Columbus Ohio
Ohio Governor’s Mansion / Lindenburg House
From clues presented in the paranormal activity, a servant had a painful death.
This spirit is still an active presence in this mansion.
DESCRIPTION/HISTORY
Around the turn-of-the-century, East Broad Street was the place to build mansions for the well-to-do. East Broad Street became “the major residential corridor and east-west axis in Columbus during Broad Street’s major period of growth and development from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-1930s.”
In 1904, this Neo-Georgian, eclectic brick and stone mansion, designed by well-known architect Frank Packard was built, soon to be right next door to buggy and tire manufacture Joseph Firestone’s mansion, that was built two years later, in 1906.
From 1904-1920, this brick and stone masterpiece was home to entrepreneur, newspaperman Charles Lindenburg, who was also president of the Lillia Regalia Company, which produced flags and bunting.
In 1920 the state of Ohio bought Lindenburg’s mansion, turning it into their state residence for future governors. After 37 years of service, to 10 governors, it again was put on the housing market when a new governor’s mansion, known as The Ohio Governor’s Residence and Heritage Garden was built in the suburbs of Columbus, in Bexley, Ohio.
The mansion was zoned for commercial use, and a variety of businesses moved in, including an event venue business, a restaurant, and a hair salon. The Ohio Historical Society also used this mansion as their headquarters at some point in time. The building stood empty, between various businesses.
Then, The Columbus Landmarks Foundation bought this property, and made it their headquarters for a number of years, stabilizing its condition. However, the maintenance needs alone for this turn-of-the-century mansion must have been a chunk of change, and the neighborhood was in need of revitalization. To fully restore this old structure would be even more expensive, a tall order to fill for a non-profit organization, who also have other historical buildings to raise funds for, and help save.
Sometime in the late 1990s, The Columbus Landmarks Foundation put this structure on the market, with the hopes of finding a buyer who would be wiling to do a restoration. A non-profit organization, Columbus Foundation, who helps people give wisely to philanthropic causes, bought this 1904 fixer-upper opportunity, to be their new headquarters in this funky part of town, in need of restoration and renewal.
A few years later in 1999, The Columbus Foundation bought the grand old dame, the Joseph Firestone Mansion from their neighbor, an architect, who had hoped that the foundation would be wiling to restore this house as well.
Columbus Foundation did indeed fulfill their promise in restoring and renovating the public spaces of the Old Governor’s Mansion/Lindenburg House in 2007, and probably doing the needed maintenance of the other non-public spaces, to the tune of a million dollars.
However, the long in the tooth Joseph Firestone Mansion wasn’t so lucky. Columbus Foundation wound up tearing it down to make room for their expansion project, “to help us to better serve our donors and the community.”
The Columbus Foundation did meet with a committee of experts from the Columbus Landmarks Foundation and other interested parties, and considered their plans to make this mansion commercially feasible, but decided against it. It would’ve cost $2.5 million to restore it, about 4 times the worth of the house and land. “The house’s structure made it too impractical and expensive to be converted to meet the foundation’s needs.”
Though the Columbus Foundation is considered to be dastardly villains for tearing down this mansion, they did restore the old Governor’s Mansion/Lindenburg House, and will also tear down the tobacco road quality gas station, located on the other side of the Firestone Mansion, ridding the neighborhood of a ghastly eye-sore!
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS
From clues presented in the known manifestations, it seems that perhaps a servant of the Lindenburg family must have had an unfortunate accident where she may have suffered burns and died from them. Perhaps her clothing somehow caught fire in the kitchen, or from a spark from a fireplace or perhaps by a candle in another room.
People who had died unexpectedly from a dumb accident or illness have been known to stick around their homes, not ready to go to the other side.
MANIFESTATIONS
One known female spirit has made this mansion her eternal home.
The female entity of a maid, or perhaps a housekeeper, dressed in turn-of-the-century clothing befitting her station has been seen wandering the halls and rooms of the mansion, going about her business, while keeping an eye on the living.
This female apparition is clearly seen as a black woman who is dressed in a blue dress, in various parts of the mansion.
The living throughout the years have smelled the unmistakable odor of burning hair/and probably flesh.
This entity is more than an impression and is an active spirit who has taken an interest in the mansion’s decor and renovation/maintenance work done throughout the years.
She has been known to take pictures off walls she didn’t like.
She appeared in full form in front of a staff member/employee and spoke to this person, expressing how happy she was with the renovations being done on the mansion.
STILL HAUNTED?
Probably!
While no paranormal investigations have been conducted in this building, eye witness accounts still testify to her presence. She must be really happy now that the mansion has been restored/renovated in the public areas and maintained in other parts of the building.
Perhaps other spirits may join her, now that the Joseph Firestone Mansion was torn down. Time will tell.
LOCATION
1234 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43205
(614) 251-4000
The Old Governor’s Mansion/Lindenburg House proudly sits on East Broad Street, between Governor’s Place and Sherman Avenue.
SOURCES INCLUDE
- Ohio Governor’s Mansion on Forgotten Ohio.com [Dead Link]
- Columbus Buggy Company on Touring-Ohio.com [Dead Link]
- “Power Philanthropy” page on Columbus Foundation.org [Dead Link]
- “GET UPSET – Firestone Mansion to be Demolished”
– article on Columbus Independent.blogspot.com
Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr
Our Photos are copyrighted by Tom Carr
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