Pennsylvania abounds with tales of ghostly encounters, grisly murders and restless spirits. Erie, Pennsylvania, is no different in that regard. Erie has many locations that believers claim are haunted, and several of these places are open to the public and can be visited by tourists who are interested in the paranormal.
As the legend goes, a young woman was told her fiance died in combat during World War II. Mourning the loss, the woman joined the convent and became a nun. As it turned out, the fiance was only missing in action, not dead, but according to the story, it was too late because the grieving young lady had already taken her vows. Some say she went mad with grief and was locked in the Old Main Tower, where she flung herself out the window and to the ground. Believers claim her benevolent ghost can still be seen in the tower and in other parts of campus.
In the 1970s, a young student named Henry lived in the West Wing of Niagara Hall. Legend reports that on one cold winter night when his roommate was out, he realized his room heater wasn't working. When he went to leave his room, he saw the door was jammed and was unable to escape the freezing room. In the morning, his roommate discovered his body, completely frozen to the heater. Students report that on some nights, you can still hear Henry shaking the heater in an attempt to turn it on or frantically pounding on the door.
The Watson-Curtze Mansion is another site that is famed for its ghostly happenings. The ghost of a young girl who suffered a wasting illness and died in the house is sometimes reported by visitors. In addition, the house is said to be haunted by the spirit of General Anthony Wayne, a famous officer in the Revolutionary War. General Wayne's body was boiled so his skin could be removed and buried in Pennsylvania. The cauldron in which he was boiled is said to bang and move at night. Today the mansion is owned by the Erie Historical Society and is a museum. Ghost tours are often held so visitors can attempt to catch a glimpse of the alleged ghosts.
St. Peter's Cathedral dates back over a century. Although no one knows the identities of the spirits that are supposed to be haunting the building, witnesses claim that many mysterious happenings occur at night. Doors are reported to open and close, windows rattle, and banging and voices can be heard throughout the building. Most ominously, many say they have seen black shadow figures darting around the rooms.
