Haunted Franklin Castle

Haunted America

by William G. Krejci, John W Myers

Behind its iron gates, the Victorian-era structure of Franklin Castle harbors rumors of everything from insanity to mass murder.


For more than half a century, the castle's dark façade has lured curiosity seekers from around the world. Disembodied voices echo from empty rooms, doors open and close of their own accord and cold spots drift about the manse. Witnesses swear to sightings of a woman in black and a young girl in white, believed to be the ghostly apparitions of the wife and daughter of the original owner, Hannes Tiedemann. Using previously unpublished photographs, interviews, family accounts, floor plans and nearly forty years of research, authors William G. Krejci and John W. Myers finally reveal the true and definitive history of Cleveland's notorious Franklin Castle.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2017

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and well written

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, like many others in Cleveland, I have dreamed of owning the Franklin Castle for many years. I always said, if I won the lottery, that house would be mine :). Heck, I would love to just go inside and feel the history. This book was much needed and I am so happy I read it. All the crazy rumors that you hear or read on the Internet.... I knew they couldn't all be true, although I was kind of hoping maybe it was just a little haunted... :). There is so much history in this house and it's past owners, I found myself gasping and re-reading parts. The stories are so fascinating, as are the stories of how all the different rumors have started. I do hope that the current owners will be able to do as planned. Restore it, open it to the public, make it a museum. Everyone should be able to enjoy such a wonderful historical landmark. I will still dream of a day I can walk it's halls, but now when I drive by it, I will also see the faces of those that lived there before and remember their stories. :)

[Angeline Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Misleading title. It should be called simply "History of the Franklin Castle." The paranormal is barely mentioned, and in fact the authors state in the very first chapter how they believe the house is not haunted. Then the book proceeds to go on through the intricate history of the construction and ownership of the house, with a tiny bit of alleged paranormal activity mentioned here and there near the end. Not a bad book at all, just not what I expected. Like I said, terrible and inaccurate title.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the chance to listen to a talk by Krejci at one of the local libraries before buying this book there, so I knew what it would cover. My one nit is people picking this up may expect it to be chock-full of stories about purported hauntings, especially given the title and the cover art. Oh, there are stories about possible paranormal encounters, but that encompasses about a quarter of the book. Maybe. The bulk of the history covers just that: the history of Franklin Castle. Now, that is fascinating in and of itself, even without the ghosts. Krejci and Myers especially spend considerable time debunking the many, many legends and myths surrounding the unique structure, particularly the tales about Hannes Tiedemann and his family. For example, the stories about Tiedemann being a tyrant and possibly murdering his own children, including three infants? Total fallacy. So, again, someone looking for a book full of paranormal happenings may be disappointed. But those who like local history, not the mention the truth, should add this one to their shelves.

[Jen Jaketic · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly detailed account of each person who owned this famous Cleveland house. I bought this book at a presentation at the Lakewood library with the authors. Their book puts to rest all of the myths (the original owner, Hannes Tidemann, did not kill anyone, for example) but doesn't deny that people have said they felt a presence while living there (two members of his family did die there of disease). It is a bit overly detailed - do we need to know the entire backstory of the owner's next door neighbor's children and grandchildren, for example? - but it was cool to read about some of Cleveland's history (including the namesake of the misspelled Tiedeman Ave). I hope the current owners open the house to tours soon!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in Ohio and had never heard of the Franklin Castle until I heard it mentioned on an episode of American Horror Story. After a quick google search I found this book. And Wow! Was I happy I did. This was a very interesting and informative book. If you are wanting something talking about the supernatural focus of the Hannes Tiedemann house this book is not for you. This book does it's best to fix the disparaging tales about Hannes Tiedemann the original owner of the house. And it does just that.

[Lana martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunted Franklin Castle

This book was very well written and very informative about a local (to me) legend. I have been so curious about the Franklin Castle and have been past the building many times in my life. This book gives the historical facts about the man who had it built and the many others who have tried to restore the castle.

[Bobbi Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting history of Cleveland's near-west side and of Hannes Tiedemann, a German immigrant who became respected and prosperous. Since his death he has been demonized as a brutal murderer. The authors vindicate him, while still conceding that paranormal activity has been experienced in the mansion he built.

[Jamie Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find it refreshing that this book restores the reputation of Hannes Tidedemann. Of course everyone wants a good ghost story and everyone wants this house to be super haunted but the facts are the facts. Hannes was a generous and noble man and I love that this book sets the record straight. Especially since his reputation was only destroyed in the 80s by a woman claiming to be a medium... 🤦🏼‍♀️

[Karen Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

I've been amazed by the castle all my life and it's nice to finally know the whole story. Including the background of the Tiedemann family.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

lots of great history in this book.

[Denise Merritt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well researched - loved learning the truth behind the home’s owners. Now I just want to see the renovations inside!

[Denise Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

The name of the book is “Haunted Franklin Castle” but all the haunting was discounted. I was hoping for a ghost story instead I got a family history.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful look at FRanklin Castle and its history, both haunted and non-haunted

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating account of the history of this historic house and I toured it in the 1970’s.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Loved every piece of it.

[Marissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to read about the hauntings in Franklin Castle, not the entire family tree of the family who built it and owned it. Was a tiny bit interesting, but mostly boring.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it! The telling of this story is brilliant! Krejci is a master storyteller! This is a must read!

[Joe Koudelka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having spent all my life in the Cleveland area, I was aware of the spookiness surrounding the Franklin Castle, so I was intrigued when I saw the book at the library. Besides, it’s October and Halloween is nigh.

The authors do a great job of researching the provenance of the Franklin House. They track the residents and ownership through multiple generations. However, I wish there was more ink on the paranormal aspects of the house.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in the history of Franklin Castle, this book is for you. Unfortunately, I think the title and book cover are misleading. This book is mostly about the history of the Franklin Castle and the people who have owned it. In regards to the castle being haunted, the authors really try to show that the majority of the related legends are false. I did find the history quite interesting and there were a lot great pictures.

[Amy Gressell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by this house! It was fun to get the full history of it and the details of the 11 different owners. I just wish there really was more of a ghost story to it! I'm also really glad that the current owners are able to restore this masterpiece to its original glory.

[Katheryn Womack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in Cleveland, I have heard all the stories and legends. This book tells the real history —not just of this house, but of the growth of Cleveland, and many of the main players. It was fascinating and I couldn’t put it down.

[Meg Espozi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that lists all the names of all the orobator who owned Franklin castle and all of the names of their family members, how they died and what their occupations were. Bummer.