We have owned the building for 25 years, operating on the 2nd and 3rd floors as a non-alcohol concert venue. Building was built in 1888, and has in the past had various businesses such as clothing stores, tailor shops, harness shop, general store, with the 2nd floor being professional offices (attorney, realtor, dentist offices) and the 3rd floor being offices an a large ballroom.
The 2nd floor was largely unused from 1969-1991. In 1991 we started slowly rehabbing the building, as we operated the all-ages concert venue.
About 6 months after we opened, two of our very large intimidating bouncers saw a young girl floating at the end of a hall.
The security system that we had installed to monitor every door with electronic door contacts sometimes would indicate a door opening, followed by another door, then the next nearest door.
Then the girl started coming back more regularly.
Almost always when it was only one of us working, and exclusively when we were doing demolition work to ceilings or walls, or when we were sanding the original floors.
She would appear out of nowhere to watch what we were doing, then after 10-20 seconds, fade away.
We have not done any major building interior remodeling in the past couple years, and she has not been seen.
Owners and staff have reported feeling someone tap them on the shoulder when the building is totally empty but for the person tapped. This historic site is next to the rail road tracks that carry passengers to and from New York City to the Adirondacks. Teddy Roosevelt was said to have stopped at Carney’s – then the Ballston Lake Hotel – to refresh himself as he hurried to Buffalo following the assassination of President McKinley.
You will get plenty EVPs of adults and children. There is a 5 foot shadow figure that darts around the bushes and the headstones and the last time my best friend was attacked by an ominous entity that we actually caught on the EVP.
One afternoon I took my nephew by the mansion as he loved haunted things. I pulled in to the driveway at the end of the street and he got out and walked around the house (I remained in the car). When he got back he stated that he wanted to come back after dark. What he didn’t realize was that I was unable to get the car started. It took about 5 minutes before it would start. Later that night my nephew and I along with my son (not a believer in ghosts) and his girlfriend went back to the mansion. This time I parked across the street. My nephew got out of the car and when my son realized I wasn’t getting out he stayed in also. My nephew walked around the outside of the house again. While we were waiting we were watching for him at the top of the driveway. After about 10 minutes we saw him just standing there not moving. Then all of a sudden he came running toward the car and jumped in and told us to drive off. We drove a few miles away with my nephew babbling about someone named Loretta in the yard that kept telling him to come visit her. We stopped and my son and I looked at each other and realized that my nephew was wearing a black t-shirting not a white one like we saw at the top of the driveway. To this day my son gets shaken up when anyone talks about Pharr Mansion.
This neighborhood built is the 1930s has a street that is said to be haunted. A white shadow of a sad little boy that shows up in lawns and rooms. No one knows where he come from, but he has been seen by many of the residents there.
There is a small graveyard owned by the church located across the road with tilted gravestones melted by time. Some of the gravestones date to the early 1700s and are barely readable.
In 2015, two new houses were built immediately next to the graveyard. At the time the second house (which is closest to the graveyard) was being built, neighbors spotted a glowing figure standing in the graveyard or just outside the graveyard’s border next to the new house. This has happened on several occasions. The figure has a dim green glow that can be seen for a distance and appears to be dressed in loose clothing, sheets or rags. It moves about for a short time then disappears.
Someone has some photos taken in October 2015 I can provide. I’m trying to get her to send them to me.
We have had numerous sitings at the Taverne. The building was built in 1886 in Richfield Ohio as a hotel/stagecoach stop. We have 3 ghosts. The original ghost is Baxter Wood who opened a hotel called the Center Hotel in the building which now houses local watering hole, the Doug Out. He later built and opened a new hotel across the street, the West Richfield Inn which is now called the Taverne of Richfield. He is described as a tall man in a suit and top hat with an “Abraham Lincoln” beard. He hangs out in the Ballroom, presumably since it’s the most originally structured room, not much has been altered in that room since the building of the Taverne. Our other 2 ghosts are Mrs. Rebecca Akers and her son, Elijah. Rebecca mostly resides in the stairwells often holding people’s hands as they walk up and down the stairs. Although we caught a picture of her dancing in the ballroom. Her son Elijah is a feisty poltergeist who runs through the ballroom and says “Hi There.” These two came only recently along with the stained glass windows that were purchased in 1996 from a burnt down church in Dayton Ohio. Rebecca died an older woman but her ghost is her as a young lady. It’s rumored that Elijah died as a child so Rebecca’s ghost reverted to when he died and they stayed together in the church posthumously. The stained glass windows memorialize Rebecca’s name. Activity of ghostly happenings include doors opening and closing by themselves, glasses flying off the bar and tables, orbs appearing in pictures, chilly drafts, chairs scooting away from the bar by themselves, tables being unset. Recently, a patron and former employee from the 70’s informed us that when he worked there they had a big wedding to set up for in the ballroom, They stayed late the night before and got all the tables, chairs, silverware, glassware, napkins and everything all set up. The next morning when the florist arrived they instructed her to go up and start setting up everything is ready for her. Much to everyone’s shock (and dismay) the whole room was empty. Every table and chair stacked in a corner, every piece of silverware back in the drawer, every linen neatly folded and put back in the linen closet. But that’s just the stories, check it out for yourself!
You will hear footsteps on the lanes when it is jaut you in there. You can hear pins be thrown across the back of bowling ally when no one is back there. There are dog barking. There is also a little girl that is 8 yrs old that haunts the bathroom. There is also a devils corner in here.
