Stetson House

 Built in 1810, the second oldest house in Waynesville, Ohio was originally a wagon maker's house.  By the 1860s, the house was owned by Louisa Stetson Larrick, older sister to John Stetson, creator of the famed Stetson Hat.

The Stetson House
Photo Credit: Trendy Bindi's Boutique

John came to stay with his sister Louisa in the 1860s. He had been cut off from the family hat-making business and was in poor health, suffering from tuberculosis and asthma. Louisa cared for him while his health recovered, and he developed a new style of hat made from the animal hides he'd accumulated traveling out west - the first American Cowboy Hat. Louisa loaned him the money to get his new company off the ground when he left.

When John recovered, he moved on to Philadelphia, started his Stetson Hat company, and was hugely successful. What did Louisa get for her trouble? He paid her back the exact amount of her original investment (not even any interest payment, dude, really??) and left her with tuberculosis.  Louisa passed away in 1879.

Louisa's ghost is said to linger in the house, although there are claims that the spirit could also be that of a schoolteacher who lived in the house in the early 1900s. 

The spirit is said to be full body apparition of a small, dark-haired woman, wearing an old-fashioned high-collared dress and gloves. She has been spotted in the doorway of the home and trying to enter the neighboring shops.

Visitors have reported seeing the apparition, as well as felt her presence. One visitor reported being touched by fingers on the back of her neck. A visitor caught a snapshot that appears to show the manifestation, you can check out his story and photos here. It's also said that mirrors in the house refused to stay hung and would crash to the ground.

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