Do you believe? Fairfield County is home to many haunted locations
Aaron Burd, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
October 30, 2022
FAIRFIELD COUNTY – Halloween is just around the corner, with many people putting out decorations in their yard and picking out costumes. For those who enjoy this spooky time of the year and believe in ghosts, there are plenty of supposedly haunted locations in Fairfield County.
Founder of Ohio Exploration Society Jason Robinson said that what draws people to these locations is that unknown factor that lets their imaginations run wild.
“I think everyone is fascinated with the unknown,” said Robinson. “If a location has a good story that gets your imagination going, I guess some people like to be creeped out by things.”
Robinson estimated that there are close to 50 known locations that have been claimed as haunted in Fairfield County. However, he said that number is dependent on the people reporting their first-hand encounters.
For those looking to visit a haunted location this Halloween season, Robinson said that there are multiple locations that can be visited in Fairfield County. Examples of haunted locations that can be visited are the Fairfield County Infirmary and Forest Rose Cemetery.
The Fairfield County Infirmary, which is also known as the County Poorhouse, was said to have been haunted. Many people who worked in the building reportedly heard people talking late at night, despite no one being in the building. A ghost by the name of Willy is said to haunt the second and third floor. Late one night, an employee saw a little girl standing in the doorway, before she vanished. A cold, strange feeling was also reported in the attic and the women’s restroom on the second floor.
Ghost hunts are available to the public at the infirmary, and more information can be found online.
At the Forest Rose Cemetery, witnesses report seeing the ghost of a woman in a flowered pink and white dress. However, Robinson said that he has been to the cemetery many times without success.
According to Robinson, his personal favorite location was torn down multiple years ago. The Mudhouse Mansion was home to the most notorious haunting in Fairfield County.
“It was probably the most well known in the county up until it was demolished,” said Robinson. “I believe the legend was that it was a stop on the underground railroad.”
Legend has it that during the Civil War, a general had supposedly kept slaves in his outbuilding overnight. The slaves were then said to have dug their way out and murdered the general’s entire family. The ghosts of that family were said to still haunt the mansion until it was taken down.
Fairfield County has a relatively high number of supposedly haunted locations, said Robinson.
Whether it be the Fairfield County Infirmary, the Forest Rose Cemetery, or another haunted location, there are plenty of spots to fill your appetite for a spooky thrill in Fairfield County this Halloween season. To find more info on the many haunted spots in Fairfield County or across the state, visit www.ohioexploration.com and go to the paranormal tab.
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Thank you to Aaron Burd for interviewing the OES about Fairfield County’s haunted locations in his Halloween article.