Investigation August 2010
Franklin Castle
4308 Franklin Blvd.
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
The four story sandstone gothic structure was built in the late 1800s
by a German immigrant who got rich from his barrel making business, and later
the banking industry; Hans Tiedemann. The house featured 30 rooms, including a
ballroom that encompassed the entire fourth floor. It was rumored that there
are several secret passage ways that were later added throughout the house.
There is a morbid history of the castle that may affect what goes on here. It
is said that Mr. Tiedemann hung his own 13 year old daughter and hid her body
in one of the passage ways. Tiedemann's three babies died mysteriously in the
house, as did his fifteen year old daughter from diabetes. His wife died from
liver trouble, a servant girl was supposedly killed in the servants' quarters
on her wedding day after refusing Tiedemann's advances. He is said to have shot
his mistress Rachel for wanting to marry another man. Later in history there
was a supposed mass murder of Nazis being machine gunned to death over a
political dispute, and an ax murder in the front tower.
The Franklin Castle has been a club house for a German signing society, a home to a
German socialist organization, a doctor's office, apartments, and even a home to
bootleggers. The ghosts at the castle are numerous. People hear voices, choking
sounds of the mistress Rachel, babies crying in the walls, an organ playing,
shaking light fixtures, conversations when no one is there, along with many
different apparitions including the children of Mr. Tiedemann. An owner of the
castle searched throughout the house for the rumored secret passage ways and
uncovered bones, which the coroner said were very old. Today,
Franklin Castle is managed by developer, Charles Milsap, who has announced plans
to turn the property into a private club. Although he began selling memberships
in 2002, little work has been done to restore the gothic mansion.
by a German immigrant who got rich from his barrel making business, and later
the banking industry; Hans Tiedemann. The house featured 30 rooms, including a
ballroom that encompassed the entire fourth floor. It was rumored that there
are several secret passage ways that were later added throughout the house.
There is a morbid history of the castle that may affect what goes on here. It
is said that Mr. Tiedemann hung his own 13 year old daughter and hid her body
in one of the passage ways. Tiedemann's three babies died mysteriously in the
house, as did his fifteen year old daughter from diabetes. His wife died from
liver trouble, a servant girl was supposedly killed in the servants' quarters
on her wedding day after refusing Tiedemann's advances. He is said to have shot
his mistress Rachel for wanting to marry another man. Later in history there
was a supposed mass murder of Nazis being machine gunned to death over a
political dispute, and an ax murder in the front tower.
The Franklin Castle has been a club house for a German signing society, a home to a
German socialist organization, a doctor's office, apartments, and even a home to
bootleggers. The ghosts at the castle are numerous. People hear voices, choking
sounds of the mistress Rachel, babies crying in the walls, an organ playing,
shaking light fixtures, conversations when no one is there, along with many
different apparitions including the children of Mr. Tiedemann. An owner of the
castle searched throughout the house for the rumored secret passage ways and
uncovered bones, which the coroner said were very old. Today,
Franklin Castle is managed by developer, Charles Milsap, who has announced plans
to turn the property into a private club. Although he began selling memberships
in 2002, little work has been done to restore the gothic mansion.
The Franklin Castle trailer gives a brief history of the house.
The pictures below are taken by us at the house. NOPSS attended a short tour, but didn't do an investigation No one is allowed to video tape or record since the planned TV show is based on teams being the first to investigate in about 30 years.