Pythian Castle
Location submitted by: whougonnacall on 10/12/2012
DBA Approved: Y
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PANICd#: 1259
A former orphanage that now offers several varieties of entertainment.
1451 East Pythian Street
Springfield , MO 65802
Phone: (417) 865-1464
Open to the public: Yes
Lat: 37.221432
Lon: -93.26867900000002
Database Summary:
Demographic Rank: 6
History: 1
Stories: 1
Claims: 4
Evidence: 0
Resources: 0
Retrievals: 2672
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 0
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History
History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.
The main building was designed to give the structure the appearance of a castle which reflected the theme of the Knights of Pythias. Its foundation and exterior is constructed of "Carthage Stone", which is an especially hard variety of limestone commonly quarried in the Ozarks. The interior construction is composed of steel framework with poured concrete floors, ceilings, and stairways. The interior walls consist of layered hollow core "Pyrobar Blocks" (a gypsum-based fireproofing material developed in the early 1900s), with a wire mesh covering that was coated with several layers of plaster. The original main floor features a grand foyer, meeting room, ballroom, dining hall, and sitting parlors. The second floor, which is accessed by dual staircases on either wall, was designed with dormitory style rooms for children and bedrooms for adults. The second floor also features a theater with original ticket booth, seats, upper projection and lighting room as well as changing rooms backstage. The building also features a full basement. The power house was located directly behind the main building and housed the boiler as well as the institution's laundry facilities.
History
The Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization, originally constructed the castle and detached power plant as an orphanage and retirement home for children and widows of members of the order. It was called The Pythian Home of Missouri. It also served as a meeting hall for the order. It served in this capacity until in 1942 during World War II when the United States Military commandeered the facility for use in conjunction with adjacent O'Reilly General Hospital in entertaining and rehabilitating injured U.S. troops. It was renamed The Enlisted Men's Service Club. The facility featured a movie theater, ballroom, bowling alley, pool hall, library, and arts and crafts area. Some of the most famous movie stars, comedians, and entertainers of the era performed in the theater while the ballroom was host to big bands playing for the dancing pleasure of the troops. After the war the building was retained by the military for use as a reserve center until it was sold as surplus in 1993.
It is now privately owned by Tamara Finocchiaro. Renovations have been completed to the property including a new driveway and parking area. As of August 1, 2010 the castle has been reopened to the public for use as a cultural arts and events facility. It is available for special event rental including weddings, proms and corporate parties and offers public events such as history tours, murder mystery dinners, and holiday events. To add to the castle's many identities, it is also considered by some to be one of the more haunted places in the Ozarks.
Added by: lmizenko on 01/31/2015
DB#:203
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythian_Home_of_Misso...
Stories
Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location.
With the unique history this magnificent building has endured over the past century, there is no shortage of legends and factual events to support the plethora of paranormal activity that still resides here.
On the darker side, these legends and stories date back to when the Castle provided a refuge for orphans and include heart saddening stories of mistreatment through punishment and other abuse. It has been told through the decades that many times these orphans had to deliver laundry and other things to the old power house and laundry building which sits behind the castle. To do this, the orphans were made to crawl through the underground tunnel which connects the two buildings. This same tunnel also housed the scalding hot steam pipes which provided steam to the castle and many times was filled with mud, debris and vicious rodents. It was also in this same tunnel that tales tell of orphans who were taken there and abused by a very large man who once worked there.
Then during the second world war, many do not realize that Prisoners of War were kept at the Army's O'Reilly General Hospital Complex and used for labor. Also, some veterans of this war have told stories about high ranking Japanese, German and Italian POW's that were brought to the Castle and held captive in the basement. Some of these POW's were also interrogated there which resulted in "not so happy" endings.
Then soon after, the Veterans Administration used the complex for treating those who fell ill with tuberculosis which provided even more sorrow and death to this location!
The Castle has also seen many natural and accidental deaths take place within its walls over the past century as well as the deaths of those by their own hand.
Added by: lmizenko on 01/31/2015
DB#:1158
Source(s):
http://www.paranormaltaskforce.com/PythianHaunting...
Paranormal Claims
Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.
| Claim # | Added | Added By | Claim |
| 1914 | 01/31/2015 | lmizenko | Unexplainable smells. |
| 1915 | 01/31/2015 | lmizenko | Cold/hot spots. |
| 1916 | 01/31/2015 | lmizenko | Disembodied voices. |
| 1917 | 01/31/2015 | lmizenko | Full body apparitions. |
Paranormal Evidence
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Additional Resources
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