events after the death of one of its students in 1993. Laura fell to her death from her fourth floor window. Laura is still around opening and slamming doors, and manifesting herself to the students and RAs in the building, especially in the rooms that face the sidewalk where she hit the ground. For obvious reasons, CD and tape recorders refuse to play Bob Marley’s song, “Laura,” as well.
Jefferson Hall (46 East Green Dr.) was built in 1956 as a University residence building. While exploring the attic a few students stumbled upon a room where they saw a young woman sitting at a desk. When they attempted to communicate with her they noticed that she wasn’t sitting, but floating above the floor and that she was transparent. After a hasty retreat and then returning to the attic with their RA, they discovered the door to the attic was locked and they could not reopen it. Mysterious events have occurred in the bathrooms as well, like lights going on and off by themselves, toilets that flush by themselves and toilet paper that is unrolled by unseen hands! Also the sound of someone dropping hundreds of marbles, and no marbles (or anything else) ever found to cause the sound.
Perkins Hall (57 East Green Dr.) A number of strange occurrences have been reported in this residential hall built in 1957, including voices and eerie laughter, electronic equipment turning on by itself, refrigerator doors opening on their own, and residents sensing a phantom presence.
Vought Hall (34 S. College St.) was built in 1954 for first-year residents. One of the ladies who lived there was reportedly awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of her belongings on the desk in her room being moved around. When she opened her eyes she saw a woman dressed in period clothing standing near her closet. The student rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t still dreaming, but when she looked at the same spot the woman was still standing there. Frightened, the student rolled over in her bed and faced the wall. She then heard items on her desk moving again, and then the sound of her laptop’s keyboard keys being pressed. When she awoke the next morning she found that items on her desk had been moved around and one of the sheets of paper she had there had been torn.
West Green Commons—is reportedly the most haunted area at the University, probably due to the fact that is was built on an Indian burial ground. There was a river near this area at one point, and it can still be heard on occasion. Native American chants can also be heard.
Wilson Hall (104 West Green Dr.) was built in 1965, and is one of the most haunted buildings on campus. There are many stories of paranormal activity in this building, despite it being one of the newer buildings at the University. Shadow figures are often seen floating down the hallways. Spirit presences are felt, seen and heard throughout the building. One explanation for the heightened activity is that the building is located “dead-center” in the middle of five of Athens’ “pentagram cemeteries.” There are well over 250 cemeteries in Athens County, so it’s not surprising that there is so much activity there.
Many other buildings on this historic campus have reported unusual activity, as well. There doesn’t seem to be a building that ISN’T haunted at the University. Its supernatural reputation contributes to Athens’ infamous repute. Fox TV highlighted Athens, Ohio in its special of the area entitled, “Scariest Places on Earth.” The program reported many of the unexplained events that have taken place at the University.
If you attended Ohio State University and have had your own paranormal experiences there, I'd love to hear from you!!
