Perry County Hauntings & Legends

On this page you will find haunted locations and legends of Perry County. Many of these are genuine and documented haunts, but others may be legend or hearsay. Remember, we do not condone trespassing. Always seek permission before entering private property. If you know of a haunting or legend not listed for this county, please submit them through our Haunting Submission Form.

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 Corning 

Beech Grove Cemetery – Witnesses have reported glowing tombstones and the sounds of a bell in the tower, even though there are no longer bells in the tower. Others have reported being pushed over the fence by unseen hands when attempting to enter the cemetery.

Weaver Cave – The cave is haunted by those who were killed there by the Ku Klux Klan years ago. Ghostly screams can be heard coming from the cave at night.

 New Lexington 

Tunnel Hill Bridge – The ghost of a woman who committed suicide at the bridge after murdering her husband due to his affair is said to haunt the bridge.

 New Straitsville 

Tinker’s Cave – Tinker was a horse thief who, rumors say, sold horses to Morgan’s Raiders as they made their sweep through Ohio during the Civil War. Tinker would sell his stolen horses to anyone who would pay the price. Union troops found him guilty of treason and hanged him in a nearby tree. It is said that you can sometimes hear the ghostly horses inside the cave and can occasionally see Tinker himself hanging from a tree. Related: OES Visit

 Roseville 

Butcher Knife Road Residence – A large farmhouse on Butcher Knife Road is said to be haunted. Residents have reported smelling cigar smoke in the kitchen when no one in the household smoked. The family dog would not go into the kitchen but would stand in the doorway with its fur standing on-end while growling at something unseen. Footsteps could be heard on the stairs and the voice of a little girl yelling, “Mommy, mommy,” is heard when no children were present. A child living in the home woke up with night terrors quite often and said voices in his bedroom kept him awake at night. The child never had another night terror experience after moving from the home.

Roseville Prison – The prison is in Muskingum County. Please see listing there.

 Somerset 

Clay Haus Restaurant – Ghostly men and women are seen on the stairs and strange noises are heard. The place was built between 1812 and 182, and at one time, the present basement was the first floor. This is where many of the ghosts have been seen.

Otterbein Cemetery – The most notorious haunted site in Perry County, Otterbein Cemetery is home to the “Horseshoe Grave.” As the story goes, two women, Mary Angle and Rachel Hodge, wanted to marry a man named James Henry. James rode out on his horse one night trying to decide which woman he wanted to marry but soon fell asleep. When he awoke, James found himself at Mary’s house. He took this as a sign and married Mary soon after; Rachel served as a bridesmaid. Mary became pregnant, but sadly, she died during childbirth on February 28, 1845. The baby was stillborn. Mary was buried in a corner plot at Otterbein Cemetery. Three years passed when James decided to marry Rachel Hodge. The wedding took place on December 7, 1848. Rachel wore a black dress at the wedding and the couple visited Mary’s grave after the wedding. A cold winter wind drove the two back to their carriage. A week after the wedding, the cemetery’s caretaker reported to James and Rachel that strange sounds were coming from the cemetery at night and he had seen a ball of light near Mary’s grave. When the caretaker visited Mary’s grave to investigate, he discovered that a sharply defined horseshoe had appeared on her tombstone. The next morning James went out to the barn to do his daily chores. James was gone for longer than usual, so Rachel went to the barn to check on him. She found James dead in the horse’s stall with the imprint of a horseshoe on his forehead. The imprint is said to have been identical to the horseshoe mark that had appeared on Mary’s tombstone. No amount of cleaning or scrubbing has been able to remove the horseshoe from the stone. Locals say the current stone is a replacement for the original stone and the horseshoe reappeared on the current stone only days after it was erected. It is said that during the night, you can sometimes hear the pounding of horse hooves coming down the road toward the cemetery. Reports of mysterious balls of light and eerie sounds still plague the cemetery. Related: OES Visit

Saint Joseph’s Cathedral – Being one of the oldest Catholic Cathedrals in the state, St. Joseph’s Cathedral is said to be haunted by a former priest who lived there. His ghost has been seen roaming the halls and sometimes would extinguish the candles at the altar.