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Mudhouse Mansion was an abandoned house located in Fairfield County, just east of Lancaster, at 4730 Mudhouse Road. There are many local tales and legends as to the origin of the haunting in Mudhouse Mansion.
Mudhouse Mansion was built sometime between 1840 and 1850. Christian and Eleanor Rugh purchased the property, where Mudhouse Mansion stood, from Henry Byler and Abraham Kagy. The property was then sold to Henry and Martha Hartman in 1919. When Henry died, the property was inherited by his daughter Lulu. Her descendants still own the land today and locals have also labeled the mansion as “Hartman Place”. The mysterious estate was demolished on September 21, 2015, at the instruction of current owner, Jeanne Mast. Over time, the burden of owning a home laden with folklore became too much for Jeanne, who often watched for trespassers herself, or would hire informal guards to keep out would-be legend trippers. Yet despite the threat of prosecution, the Mudhouse Mansion was frequently subject to break-ins and vandalism. By the time of its demolition in 2015, all of its windows had been smashed and a fire had been set on the main floor, causing serious structural damage.
The dark tales that fueled the public’s fascination with the old building are legion, and run the gamut from the ghostly to the ghastly. One such tale speaks of an abusive post-Civil War era slave owner who lived on the property—odd, given that Ohio was never a slave-owning state. The violent master apparently went too far with his abuse.
One of the slaves got sick of the intolerably cruel treatment that he and his fellows were receiving, and decided to take revenge. Night by night, he began digging a tunnel from the outhouse towards the main manor, and eventually he finished the tunnel. On one ominous night, he made his way from the outhouse, through the tunnel, and into the mansion. Once inside the mansion, he slaughtered the slave owner, along with the entire family that lived in the house. - http://www.playwithdeath.com
The Mudhouse was also rumored to be the original home of the infamous urban legend Bloody Mary. Though this well-known urban legend pales in comparison to the mansion’s other grisly ghost story. So it goes, a family moved into the Mudhouse one day; they were seen unloading their belongings. But after the last box went in, the entire family disappeared behind the closed door of their house. Neighbors presumed the new arrivals simply preferred to keep to themselves, but after not seeing any activity for some time, they called the police. This is where the story gets creepy—even if its origins are dubious. Upon entering the quiet home, police found the entire family hanging from the ceiling, dressed completely in white.
Although there is no historical evidence to substantiate the ghosts of slaves at this home or that there was even a murder here, it didn't stop folks for generations seeing the ghosts of both the slaves that were allegedly abused here or the mother, father and children who were said to be killed in a revolt by those slaves.
Post Script: Mudhouse mansion was demolished by the owners in 2015 who felt it was too dangerous for the public. The long time caretaker watched as it was reduced to a pile of rubble.
Sources:
https://www.hauntedrooms.com/mudhouse-mansion-fairfield-county-oh-haunted-ghost
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