Haunted houses, the term makes many people's hair stand on end, but not mine, why, it not because I am so brave, it because I don't have any hair! Every country boasts about its haunted houses and some places are more known for haunting's than others. For example, the British Isles are famous for their haunted castles and houses. I don't think I will get an argument on this. The houses are usually very old and have had many tenants. Why is it that you hardly hear about a brand new house being haunted? Of course there is that old horror movie ploy that states that "the house was built over an old indian burial ground." When I was a kid that line popped up in many a grade B horror flick. Another place you don't think of as being haunted is a church, yet, do a search on the internet for "haunted churches" and you will get a ton of hits.

Here is a question for you, what do Borley Rectory and the house of Charles Wright Congelier have in common? Borley Rectory is the most haunted place in England and Congelier's house was the most haunted place in the US.

Angry Ghost
Picture Source: me

Borley Rectory was built in 1863 but there may have been a Borley church that predates 1066 but the wooden building has long disappeared. The problems started in 1362 when a monk ran away with a nun. He was caught and hanged and the nun was bricked up alive in a wall of a monastery that had just been built by the monks and was the future sight of the Borley Rectory some 500 years later. Could this have been the inspiration for that famous Edgar Allan Poe story? The rectory was expanded by Rev. Dawson Ellis Bull and his wife in 1875. Strange things were going on in the building such as what is commonly know today as poltergeist activity. The first thing that was noticed was that stones were being thrown but no one was there. A ghostly nun started to appear and even frightened off the nurse maid. A nursemaid was required because the good reverend had 14 children. People began to hear foot steps when no one could be seen. When Bull died his son took over. He had the same name, so his father nick named him Carlos. Three of the elder Bull's daughters reported seeing a nun walking on a path and several other people reported seeing the nun also. After Carlos died, in 1927, the rectory was empty for awhile. Carlos had claimed to have talked to spirits and said he would prove it by throwing moth balls after he died. I guess it was hard to find mothballs in the after life. In 1928 the Rev. Guy Eric Smith and his wife moved in. Immediately things began to happen. He said he heard moans and a female voice saying "don't Carlos, don't". The doorbell would ring, yet no one would be there, keys would disappear, foot steps could be heard, rocks were thrown and lights would go on and off. The bell ringing got worse and worse. In 1929 the Smiths moved out. In 1930 the rectory got a new family, it was the Rev. Lionel Foyster and his wife and daughter. Things went from bad to worse and in the next five years over 2000 poltergeist events took place. Carlos appeared, glass was being shattered on the floor, but this was glass that appeared from nowhere, writing appeared on the walls, pieces of paper appeared and even an iron was thrown across the room. Eventually the Foysters were driven out of the rectory by a ghost. Today you can go on a tour of the rectory.

Congelier's house was located at 1129 Ridge Ave in the Manchester area (yes Manchester) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But how did this house get haunted? Charles W. Congelier was married to a Mexican lady named Lyda. They had a servant girl and her name was Essie. Lyda had a bit of a temper. One day, in 1872, she discovered Charlie and the maid fooling around and stabbed Charlie to death. Not being satisfied with that she chopped off the maid's head. For a long time no one wanted to live in the house so it remained empty for over 20 years. The house was remodeled for railroad workers in 1892 but they left in a hurry claiming they couldn't live there because of the crying and screaming by a ghostly woman. The house was sold to a doctor in 1900. For a year the doctor kept to himself until a huge explosion rocked the earth, it came from the house. People ran into the home and were greeted with a ghastly sight. The first thing they saw was a decomposed female body strapped to a table. There were 5 graves containing headless women in the basement. The good doctor was engaged in experiments to keep bodyless heads alive. Some say he was able to keep some alive for a little while. He disappeared and the shattered house was vacant again. Several years later the house was remodeled again. This time gas workers were put up there. Things were not going too well as strange things were going on all the time in the house. One day tragedy struck. Two of the men were found dead in the basement, one was hanging from a rafter and the other had a board driven through his chest. The house was getting very famous. Thomas Edison visited the house and spoke of a machine he was working on that would allow communication with the dead but he died before it was finished. In 1927 a giant gas storage tank, that was near the house, exploded and completely blew away the most haunted house in America along with many other homes in the area. A side note, a man claiming to be the missing doctor was arrested in 1927 for being drunk. He claimed his name was Dr. Adolph Brunnchter. He spoke of what he said had been going on in the house, which he said was demonic possession, along with torture, sex orgies and murder. Apparently the police didn't believe him because they released him. One thing you had to say in his favor, he knew how to get a head.

These two buildings have quite a history don't they? I wonder what happens to the ghost when the house is destroyed?