Prospect Place Estate, known locally as The Trinway Mansion, is a large home built by G.W. Adams way back in 1856. The stately Italianate home has 29 rooms, high-end woodwork, and even copper tanks that could be heated to provide warm water inside: a serious feat for 1856.
The History:
G.W. Adams was a 57-year-old originally from Virginia when he moved to Trinway, Ohio to build his grand mansion. As a former Ohio State assemblyman, he was well-known throughout the state for his abolitionist views which received mixed reactions during such a turbulent time. To help enslaved individuals, Adams opened his home as part of a stop on the Underground Railroad.
(The Underground Railroad was a secretive trail from the slave states to the free states, providing escaped slaves a chance at freedom, though this trail was dangerous and deadly for all involved).
Adams ran a mill and flour business with his brother. They would use their trade route as a way to help move refugee slaves along the Underground Railroad in a risky yet bold move that would help many.
One night, according to legend, a bounty hunter showed up on the property demanding the family turn over the slaves they were hiding. They refused, of course, and had a rather tense standoff. Eventually, the bounty hunter relented and left the land. Apparently, his appearance on the property alarmed the Adams family and their workers so much that they had the bounty hunter followed, attacked, and brought back to the property where they hung him in the barn. As there is no proof of this aside from word of mouth, that could very well have happened, but no one seems to know for sure.
Adams would live in the home until his death in 1879, then it would be passed down for several generations until being sold off in the 1990s. During that time, a few different family members passed away inside the home. For the past 20 years, the old mansion has been run as a nonprofit education center.
The Hauntings:
Since its transformation from homestead to museum, there have been many reports of paranormal activity throughout the old mansion and its grounds. One of the main ghostly interactions is said to be that of the bounty hunter. He is said to be quite angry for the way he met his untimely end and makes sure the living knows about it. His apparition has been seen along with loud slams, footsteps, as well as ghostly whispers that are sure to send a shiver down your spine.
Another ghost still hanging around the property is thought to be none other than G.W. Adams himself. He tends to make himself known whenever renovations or repairs take place, something he is not fond of, to say the least. Those who have worked on the property have stated that his spirit makes appearances whenever updates occur throughout the house becoming a real headache as he does his best to stop the progress any way he can. He does this in several ways
including interfering with the electricity, hiding tools, and if that doesn't work, he will scare them out of there. Workers have seen dark shadowlike beings, odd voices, and even an apparition or two if they stick around long enough.
Prospect Place Estate is open to the public on the weekends; you can check out more information including hours here. I'm considering doing a ghost hunt here closer to Halloween; if you're interested, let me know in the comments or by sending me a message!
A BIG THANK YOU to Sue Ellen Buff for telling me about Prospect Place and for the awesome picture!
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