The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

The Official Student News Source of HSEHS

HSENews

The Hauntings of the Hannah House

In 1858, a 37-year-old Ind. State Legislator named Alexander Hannah built a house consisting of 24 rooms on Madison Ave. Hannah was a widely respected civic leader in Ind. and served as a sheriff and a member of Ind. General Assembly. However, his most influential career was conducting the underground railroad.

The Hannah family owned a substantial amount of property in Marion County. Hannah himself owned about 240 acres of land south of Indianapolis, where he would soon begin building his infamous mansion. His mansion served as a location for the underground railroad, and Hannah assisted runaway slaves by letting them hide in the basement of his home.

One night, tragedy struck when an oil lamp was knocked over, entrapping the slaves in the basement as it was engulfed in flames. To lessen his chances of being caught helping runaway slaves, Hannah buried the bodies in the dirt floors of the basement. This is how the Ind. legend of the “Haunted Hannah House” came to be.

In 1872, Hannah married Elizabeth Jackson, who soon after became pregnant. It is believed that Elizabeth miscarried the child, although there are no records of a child’s death associated with the house. The only indication of the passing of a child is the small unmarked gravestone between Alexander and Elizabeth’s at the Hannah family cemetery plot. This rumor sparked many tales of a ghostly child roaming the halls of the Hannah House.

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Past owners and visitors of the house have reported having strange and ghoulish encounters, such as doors swinging open, cold drafts and even seeing ghost apparitions. The cellar, in particular, is known for having immense paranormal activity. Sightings of a ghostly Hannah himself, as well as an elderly woman, have been allegedly seen in the house.

The Hannah House is open for tours on certain occasions. Admission is 5 dollars and 3 dollars for children. The house is also open for events such as weddings, banquets, corporate parties, birthday parties or class reunions. All money from events and ticket sales goes towards the preservation of the mansion.

According to Google reviews, “For 12 dollars it is the best haunted house on the southside. They take you in the house and tell you about it, and then the haunting begins. Actors were great and the characters were fantastic.”

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