Then in 1900, heres a name some of you might recognize, Dr. Adolph C Brunrichter bought the place. He avoided social contact, which the neighbor's found strange but ignored him until August 12, 1901, when they heard a woman's bloodcurdling scream. This was followe by an explosion of lightning behind dawn curtains. When Police and Firemen show up, the find a headless torso stapped to a gurney, her head rigged up with electordes in a nearby bowl. The Dr. is nowhere to be found. Police unearth 5 more headless corpses, as well as notes. Dr. Adolph was trying to see how long he could keep a head alive with no body.
Not too long after, the Equitable Gas Compant attempts to do the same thing the railroad company did. Again, they hear sounds voices. One night at dinner the screams from the basement lead to the discovery of two co-workers found hanging by the neck from a beam and the other impaled on a wooden bookshelf. Then in 1920 it is said, now if you don't know this name I'll be shocked, Thomas Edison, yes. That one, the inventor of the lightbulb. He was interested in the paranormal, and apperently died not to long after his visit.
Finally, in 1927 the Pittsburgh police arrest a man who claims to be Dr. Adolph. He was raving about demons and murder at the house. The police figure there's nothing to it and let him go. A few weeks later, November 14, 1927 there is an explosion. Across the street at the time, was a large natural gas storage tank, it exploded and destroyed every building within 20 mile radius, including the Ridge Ave. house. Some say that Dr. Adolph Brunrichter is Jack the Ripper.
There are a lot of Pittsburgh hauntings.
1.) 1201 Bruce Hall, University of Pittsburgh (Oakland)
- "On the top floor of the Bruce Residence Hall is located Room 1201, a banquet hall that is used for catered special events. There have been many accounts over the years of paranormal activity in the room: cold spots, objects moving, and the feelings of spiritual presences while otherwise alone. The ghosts are believed to be those of two women who committed suicide many years ago in the room. Though relatively harmless, these occurances have left several workers and vistiors to 1201 unnerved and happy to be out of there."
2.) 13 Bends (Upper Monongahela Valley, Coultersville/White Oak)
- "One of the most popular but confusing urban legends is the story of "13 Bends". The main story involves Coulterville Cemetery near Elizabeth, McKeesport and Boston. An old orphanage from the 1800s that stood on this site burned down years ago, and you can still supposedly hear footsteps and children, and perhaps see some apparitions in the rear view mirror of your car! Some encounter a great sense of sadness as they drive by. Childlike handprints can then be seen all over the vehicle. But it is the isolated location of the cemetery that makes it even more spooky. There is but one way in and out, along a long, curvy road toward the river. On this road, the legend of "13 Bends" was born. If you count the number of bends in the road in one direction, there are 13, but on the way back, only 12. The only explanation is, of course, sinister spirits or playful century-old orphans! But the legend of "13 Bends" has spread. Some in the local area have mapped the 13 bends phenom to nearby Route 48 above the Boston Bridge. And somehow the legend is often mentioned in Harmar or Harmarville, on Cambell's Run Road near the location of an old mine site."
3.) Blue Mist Road (North Hills, North Park)
- "This isolated stretch of Irwin Road near North Park has been attracting attention for years. Irwin Road is an unlit, unpaved lane dotted with some scattered homes and ruins along it. It traverses a hollow parallel to Babcock Blvd. that is scary enough during the day, let alone at night. There are many legends and rumors associated with this place, but it is most known for rumors of satanic activity and all the horrors that typically go with that. It is named after the creeping "blue mist" that sometimes covers the road. It is one of the most searched for and well known sites in the Pittsburgh area, making this a classic "haunted" location. "
4.) Carnegie Library of Homestead (Okland/East Land, Oakland)
- "If you know anything about Pittsburgh history, it may not surprise you that this library is haunted. It was given as a gift by Carnegie only 6 years after the deadly Homestead Steel Strike of 1892. Despite his good intentions, there was still bad blood among the steel workers for Carnegie, for defeating their attempt at organized labor. Could it be these restless steel workers that haunt and make trouble in this century-old historic building?"
5.) Chathem University's "Blue Lady of Woodland Hall" (Oakland/East End, Oakland)
- "Chatham University is so haunted that they now hold an annual "ghost walk" to tell all of their tales. There are several scattered around campus, each with its own interesting and tragic story. The most well known is the "Blue Lady of Woodland Hall”, who has appeared to students, hovering above them as they wake. Nearby, Carlow College has its own tale in Room 947 of Dougherty Hall. Late at night, students have reported seeing misty apparitions and hearing scratching noises on the walls."
6.) Colleciques Shop of Monongahela, PA (Monongehela Valley, Monongahela)
- "At this antique shop, located at 808 West Main Street, the ghost of a young girl sometimes provides a chill when present, and her voice can sometimes be heard. In fact, this ghost has supposedly been photographed! This building must have quite a history; it was built in 1869."
7.) Connellsville Carnegie Library (Foothills, Connellsville)
- "Inside the library, there are reports of bodiless footsteps and the sighting of an elderly lady in a bubushka seen through the window of the now shuttered building. The library was built on the site of an old graveyard."
8.) Covert's Crossing (New Castle, New Castle)
- "Covert’s Crossing was a single-lane old bridge in New Castle, PA. The bridge was built in 1887, and was very narrow. It has become the subject of many legends in the area, most of which involve headless spirits and midnight tragedies. For example, one story asserts that a newlywed couple in a horse drawn carriage was struck head on by a car on the bridge on their wedding night. The groom was never found, and the bride was decapitated. Variations of this story substitute the couple for a young girl on her prom night, and yet another mentions a railroad worker from the nearby tracks. In all the stories, the poor souls basically met the same end. Legend has it that these spirits would appear at midnight to whoever was brave enough to stop on the bridge. But this dangerous stunt is fortunately not possible anymore: the entire bridge was stolen in 2011 and sold for scrap! That just adds to the legend of Covert’s Crossing, maybe not in a haunted sort of way, but definitely in a strange and unusual way."
9.) Covette Tunnel-South Park (South Hills, South Park)
-"Piney Fork Tunnel on Piney Fork Road is also known as "Corvette Tunnel". The tunnel is very narrow and lies adjacent to a sharp turn in the Road. Legend has it that 2 corvettes were drag racing, and only one could fit into the tunnel. The other met a horrific end, leading to the death of a young girl. Some have said you can still hear the screaching of tires and the screams of the young girl if you visit at night. Also, if you dare to flash your headlights 3 times into the tunnel, the ghostly headlights of a corvette will appear, heading right at you! It should be noted that this tunnel is often confused with Green Man's Tunnel, which lies in the same vicinity, but is apparantly off of the roadway. This is a good example of how legends and folklore mix and grow over time."
10.) Crow Rock (Southwestern Corner, Crabapple)
- "A horrifying massacre took place on May 1, 1791 in Greene County, Pennsylvania. Four young sisters, ranging in age from 10 to 16 were brutally attacked on their way home, by two indians and a white accomplice in search of information about a nearby fort. Catharine, Susan and Betsy Crow perished in the attacks, and only their sister Tena managed to escape. The attackers hid behind what is known today as "Crow Rock", which is located in Crabapple Hollow, Richhill Township, near the town of Wind Ridge. The rock still stands today near its original location as an eerie memorial to the girls. It is difficult to find due to the extremely rural and isolated nature of this part of Green County, and it serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that these frontier people faced daily."
11.) Dixmont State Hospital/Mental Insitution (Ohio Valley, Emsworth)
- "This old institutional campus of buildings in Kilbuck Township was the object of many rumors and ghost stories. It has been torn down in recent years, but still holds a special place for many ghost hunters. The buildings on the expansive grounds sat vacant for many years, which only helped to increase its reputation for paranormal activity (the mental instiution part didn't hurt either)."
12.) Dormont Library Ghostly Librarian (South Hills, Dormont)
- "Dormont Library was allegedly haunted by a former librarian named Mary, who died in the 1980s. Mary loved the library and was well known and respected. Shortly after her death, strange things began to happen. Flickering lights, books falling from shelves and similar occurrences were attributed to her spirit. The feeling of her presence was benevolent, so much in fact that her surviving husband would visit the library to feel closer to her. In fact, it seems she was waiting for him; after his death, the strange occurrence stopped."
