October: Haunted Columbus – Schools

These are sightings and activities from schools around the city (except Ohio State, that’s another post).

Capital University –  Kerns Religious Life Center – Witnesses have felt extreme cold, an instant feeling of sadness and have difficulty breathing in the basement of the building, which is the oldest building on campus. Maintenance workers who turn off the light in the tower have reported the light coming back on before they even reach the bottom of the staircase. Science Building – The ghost of a former biology professor is said to roam the halls of the science building. The ghost appears to be in his sixties as he walks through the labs in a white lab coat, carrying a beaker and apothecary bottle. He also puts away various glassware and models used in labs when the students are finished with them. Animals have mysteriously been released from their cages and microscopes have flown across the room, breaking on the walls.

Beck Elementary – Built in 1884 on the site of the old Franklin County Poorhouse, the school and surrounding homes are said to be haunted by the indigents who once lived there. Mysterious footsteps have been heard in the school and in some surrounding homes. In the 1960s, a ball and chain left over from the poorhouse days was unearthed from the school’s parking lot. One home in the area even has cells from the poorhouse in its basement.

Briggs High School – Teachers claim to hear strange noises coming from the music room at the school. Apparitions have been seen walking through the halls after hours and a bright white light has been seen. Desks in the classrooms occasionally move without explanation. The ghost of a girl who was killed after being hit by a car is sometimes seen as well.

Buckeye Middle School – It is said that a janitor who used to work at the school was decapitated in a motorcycle accident. Now his headless ghost reportedly haunts the school. Students and teachers have seen shadowy figures in the auditorium and have spotted the ghostly janitor in the hallways.

Columbus Department of Health – (It’s not a school anymore but at one point it was.) Originally the Columbus School for the Blind and later the headquarters for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, this old building at 240 Parsons Avenue is reportedly haunted. Convict labor was used to build the place and it is said that five or six inmates died during its construction due to the lack of safety protocols. The building was completed in 1873 and originally had towers, but they are no longer there. The sound of loud footsteps walking the halls, slamming doors and loud sounds like a large pipe falling on a cement floor were heard when no one else was around. Ghostly voices and apparition sightings take place on the upper floors and in front of the building. One security guard reported seeing a little boy out of the corner of his eye while patrolling the boys dormitory, the northern brick building, and changed the way he did his rounds because of this. Another guard was seated at his desk when a figure appeared at the end of the hall and waved before going out the door. Not knowing who the person was, and it being 3:00 AM, he ran to the door and looked out over the yard and no one was there.

Columbus State Community College – Ghosts are believed to haunt this relatively new college, likely because the school is built directly on top of the old Catholic graveyard. The spirits harass workers and police officers on the campus at night. Some janitors have quit their jobs because of the haunting activity. Some security and police personnel refuse to patrol certain places alone.

Fort Hayes – Now an alternative school for the Columbus City Schools, Fort Hayes was once a very active military post. Its most well-known ghost is a soldier who was killed by an overheated cannon that was being fired in 1865 for Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train when it passed through Columbus. The soldier’s commander supposedly knew the cannon would overheat and wanted him to die because the soldier was in love with his daughter. Another ghost that haunts the fort appears in a World War II uniform, often near the drill hall. One eyewitness who was wandering around on the top floor of the shot tower heard a loud boom. He turned around to look down and saw a soldier in old clothes run across the floor with a rifle. He went downstairs to see what was happening and nothing was there. He asked a fellow student about it and only received odd looks. Some students report that they cannot go to the top floor of the shot tower due to sheer fear of what may be lurking there. Soldiers have been seen eating at the old mess hall on foggy mornings and fading out of sight in the field across from the building. The old hospital building is said to be haunted by many spirits. Witnesses have reported hearing cries of the dying and injured, and have seen ghostly figures wearing old nurse and military uniforms. Lockers open and close when the halls are empty in the school’s newer buildings. Students report the feeling as if they are being followed while walking down the hallways and footsteps are often heard on the stairwells at odd times.

Georgian Heights Alternative Elementary School – The woods behind the school are said to be haunted by the ghost of a boy named Nick. He was supposedly a former student of the school who died in 1965 from brain cancer. Children at the school sometimes see his apparition at the edge of the woods. Students have also reported seeing a ghostly girl in the restroom next to the library who asks for help. Some have even reported being scratched by something unseen. Room 21 and the library are said to be haunted as well.

Marion-Franklin High School – There is supposedly a tunnel that connects the high school to a nearby middle school. It is said that back in the 1950s/60s, some students found their way into the tunnel. One of them fell into a service fan and was cut to death. the spirit of the student is supposed to walk the halls of the school. Students have been to the supposed entrance to the tunnel, which is now blocked by a metal fence with a chain and padlock. There is a mirror located in the hallway near the science wing. Students and teachers have reported seeing someone walking up behind them in the mirror and upon turning to see who it is, there is no one there. Male students have reported seeing shadows darting around in the guy’s locker room.

Starling Middle School – The feeling of a ghostly presence sometimes follows people going up and down the stairs. A white ball of light is sometimes seen in the windows.

Stewart Elementary School – the school is supposedly haunted by a child who died after falling from the large winding staircase in front of the building. In classrooms, the blinds would fly up for no reason and there was always a feeling of general uneasiness.

West High School – The ghost of a girl who was killed when hit by a car in the 1950s can sometimes be seen wandering the halls or standing next to her old locker. At least two eyewitnesses reported seeing a white figure being chased by a black figure down a staircase, across an eight foot hallway, and through the wall leading to the ROTC room.

Gahanna-Lincoln High School – A ghostly blonde boy wearing a basketball practice uniform has been seen between the gym and theater. According to legend, this was the area where cuts were made after basketball tryouts. WHen the blonde boy was cut from the team, it is said that he hanged himself from the backboard. After basketball games where the home team loses, when the lights are turned out, a basketball can be heard dribbling and occasionally the backboard on the west end of the gym vibrates as if a score had been made. A little girl is said to haunt the girls’ locker room. She has been spotted wearing a gray dress and has long black hair. Many students and staff members are both terrified and fascinated with the basement of the school. It is said a boy somehow drowned in the pool due to lack of supervision. The pool was shut down and it has been closed for over fifty years. Witnesses have seen the boy standing behind the padlocked gate and a janitor once heard someone splashing and calling for help from the pool. People have heard tons of legends, hauntings and stories. Mostly it’s the two that you already have on the page, but there is one more that is a lot more commonly talked about among the students. For as long as I can remember, people have been terrified yet fascinated with the basement of our school. Rumor has it that a boy somehow drowned in the pool, due to the lack of surveillance. Now, no one is allowed in the basement except office workers (I am one). I’ve seen the pool and it’s completely blocked off with a padlock and everything. It was easily the eeriest thing I have ever seen in my life. It was also pretty obvious that it hasn’t been used in a LONG time. I know three adults who graduated from Lincoln, who have all admitted to seeing/hearing something during their time here. One was down in the basement for a tornado drill and saw a boy behind the gate, told a teacher that someone had gotten past it, and then there was no one there. Another was an office worker, who had to deliver a pass to B building. When he walked past the basement door, it was unlocked and slightly open. Turns out, none of the custodians or anyone allowed down there, was working that day. It was sealed shut when he passed it again. The final one was the janitor himself, who was alone in the basement a couple of months ago. He ran upstairs and into the office to get the teacher I was working for. When she asked him what was so urgent, he said that he heard someone splashing and calling for help from the pool, and that he needed the key to the padlock instantly. I will never forget how white he turned when she said, “But Jim, that pool’s been drained for 50 years. The water pipes don’t even work anymore.

 

Hilliard Davidson High School – The distinctive smell of pipe tobacco can sometimes be smelled in the classroom of a former teacher who died suddenly of a heart attack. He was an avid pipe smoker. The auditorium is also said to be haunted. Fergus, the oldest son of the man who once owned the land where the school now stands, wanted to be an actor his entire life. His father did not agree with this and wanted Fergus to inherit the land to farm. After running away to New York and being brought back by detectives his father hired, Fergus knew he’d never make it to the stage and took his own life. Footsteps can be heard on the stage and electronic equipment malfunctions. These ghostly occurrences are credited to Fergus, who many believe finally made it on stage.

Hannah Ashton Middle School (Reynoldsburg) – The school’s namesake, who devoted her life to teaching, is said to haunt the school. Some students have reported seeing a woman dressed in old-fashioned clothing and others have felt coldness on their necks.

St. Pius X School (Reynoldsburg)– The left stall in the men’s restroom is said to become very cold at times. There is also a feeling of being watched quite often.

Hanby Arts Magnet School – This school is said to be haunted by two children in 1940s-style clothing who appear asking about a dance. Apparently they have spoken to janitors, asking directions to the auditorium so they can make it to their dance.

Longfellow Elementary School – Built in 1931, a woman wearing a long coat and high heels is said to haunt the school, the sound of her heels clicking across the floor. She has occasionally been seen standing at the top of the stairs.

Whitehall-Yearling High School – The high school was supposedly haunted by the spirit of an old band or choir teacher. A strange red glow could sometimes be seen in the auditorium’s balcony. In the backstage area, slamming doors could be heard and there was a general uneasy feeling. The hallway next to the auditorium was particularly haunted. It was said you could hear the sound of a heartbeat when standing in the hallway. Another teacher who had died had a pet bird and it could sometimes be heard chirping. The school was demolished in 2012 and a new building was built on the same site. It is unknown if the hauntings carried over to the new high school.