Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stands as a staple in the history of contemporary America with its reputation as the city of steel. It has another reputation intertwined with its glorious past, however. Spirits of the dead linger around every corner of this towering city, speaking tales of tragedy, suffering, and murder. 

There is one such location in the Manchester neighborhood of Pittsburgh whose name sends a shiver down locals’ spines to this day: the Congelier House. It no longer stands, covered by a highway, yet this once-grandiose home held a reputation so gruesome it’s believed the evil that once dwelled within left a mark on the city to this day. That’s why locals still believe the Congelier House was built by the devil himself. 

What is the story behind the Congelier House?

The infamous Congelier House has held a notorious reputation in the city of Pittsburgh for two centuries. So much so, in fact, it’s debated among locals whether the now demolished house ever even existed, but one thing is for sure if it did. The Congelier House was, without a doubt, the most haunted location in America. 

History of the Congelier House 

The most accepted timeline for the Congelier Mansion shows that it was built in the 1860s by Charles Congelier. A wealthy businessman, Congelier moved to Pittsburgh after the Civil War and had the elaborate home built for him, his wife, Lyda, and their maid, Essie. 

Life for the Congeliers was as good as it could get in the booming city of Pittsburgh. That all changed one day in 1871 when Charles’s wife, Lyda, heard noises from the maid’s quarters. It was Charles and Essie making sounds together that, let’s just say, made Lyda’s heart shatter. Grabbing a knife and a meat cleaver, Lyda returned to Essie’s bedroom and butchered them both.

A friend and neighbor of the Congeliers visited the house after seeing no one come or go for the next several days after the murders. The house was filled with the stench of decaying flesh. He then came upon the haunting sight of Lyda, covered in blood and sitting in a rocking chair, humming a lullaby as she cradled Essie’s severed head.

The Congelier House’s Later Years

The mansion sat abandoned for two decades before it underwent a series of ownerships. First, it was bought by a local railroad company in 1892. Then, in 1900, it was bought again by a reclusive doctor named Adolph Brunrichter. Finally, it was owned by the Equitable Gas Company until November 1927, when an explosion two blocks away completely demolished the Congelier Mansion. 

Today, the site of the grandiose Congelier House is covered by a highway and a nefarious enigma as well. Did this infamous mansion actually exist? If so, is there a shred of truth to the ghostly tales and the history surrounding it? For those who believe, the house didn’t just return to hell but was, as some call it, the “House the Devil Built.”

Hauntings Overview

The Congelier House was converted into apartments for railroad workers when it was purchased in 1892 by a local railroad company. However, what the company didn’t know was that evil was lying dormant in its walls all that time. 

Workers felt a general sense of unease and heard scratches coming from within the walls. Demonic voices echoed through the halls, and someone humming a lullaby could be heard. They also spoke of a deep hissing sound that seemed to emanate from everywhere in the house at once. 

The most unsettling experience involved several complaints workers submitted about their foreman. According to them, the foreman—who lived in his own private residence at the time—checked in on the men too often. This was a violation of privacy, as he lurked in the hallways at odd hours, watching them come and go. 

It seems like a logical complaint, except the foreman insisted he wasn’t visiting the house during those times; his wife and children vouched for his whereabouts. 

There was even one night when the apparition was seen at the house while the foreman was out having drinks with one of the railway’s vice presidents. The activity became so intense that these hardened blue-collar workers eventually refused to stay another night in the house.

The house sat vacant once again and was later purchased by the Equitable Gas Company. Its rooms were used to house immigrant workers, but they, too, found themselves hearing demonic voices throughout the home. 

Things became downright terrifying for them when the bodies of two workers were later found murdered in the basement. Only to make it stranger, there was nowhere in the basement for the killer to escape. The horrified remaining workers immediately moved out of the house never to return. 

The Mad Doctor

The only thing as disturbing as the story of the Congelier House’s first owners is the story of Dr. Adolph C. Brunrichter. He purchased the home in 1900 upon his immigration to America and never left or socialized with his neighbors. Blissful obscurity seemed to be the fate for the good doctor until August 12, 1901.

The neighbors were startled by a woman’s blood-curdling scream followed by an explosion of light from within the home. The police arrived and discovered a woman’s decapitated body, eerily similar to the house’s first crime it had ever witnessed. 

Upon further investigation, they also found a hidden laboratory with the heads of five more women. There were also notes left behind suggesting the doctor had been performing experiments to keep the heads alive even after decapitation. 

The doctor was nowhere to be found until 1927 when a man was arrested in New York claiming to be Adolph Brunrichter. He was drunk and told police about the experiments he performed in Pittsburgh, as well as the location of several other bodies. 

Police searched the locations, but there were no bodies, forcing them to deem the man harmless and release him. This odd figure referenced in the newspapers as the “Pittsburgh Spook Man” was never seen or heard from again. 

Haunted Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, boasts a rich history forged in the steel that built America. Stories of its past echo through Its cobblestone streets and towering skyscrapers and are carried away on the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. 

However, a darker undercurrent travels through the city, filled with death and agony, giving rise to its haunting tales. They’re whispered in the shadows of Pittsburgh where the dead linger, refusing to let the past of this great city remain buried. 

The infamous Congelier House is a haunting example. A once-grand residence, it soon became a house of terror that met a destructive end. Though it may be long gone, the chilling legend of the Congelier family continues to plague Pittsburgh’s collective memory.

Tales of a jealous wife, a brutal double murder, and a mad doctor have embedded the Congelier House’s place as America’s most haunted house. It also adds credence to its spine-gripping reputation as the “House the Devil Built.”

Pittsburgh is riddled with ghosts lurking in the shadows at every turn. Come and see them firsthand with Pittsburgh Ghosts! Book an unforgettable ghost tour on our website today while there’s still room.

SOURCE: PITTSBURGHGHOSTS.COM

Trundle Manor is the private home of Mr. Arm and Velda Von Minx and is located in the Swissvale neighborhood in east Pittsburgh. It describes itself as “The most unusual tourist trap in the world meets the most bizarre private collection on public display”, which seems like a quite fitting description for this unusual residence.

The homeowners opened their home to tours in 2009 and offer a peek into their very unusual and eclectic collection of items by appointment. Since this is a private residence, don’t just show up here and expect a tour. Make sure to reach out to them via their website as early as possible to arrange a time to visit (typically on weekday evenings and on weekend afternoons).

Trundle Manor is definitely a bizarre collection of items ranging from 100-year-old taxidermy to meat cleavers, handmade robots, and even a singing tumor (more on that later).

What’s even more incredible is that many of the items on display were created by Mr. Arm and Velda Von Minx themselves, though they make sure you know that they did not kill or torture any of the animals that they have taxidermied themselves. However, they do have their own deceased cat and a friend’s deceased dog on display after preservation.

Tours last about 45 minutes and take you through four rooms on the lower level of the home. While there are no steps on the tour, note that there are a fair number of steps to get into the home.

The rooms on the tour of Trundle Manor are chock full of items. In fact, you could probably spend all day here and still miss something.

Display cases are overflowing, decades-old taxidermied items are stacked multiple layers deep throughout the space, and a myriad of items also hang from the walls and over doorways. Somehow, though, the collection keeps growing as new items are found, made, or donated to Trundle Manor.

During your tour, one of the homeowners guides you through the space offering stories about various pieces and interesting tidbits (such as the fake and creepy dog made by Mr. Arm when he was a child). Visitors are also welcome to ask about items they find interesting, and if you love the strange and macabre, you are sure to find plenty of things to ask questions about during your visit.

One of the most unusual pieces is Olivia’s Singing Tumor, which is located just inside the main entrance to the home.

This is an actual benign tumor that was removed from a friend’s body and has been given a place of honor inside a glass jar. It has been rigged to lights and music to create one of the most interesting displays you’ll ever see. It’s even said that the woman who donated the tumor comes by the visit it from time to time.

The largest room in the space is the home’s main parlor. This room is not just full of more unusual displays but also serves as their personal living room, complete with a hidden video game system and projector screen.

In this space, you can find their now-deceased pet cat, which has been freeze-dried and placed in an enclosure, right next to a giant painting that features its likeness, and a collection of meat cleavers in case of a zombie attack (Pittsburgh is the birthplace of zombies after all!)

Tours end with the chance to go through a hidden doorway into the home’s kitchen, which is also filled with incredible items and is one of the most unique spaces in the home. There is also a small gift shop here with everything from stickers to homemade Halloween costumes.

Through the back door, visitors can also see the homeowners’ cars, including one that has been modified to shoot flames six feet into the air. While they don’t demonstrate the flames, the modifications on this car are really interesting to look at.

It’s worth noting that there is no specific charge to tour Trundle Manor. However, donations are accepted, and they have a jar near the door for those with cash. They also accept strange oddities as a donation and some of the items pointed out during my visit were donated by past visitors, which really adds a unique twist to the collection here. They also accept non-beer alcohol as a donation as well, according to their website.

Overall, Trundle Manor is one of the most unusual places I’ve ever been, and to think that this doubles as someone’s private home is truly mind boggling.

The collection here is one of the most eclectic you’ll find anywhere and probably isn’t for everyone (including young kids who like to grab things and the easily squeamish).  However, for those who enjoy strange oddities, unique art, and simply exploring the unusual, this is definitely a stop you won’t want to miss in Pittsburgh.

SOURCE: UNCOVERINGPA.COM

The Background of National Tennessee Day

The past of Tennessee has been tumultuous. Asian ancestry is the prevailing belief regarding the initial migrants, who traversed the Bering Strait land bridge approximately 20,000 years ago. In the seventeenth century, English forces succeeded Spanish explorers who had left in search of gold in 1540. Chickasaws and Cherokee constituted the preeminent indigenous tribes of this era. “Tennessee” is derived from the Cherokee settlement known as “Tanasi.”

Tennessee contributed significantly to the Creek War as volunteers, operating under the leadership of Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Alabama from 1813 to 1814. The volunteers rushed to the aid of Muskogee communities that were devastated as a result of the Creek warriors’ assault on Fort Mims, Alabama.

The United States government forcibly evicted the Cherokee of East Tennessee from the area between 1838 and 1839 despite their concerted efforts to blend into the local culture. Along with other indigenous American communities, they were led to Oklahoma via the Trail of Tears.

In contrast, Tennessee initially supported the Union during the American Civil War in 1861, but subsequently voted secession and allied with the newly formed Confederate States of America. By 1864, having won the majority of their engagements in Tennessee, the Union army had occupied the majority of the state. Tennessee emerged as a significant arena for racial segregation demonstrations following the Memphis sanitation workers strike of 1968 and the Nashville sit-ins for the civil rights movement from 1959 to 1961. On April 4, while in Memphis to support sanitation workers, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

Participation in National Tennessee Day Events

Explore the natural beauty of the province

Great Smoky Mountains National Park or Radnor State Park are both excellent locations for a trek. Observe the undulating hills while taking pleasure in the scenery.

Play rural music

Bristol has earned the moniker “country music’s birthplace.” In addition to housing the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville is commonly referred to as “Music City.” Country music should be listened to in observance of this musical state.

Eat Nashville spicy chicken

Nashville spicy chicken is a specialty of Tennessee and is renowned for its fiery flavor. Join your companions in celebrating the occasion with this piquant treat.

Five Fascinating Details About Tennessee

Since 1925, The Grand Ole Opry from Nashville has been broadcast every weekend.

The 1811 Real Madrid earthquake was responsible for the creation of Reelfoot Lake.

Centennial Park in Nashville features a life-size replica of the Parthenon.

In the Great Smoky Mountains, over thirty species of Salamandra can be found.

Graceland, Elvis Presley’s estate located in Memphis, ranks as the second most-visited residence in the United States.