The OES visited the Malabar Farm on September 10, 2005. Located in Lucas, south-east of Mansfield, Malabar Farm has a rich history. In January 1939, Pulitzer prize author Louis Bromfield bought 385 acres of exhausted farmland after he decided to move back to his home county, Richland County, in Ohio after spending some time in France. He named his newly acquired land Malabar Farm, after the Malabar coast of India. The success of "The Rains Came" made his purchase possible. Louis wished to run a working farm and eventually restored the farmland using soil and water conservation techniques that eventually became widely used. As he continued to restore the farmlands and preserving the surrounding woodlands, he built onto his white country home, transforming it into a beautiful 32-room farmhouse.

Louis loved to have family, friends and neighbors over for parties and even hosted the wedding of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall on May 21, 1945 (Bromfield served as the best man). Some of the other well-known celebrities to visit the home were Shirley Temple, Erol Flynn, and James Cagney. A wall of stars filled with the photos of all the celebrities who visited hangs in one of the home's hallways. Louis' manager, editor, and personal friend George Hawkins lived on the second floor of the home. George disliked country life, so his room was built to resemble his favorite Chicago hotel room. But after a long run of fun and parties, deaths and departures forced an end. George's death was the first blow to the family and to Bromfield's career. In 1952, Bromfield's wife Mary passed away in her bedroom. Bromfield's daughters left the home to begin lives of their own and in 1956, Louis passed away.

Louis willed his entire property to the State of Ohio for use as an educational farm and in August of 1972, the state accepted the deed. The house was left exactly how Bromfield had left it, right down to the papers in his desk drawers. Stepping into the home was like stepping more than half a century back in time. The Malabar Farm is definitely a great place to check out for anyone, including families. Tours are available as well as campgrounds, horse trails, hiking, fishing, picnicking, and many more fun activities. The house is also said to be haunted. Park employees working in the home late at night have reported lights mysteriously turning on by themselves, the piano playing on its own, and uneasy feelings. The Central Ohio Paranormal Society in association with the OES and Ohio Paranormal investigated the home on the night of our visit. For a detailed analysis of our investigation, click here. To visit the Malabar Farm's official website, click here.