They say that home is where the heart is, but what if the heart of that home holds resentment
and harbours dark secrets?
Some homes are steeped in a rich history but also come with creepy and disturbing stories
and paranormal goings-on.
5 - Bell Witch Farm When John Bell moved his family onto a 300-acre
plot of land in what is now modern-day Adams, Tennessee, he could have never anticipated
that their dream property would turn into one of the creepiest haunted houses in the
U.S.A. John and the family moved to the property in 1804 from North Carolina in the hopes of
starting a new, prosperous life.
For the first 13 years the family thrived in their new home, John became an elder at
a local church and the farming business proved to be lucrative for them.
It wasn’t until one day in 1817 when John was out working the fields that he noticed
something strange.
In the middle of a cornfield, he saw a bizarre creature staring back at him.
John reported that the creature appeared to have the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit.
He shooed the animal and carried on with his day, trying to put the bizarre encounter to
the back of his mind.
That was until the noises started.
As the family sat down for dinner they heard someone hitting the outside of their house.
They rushed outside to investigate but found nothing, as soon as they went back inside,
the noises started again.
Soon enough the noises evolved, they could be heard coming from inside the house and
members of the Bell family reported that their bedsheets had been pulled from them and their
pillows tossed to the floor.
The spirit that was haunting the Bell family turned violent and physically attacked the
family as they slept.
The spirit would pinch, slap and punch the family and some mornings they would wake up
with bruises from the attacks.
The noises began to evolve and soon the spirit found its voice, it would quote bible scriptures
and sing hymns.
The Bell family had suffered in silence for long enough, after enduring months of harassment
from this spirit they called in the help of their fellow townsfolk to perform an exorcism.
The spirit identified herself as Kate Batts and John explained that he and Kate had once
been in business together, however, the relationship had soured.
She made it clear that she intended to haunt the Bell family until John passed away.
That day came in 1820 and John Bell was found deceased in his bed; in recent months his
health had dramatically deteriorated and Kate taunted him, vowing to be the reason for his
demise.
According to accounts, the Bell family found a vial of strange black liquid in the home
and assumed that John had been poisoned.
Upon finding the vial Kate cried out “I gave Ol’Jack a big dose of that last night,
which fixed him”.
Following John’s passing, Kate began to haunt the family less and less but she did
make sure to appear on occasion and remind them that she was still watching them.
In modern times, the property is a popular destination for paranormal investigators and
tourists alike.
Many people have reported strange paranormal activity not only in the house but in the
town of Adams, Tennessee.
4 - The Kreischer Mansion In June 2021 DeFalco Realty announced that
they would be putting the infamous Kreischer Mansion on the market for a staggering $7.4
million.
There are plans to turn the once beautiful mansion into apartments but those who are
eager to move in should be wary of the disturbing backstory behind the property.
In 1885 German immigrant Balthasar Kreischer decided to build two identical homes for his
sons, Charles and Edward.
Balthasar had moved to the U.S in the early 1800s and had made a name for himself in the
building and construction business.
The construction of these new Victorian-style mansions brought about economic prosperity
to the area and quickly became the place to be.
Balthasar passed just a year after the two mansions had been completed and would be the
first of many tragedies to befall the Kreischer family.
Not long after his passing the family business, a brick factory, burnt down, leaving the family
finances in ruins.
The Great Depression only added to their woes and the family quickly plummeted into hardship.
To add to their misery, Charles’ home mysteriously burnt down and after failing to rebuild their
fathers brick business, Edward took his own life.
Shortly after, the Kreischer's moved out of the remaining house, opting to rent it out
to businesses and residents to rebuild their fortune.
The mansion quickly became a hotbed of ghostly goings-on, neither residents nor businesses
stayed in the mansion very long saying that they had experienced ghostly apparitions and
unnerving sounds.
In 2005 the Kreischer Mansion became a crime scene when a mafia boss ordered a hit to be
carried out on the property.
News articles mention that the caretaker of the property was offered a large sum of money
to carry out the hit and that the victim’s remains were disposed of in the house.
Since then, few people have lasted more than a few months and those wanting to buy a flat
in the historic mansion should be beware of the ghostly apparitions that will keep you
company at night.
3 - Nicole Brown Simpson’s Home 875 South Bundy Drive, a once unassuming condo
nestled in Los Angeles, California, became the centre of one of the most controversial
true crime cases in history.
Nicole Brown met NFL running back O.J Simpson in early 1977 when she was waitressing at
his table.
The two immediately hit it off and even though O.J was married and had a child on the way,
the two began dating.
O.J and his wife soon split and a few years later in 1985 Nicole and O.J married and started
their lives together as man and wife.
Sadly for Nicole, the marriage would be anything but stable and multiple people have confirmed
that Nicole was regularly assaulted by her husband.
She reported these incidents to the police, however without support from her family, she
was forced to drop the charges and continue her marriage.
The pair had two children but still, the relationship continued to be tumultuous with Nicole claiming
that her husband had been engaged in multiple affairs during their marriage.
Many people have pointed towards O.J’s long American Football career as an explanation
for his violent behaviour.
During his time in the NFL, O.J sustained many head injuries and as we now know, these
injuries can have a huge impact on the brain and may cause damage to areas that are responsible
for personality and impulse control.
In 1992, Nicole had seen enough and filed for divorce however , just months later the
couple began seeing each other again to try and give their relationship another shot.
This attempt failed and by early 1994 they called it quits for the last time.
Nicole knew that O.J was dangerous and unpredictable but could never have foreseen what would happen
to her in the months following their split.
The events of June 12th 1994 are some of the most talked-about and documented within the
true crime world.
Almost any true crime fan will be able to recall details about the O.J Simpson murders
and there is little that hasn’t already been said about these crimes before.
In summary, Nicole Brown Simpson was found outside of her condo on 875 South Bundy Drive.
Nicole had been attacked along with Ron Goldman.
People have speculated about the nature of the relationship between Brown and Goldman,
however official sources state that Goldman was at Brown’s property as he was returning
a pair of glasses that she had left at the restaurant where he worked as a waiter.
Following the discovery of their bodies, O.J was brought in for questioning and what followed
would be one of the longest and most controversial trials not just in U.S history but in world
history.
Millions of people from around the world tuned into the O.J Simpson trial and the complete
details of the O.J Simpson case are far too complex to include in one section of this
video.
Ultimately, O.J Simpson was acquitted of both crimes, sending the media into a frenzy.
The media storm continued for months, even years after the infamous O.J Simpson trial
and the Brown family were forced to relive the tragic events daily.
Nicole’s condo on 875 South Bundy Drive remained empty until a willing buyer finally
came forward in 1997 and agreed to pay $590,000, a considerably low asking price compared to
other properties in the area.
It appears that the 1997 buyer was all too aware of the creepy backstory behind the home
and set about changing every part of it.
They requested that the house number be changed and remodelled the home so it did not resemble
how it had looked in 1994.
Since then, the home has been sold once more in 2006, it is unknown whether the new owners
are aware that they are living in one of the world's creepiest houses.
2 - Morris-Jumel Mansion Would you like to visit a mansion with a disturbing
backstory?
If the answer is yes then look no further than the Morris-Jumel Mansion located in Washington
Heights, Manhattan.
Behind its stunning exterior, the mansion holds dark secrets and comes with a history
so terrifying it’ll give you chills.
The house was built in 1765 for British Colonel Roger Morris and his wife, Mary Philipse.
The two intended to use the property as their summer home, however, this was short-lived
and with the outbreak of the Revolutionary war in 1776 the house was handed over to none
other than General George Washington.
Morris and his wife decided that it was too dangerous for them to stay at the property
whilst the war was going on and returned home.
The mansion provided a good base for General Washington and his troops and ultimately served
its purpose in the war.
Following the end of the war, the land and house were sold in line with laws at the time
to help recuperate funds and build the newly found USA.
For a brief period, parts of the mansion were turned into a tavern but this business venture
was unsuccessful and the beautiful home returned to its abandoned state.
In 1810, Eliza and Stephen Jumel purchased the mansion and things quickly began to go
downhill from here.
Despite her poor upbringing, Eliza had been able to establish herself in the business
world and had seen a great return on her ideas.
Not only was Eliza successful but her husband, Stephen was too.
The pair lived in luxury in the mansion until Stephen’s suspicious death in 1832.
The circumstances in which Stephen passed didn’t quite add up and left members of
the community pointing the finger at Eliza.
Eliza gave varying accounts to different people saying that her husband had either passed
as a result of pneumonia or that he had been injured in a carriage accident.
In the years before his untimely passing, she had become his power of attorney and ensured
that everything he owned would go directly to her.
The Morris-Jumel Mansion became the subject of many rumours with members of the community
speculating that Stephen’s spirit still walked the halls of the mansion, desperately
seeking justice for what his wife did to him.
In recent years the mansion has been turned into a museum with tourists claiming to have
spotted the ghost of an old woman roaming the house.
One tourist claimed, “I encountered an old crank woman who told me ‘My husband is very
ill.
You have to keep quiet’”.
Before they could ask the woman more questions, she vanished into thin air and the tour guide
explained to them that it was likely the angry ghost of Eliza Jumel.
1 - Ham House Ham House located in Ham, London boasts stunning
17th century Stewart architecture and sits on the bank of the River Thames, providing
beautiful scenery and a great day out for families.
Behind the facade of beautiful architecture and rich history is a house that has been
named one of the most haunted houses in England and comes with a history that might just put
you off from visiting it.
Completed in 1610, Ham House was built by Sir Thomas Vavasour Knight Marshal as a tertiary
residence as he often travelled between different parts of Southern England.
It wouldn’t be until the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale obtained the property that it
would be converted into the building we see today.
The Duke and Duchess set out to transform Ham House into the best building in England
and they certainly achieved it.
However the Duchess’ dream did not last long and when the Duke passed, she was forced
to live in a small room located in Ham House.
People in the area began to talk and realised that the union between the Duke and Duchess
appeared to have been a power grab on the Duchess’ part.
They also found out that her first husband had passed under suspicious and mysterious
circumstances and speculation began to grow.
The Duchess did not inherit the riches she thought she would have and was instead lumbered
with debt.
This made her incredibly bitter and she was forced to downsize into a small room, a far
cry from the luxurious life she had been living.
She lived out the remainder of her life in the small room and became resentful and hostile
towards others on the property.
Shortly after her passing in 1698 residents began complaining of seeing a ghostly apparition
of a woman in black.
These sightings have been documented for decades and even as recently as 2019.
Ham House is now owned by the National Trust with their website reading “A woman in black
believed to be the Duchess has been seen on the stairs nearby.
There is also a haunted looking glass dating back from her time which guests are too scared
to look into.
So powerful is the force that dominates the room that staff have been known to mutter
‘Good afternoon your lady ship’ before entering, just to be on the safe side.”
It isn’t just the woman in black who stands eerily at the top of the stairs that haunts
Ham House.
Guests have reported smelling sweet tobacco which the Duke was known to smoke and have
even reported hearing the screams of a nobleman who fell in love with a servant girl who rejected
him, sending him into a spiral of madness.
It is rumoured that up to 16 ghosts haunt Ham House and there is only one way to find
out for certain and that’s by paying a visit yourself.