October: Haunted Columbus – Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus
In the spirit of October, Halloween and all of that (I may continue it after) I will highlight some haunted places around the city. Many of these places we all have been to or even frequent on a daily basis. One thing about being a history nerd is that while researching you uncover things that you may not have expected to find. The following story is about Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus (located at 161 N. High Street). I’ve been to the Elevator quite a few times and it’s a beautiful restaurant with great atmosphere, food and drinks. It‘s home to twelve handcrafted brews, two billiard tables from the 1800s, an excellent dining menu, and at least two legends. Whether if we want to admit it or not some of us…if not all like a little scandal in our stories.
MURDER: Originally called Bott Brothers Buffet and Billiards, and later known as The Clock, the restaurant’s primary feature had always been the large clock in front of the building. For years it was stopped at 10:05 before being replaced. The clock’s stoppage was linked to a cold February night in 1909. Colonel Randolph Pritchard was an infamous womanizer who frequented the saloon. On that stormy night, Pritchard was called out to the street by a woman and was stabbed. Pritchard stumbled into the bar and died, bleeding on the mosaic floor. When people went outside to see who had killed him, they found only a woman’s bare footprints in the snow, running away from the building. The clock outside the saloon stopped at 10:05, the exact moment of the colonel’s death. Prichard’s ghost now roams the restaurant and is seen every now and then. His killer s said to haunt the building as well, as it is believed that she froze to death in the coldness of the night. It is also said that barefoot footprints mysteriously appear in fresh snow when no one has yet walked that path. Some have even claimed to see the footprints appear before their eyes.
Manager Jeff Setser says that, according to legend, on the anniversary of the murder you’ll be able to see the footprints if it’s a snowy day. Day bartender Rita Runyon says, “There’s definitely something here.” Occasionally, when she’s setting up in the morning, chairs will move or bar stools will nearly spin around by themselves. One night, when only Setser and a bartender remained in the building, Setser was walking through the dark kitchen when he saw a “white presence that made me turn abruptly.” He says he felt the hair on the back of his neck raise, and the presence disappeared. He walked up to the front of the restaurant to talk to the bartender. “Before I could say anything, he said, ‘The weirdest thing just happened. The hair on the back of my neck just raised, and I just felt this weird presence,’ ” Setser says.
The clock stood for many years, stopped at 10:05 (the exact time of Pritchard’s murder)…or at least until it was removed and replaced. The clock has since been repaired. Mysterious footprints have appeared in fresh snow where no one had yet walked. There have been several witnesses who have claimed to see the footprints appear right before their eyes.
The truth to the story remains elusive: No death certificate for Pritchard is shown on record in 1909, and a scan of microfiche of the February 1909 Columbus Dispatch turned up nothing. Either way, you’re bound to see snowy footprints on High Street in February—just check to see if they’re those of womanly bare feet.
LEGEND: The lesser-known legend of Elevator Brewery involved the tunnel system that runs beneath Columbus. Numerous reports state the Bott Brothers had access to these tunnels in their basement. Explorers have been unable to gain access to the basement to investigate these tunnels. There appeared to be three separate doorways that could have led into the tunnel system at one time, but they had all been cemented over. The tunnel system was used back in the day to transports goods (usually illegal) from business to business.
Aside from all of the drama…such as a possible murder and illegal transit into and out of the building; this is a pretty cool restaurant to dine in or just to hang out. The prices are pretty reasonable for a spot downtown. If you haven’t been, check it out.
Sources:
- Columbus Monthly, October 2009
- Ohio Exploration
