The Haunted Brown Hotel - Louisville, Kentucky

It’s October and that means time for the annual A Grave Interest haunting posts. Take a few moments and we'll stroll though some of the hotels that aren't normally talked about when it comes to hauntings ... and discover guests who refuse to check out.

 

The Brown Hotel

It was 1923, during the Roaring Twenties, when The Brown Hotel was built. It was the place to be seen if you were someone in politics or society. There were sixteen floors with more than 600 guest rooms along with ball rooms, meeting rooms, restaurants and bars on the premises. 

 

Owner  James  Graham Brown resided in the hotel on the 15th floor in the Penthouse. More than 4-million dollars was spent during the 10 month construction of the hotel, and the English Renaissance opulence was derigger with crystal chandeliers and a soaring two story lobby with a wrap around balcony, Palladian-style windows,  Bottocino limestone floors, hand-painted coffered ceilings and mahogany furniture. The  former Prime Minister of Great Britain, David Lloyd George was the hotel’s first registered guest.

Dinner  dances were popular during the 20’s and The Brown was the place to  go with more than 1200 people attending in an evening. 

It was here in 1926 that the infamous “Hot Brown” was created by Chef Fred Schmidt. It is said that Schmidt wanted to serve something different to late night dancers so he did a riff on the traditional ham and and egg breakfast. Instead he took roast turkey and bacon served it on a piece of bread and smothered it with Mornay sauce before broiling it until the bread turned crisp and the sauce began to brown.

Then came the Great Depression and with it hard times for The Brown Hotel.

Employees worked during 1931 without wages just to keep the doors open. The Great Flood of 1937 flowed into the first floor of the hotel. But the hotel rebounded during the 1940s. With Fort Knox located south of the city, an influx of servicemen passing through stayed here on route to war assignments during WWII.

When  Brown died in 1969, the hotel began a death spiral.  It was closed in 1971 and sold to the Jefferson County Public School system as a home for its Board of Education.
 Several hotel chains have owned the structure since the 1980s but in 2006, 1859 Historic Hotels purchased the building and renovated it back to its 1920s splendor.

But as with most historic hotels, this one is haunted. Rumor has it that  James

Graham  Brown decided to stay on after his death. Although the  fifteenth floor is not open to guests, employees and staff have reported seeing footprints appear in the dust on the floor while they were there. Guests occupying rooms under the penthouse on the fourteenth floor report being awakened by the sounds of heavy furniture being moved about upstairs. The elevators are known to stop randomly on the 15th floor although no one gets on or off.

 

Others have reported the smell of cigar smoke lingering in the air throughout the hotel although it is designated “no smoking.” Employees have spotted Brown standing on the second floor Mezzanine watching guests. If he is approached, he steps behind a column and disappears. Cold spots are common on the Mezzanine. It's said he really “comes to life” during the weeks in April before the Kentucky Derby.

Today the hotel once again welcomes guests with the aura of a by-gone era and is known world-wide for its Southern hospitality.  For more information visit www.BrownHotel.com.

The Brown Hotel is located at the corner of Fourth and Broadway in Louisville, Kentucky.

Happy October Hauntings!

~ Joy

Spirits of The Golden Lamb Inn - Ohio

 

It’s October and that means time for the annual A Grave Interest haunting posts. This year we’ll take a look at haunted hotels, and the guests who refuse to check out.

In the quiet community of Lebanon Ohio, north of Cincinnati, resides the oldest operating business in the Buckeye State. 

 

 

Built in 1803, The Golden Lamb was originally

a "house of public entertainment” where locals gathered to visit and trade news. In 1815, the log cabin gave way to a two-story brick building with rooms to let to travelers. By 1844, another floor was added with the fourth floor built in 1878 for the men working on the new railroad.

 

Several well-known people stayed at the inn including twelve American presidents from William Henry Harrison to Ronald Regan and George W. Bush. Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain along with Charles Dickens, Daniel Webster and Harriet Beecher Stowe also stopped in. But there are also others who came to spend the night and decided to stay ... indefinitely.

 

The most popular ghost at the Golden Lamb can be found in what is called “Sarah’s Room.” Named for Sarah Stubbs, the niece of one of the hotel mangers, who grew up at the inn. Sarah however lived to be quite old so its thought the young spirit is that of 12-year-old Eliza Clay.

Eliza was the daughter of Henry Clay, a statesman from Kentucky who served in both the House and the Senate during the 1800s. Clay

was traveling with his family from his home in Lexington, Kentucky to Washington D.C. when Eliza became ill with a fever. They stayed at The Golden Lamb for six weeks as Eliza’s condition worsened. On August 17, 1825 she died and was buried in the local cemetery. 

Today, the child appears in a white nightgown in a fourth floor room that’s actually not associated with Sarah Stubbs. The ghost has a reputation for moving things around, knocking pictures off the walls and stomping her feet when vexed. Maybe she’s still waiting for her family to return to take her home to Lexington. Or possibly she’s tired of her room being referred to by another child’s name. Either way, Eliza makes her presence known.

Another ghost of The Golden Lamb is that of Ohio Supreme Court Justice Charles R. Sherman. Sherman was “riding the circuit” and holding court in Lebanon in 1829 when he died suddenly. The 41-year-old judge was staying at the inn at the time. Sherman died leaving a wife and eleven children (one son who became the famous Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman) to fend for themselves. Many of the younger children had to be adopted out.

Sherman is seen as a thin, grey man who walks the halls. Many times, only the aroma of his cigar indicates he’s present or a deep sigh heard down the hall. Some say Sherman haunts the inn in misery that his family had to be separated after his death. 

 

And then there’s the ghost of the former U.S. Congressman from Ohio, Clement L. Vallandigham who died of a self-inflicted gunshot in 1871. Unfortunately, he didn’t intend to shoot himself. Vallandigham, an attorney, was defending Thomas McGehean, one of five men accused of fatally shooting Tom Myers the previous Christmas Eve at a Hamilton Ohio saloon. Vallandigham did far too good of a job showing the jury how Myers could have accidentally shot himself by pulling out what ended up being a loaded weapon and accidentally firing it into his abdomen. Vallandigham lived through the night but died in his room at the inn the next morning. Amazingly, McGehean was still found guilty and had to appeal the verdict.

It is said that Vallandigham’s spirit has been seen for decades throughout the hotel. While some ghosts prefer to remain unseen, Vallandigham’s face is usually what people see when he chooses to appear, and heavy footsteps have been heard outside the room which now bears his name. Maybe Vallandigham is sill trying to come to grips with how he managed to shoot himself in that long ago court case.

 

The Golden Lamb is open and taking reservations for its 17 historic rooms, each named after a famous guest. The Golden Lamb Restaurant serves seasonally fresh meals, and the newly renovated Black Horse Tavern offers numerous beers and wines along with their first branded brew - the Black Horse Tavern Golden Lager. The Golden Lamb is open for business with guests required to wear face masks when moving throughout the hotel. For more information, visit GoldenLamb.com. Maybe you’ll be luck enough to encounter one of the inn’s eternal guests.

~ Joy

Ledger, Box and Table-type Grave Markers

Ledger Stones

Ledger Stone in the Cathedral in Barcelona

Ledger stones have been used for centuries to mark graves. Many times the stone was laid in the floor of the cathedral or church to mark the burial spot of an important person. An inscription was usually chiseled into the top, which was adorned with intricate designs or a family coat of arms.

Ledger stones were made of black marble, white marble or Sussex marble, a fossilized limestone type of rock. Alabaster was popular for cathedral floors as was slate. Ledger stones were susceptible to wear when placed flush with a church floor but this designation indicated someone who had found favor within the church. Today, bronze and marble are popular for ledger tops.

Ledger gravestones lie flat on the ground. Full ledger stones cover the entire top of the grave. Ledger stones were also fitted on top of box or chest graves, and table or pedestal tombs. 

Box and Chest Tombs

Box Tombs in Perryville Kentucky

Box and chest tombs were popular during the early and middle 1800s. These rectangular boxes were usually made of local materials, usually stone or brick. Box tombs were smaller in size than chest tombs. In England, a box tomb designated someone of a poorer background. In the U.S., the size of the tomb did not have a hidden meaning. If the chest tomb was placed on a large flat base, it was known as an alter tomb. The body was not placed in either the box or chest but was buried underneath the memorial. The ledger stone could be heavily designed or left unadorned.

Pedestal and Table Tombs

Pedestal Tomb

A pedestal tomb is taller than a chest tomb and can come in several shapes including square, round, oval and three cornered.

Table Stone Marker

A table tomb has a raised ledger top, which looks like a tabletop, and is supported by four columns or legs that rest on a landing stone.

All of these grave markers were popular during the first part of the Nineteenth century. Today, ledger stones are once again in demand as cemeteries encourage monuments to be flush to the ground making lawn maintenance easier.

 ~ Joy

Worth a Trip: The Geode Grotto

Geodes

In the small Southern Indiana town of Jasper resides an oddity well worth the trip – a Geode Grotto. Geodes are hollow mineral “rocks" found in limestone and shale  that is abundant in the region. The inside of the somewhat round rock is filled with inward-projecting crystals in a range of colors from deep purples, to lavenders to yellows to rich golds.

Geode Walls

At mid-century, Father Phillip Ottavi, an Italian immigrant, wanted to build something spiritual on the former grounds of the Providence House handball courts. He was seeking to construct something unique; a grotto similar to the one in Lourdes, France, but built from geodes.

Mother of God Shrine

Geode Fountain

The grotto was constructed over a ten year period from 1960-1970 using geodes from around the region including Heltonville. The stones were placed in limestone and plaster to form geode paths, a fountain, planters, and archways containing the Stations of the Cross. At one end is a shrine to St. Joseph, and at the other The Mother of God Shrine. Father Philip worked every day for ten years to complete the massive undertaking. The result is a grotto that covers four city blocks.

If you’re looking for awe-inspiring sites that offer a chance to get out and about, The Geode Grotto of Jasper is perfect. It is located at 13th and Bartley Streets behind St. John’s Cathedral. And be sure to take a camera, it’s worth the trip!

~ Joy

That Final Ride: Hearses

Written by Joy Neighbors

Hearses have been used to carry bodies for centuries, but not necessarily the type of hearse you may be thinking of. Our first hearses were hand-carried wooden or metal frames that the coffin was placed in and carried to the grave.Then came rolling carts for easier transportation over a distance.

In the 19^th century came horse-drawn hearses, which were used until the early 20^th century. Horse-drawn carriages are still used today for pomp and circumstance when royalty or famous people die.

With the invention of the automobile came the motorized hearse – a vehicle that could transport the deceased to the cemetery in style. But there are several other modes of transportation used to transport the body of the deceased.

When someone dies, a “first call vehicle” is sent out to collect the body and deliver it to a funeral home. Many times, the funeral home has a basic van for this purpose. In larger cities, there are companies that operate first call vehicles for delivery to funeral homes thereby saving the hearse for the actual trip to the cemetery.

There was also a combination car, which operated as an ambulance and a hearse. (Think Ghostbusters.) These combos were popular mid-century but fell out of favor by the end of the 1970s when vehicles were downsized to compact cars.

Motorcycle hearses may be equipped with a specialized sidecar to carry the casket, or in a tricycle formation so the casket rides behind the bike.

Rail cars have been used for transporting the deceased across the country to their final resting places. (Remember Lincoln’s funeral train?) During the 19^th century, the City of Chicago had three trolley car that carried the dead on the elevated trains to cemeteries outside of town.

Modern hearses have an elegant look with padded interiors and a sleek design. In the U.S, we use luxury cars for the base of the hearse: mainly Cadillac, Lincoln and Mercedes.

Major hearse builders in America include S&S/Superior Coach Company of Lima, Ohio, and Specialty Hearse with locations in Alvarado, Texas and East Farmingdale, New York.

Hearses are also popular as collector cars and numerous hearse clubs throughout the U.S. hold shows and rallies each year. (Not sure what the plans are for this year with Covid. Check with the festival or rally before you head out.)

The National Museum of Funeral History in Houston Texas has a collection of rare historical funeral vehicles. Check out the video on their website showing a small part of their collection.

Regardless of how you feel about hearses, it will most likely be your ride to that final destination.

~ Joy

The Year Without a Summer

Summer at the Lake

Tomorrow, Saturday June 20^th is the first day of summer – the Summer Solstice. And with summer comes thoughts of vacations, festivals, reunions and generally all-around good times. But this is the summer of Covid 19, of social distancing, of wearing masks and being responsible for ourselves, and each other. This may be a year many consider as not having a summer. And while that might be true figuratively, it won’t be what many suffered through in 1816, a time that went down in history as “The Year Without a Summer.”

Spring Becomes Winter

People talked about the spring of 1816 as being noticeable “odd.” What began as a normal spring changed abruptly as temperatures plunged into the low 30s and incessant rain made planting difficult for farmers. A dry “fog” had settled on the ground and remained there for most of the season into the summer and fall. People described it as walking through a gauzy veil. The fog helped keep temperatures cool and newly planted crops did not take root and grow.

            The year of 1816 was an agricultural disaster. In the Upper Eastern part of the country down into Virginia, temperatures stayed in the 30s for the month of May. In New York, snow fell on June 6. Frost killed off crops in New Jersey during the latter part of June. And in Massachusetts, frost occurred all summer right into September. Rivers and creeks throughout the Eastern US were filled with floating ice during this strange summer. 

 The spring plantings of corn, oats, wheat and barley were killed by the unprecedented frost and snow. Tree leaves took on a singed appearance from sudden freezing temperatures. Grain prices soared, and farmers suffered a year of intense hardship. Across the US, Canada and Europe food prices skyrocketed, and famine was reported. Outbreaks of a new strain of cholera and typhus plagued citizens in Europe, China and the United States taking millions of lives.

            The dismal cold, wet dreary weather led author Mary Shelley in Europe to pen her famous horror story, “Frankenstein.” 

Mount Tambora

Many blamed divine retribution for the bizarre weather conditions but 20^th century scientists who have studied the event say the eruption of the Mount Tambora volcano in Indonesia is probably to blame. Erupting in April 1815, the violent blast sent sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere creating a volcanic winter across the world. Ash clouds filled the skies. It was the largest volcanic eruption in the past 2,000 years, and the most intense of the 19^th century. Tens of thousands of people died but few people outside of the area knew much about it due to limited methods of communication. Mount Tambora had rose up 12,000 feet before 1815. After the explosion, one third of the top had been blown away. The magnitude of the explosion is difficult to ascertain. It took a year for the ash clouds to reach North America creating a devastating effect.

Tomorrow as you prepare to enjoy a summer that will be different from those you recall, remember those residents of 1816 who muddled through that Year Without a Summer. We are a hardy lot, and we will persevere. Have a happy summer!

~ Joy

Finding the Forgotten in an Insane Asylum’s Graveyard

When this country was founded, those who suffered from mental illness were accused of practicing witchcraft and being under demonic possession. Many of them were left untreated at home or sent to poor houses, imprisoned, or as with the Salem Witch Trials, put to death.

The first insane asylum in the U.S. was located in Williamsburg Virginia. Founded in 1773, Eastern State Hospital was built to deal with the “lunatics of society.”

In the 1800s, these facilities housed those who suffered from melancholy, dementia, female complaints including "suppression of menses,” masturbation, hysteria, epilepsy and chronic mania could land you in an institution for the insane – “for their own good.”

Patients/inmates were placed in rooms that were basically cells if they were deemed to be dangerous. Treatment could include restraints, shock water treatments, bleeding, strong drugs, insulin coma therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and lobotomies.

Central State Hospital for the Insane

Insane asylums became popular in the mid-1800s and their acceptance continued until the early 1960s. In 1955, more than 560,000 patients were living in a state mental institution. It was not until President John F. Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963 that funding was allocated to create new mental health facilities around the country. By the 1970, the number of patients at mental institutions in the U.S. was decreasing, and by 1977 only 160,000 remained institutionalized. Democratic President Jimmy carter established the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980. This act restructured federal health care centers in communities throughout the nation by strengthening ties between local, state and federal groups.

In the 1980s Republican President Ronald Regan’s sweeping budget cuts severely cut assistance for the mentally ill and most funded hospitals and group homes were closed. As states saw this funding disappear those who suffered from mental illnesses were turned out on the streets to fend for themselves. Today 20 % of prison inmates have been diagnosed with a mental illness. The national trend of moving patients out of mental hospitals and into community care has come with a price. With insufficient funding for community-based care and residential programs, the mentally ill have nowhere to go for services. This is the reason so many are now ending up in jails and prisons – facilities that are not equipped to deal with these problems.

Today, most institutions are closed, left abandoned as relics of a sordid, and at times inhumane history. And few are willing to tell the stories of those who lived there, in an attempt to pretend this era of mental health didn’t exist in our country. But some former insane asylums are trying to make reparations and educate the public about his dark time in our history. 

The Old Pathology Building

In Indianapolis Indiana, Central State Hospital for the Insane officially closed its doors in 1992 after more than 100 years of operation. The Indiana Medical History Museum, located in The Old Pathology Building on the hospital grounds is working to humanize the patients of Central State. Research is being done to attribute personal stories to those who lived in the hospital. The vast collection of brains and tumors seen floating in glass specimen jars filled with formaldehyde were removed from deceased patients and used to advance the research and understanding mental illness.

Unveiled last summer, the project is known as “Rehumanizing the Indiana Medical History Museum Specimen Collection.” A card accompanies each specimen that tells a more personal story about the patient; things like where they came from, when they were admitted and what for, and what they died of. The museum hopes this will help visitors connect with the humanity of these patients, understanding that these are not just specimens but stories of lives that should to be told about this questionable era.

The Indiana Medical History Museum is also working with Ball State University’s Applied Anthropology Laboratories to locate the missing graves of residents who lived at the institution from 1896 to 1905. Using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), students are finding the graves of patients buried in the hospital’s first cemetery located northwest on the grounds, adjacent to the Old Pathology Building. Grave markers for the cemetery were removed in the 1950s so ground crews could care for the property in a more efficient manner but the identity of hundreds of patients has been lost. A fund has been set up to assist with the cost of locating, identifying and memorializing those who were buried here.

~ Joy