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Punderson Manor Lodge

Punderson Manor Lodge paranormal

Photo by: http://www.tripadvisor.co...
Location submitted by: sdonley on 12/14/2013
DBA Approved: Y


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PANICd#: 1299

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Construction of what is now known as Punderson Manor began in 1929.

11755 Kinsman Road
Newbury , OH 44065
Phone: 1-800-282-7275
Open to the public: Yes

http://www.pundersonmanorresort.com...

Lat: 41.4611572
Lon: -81.21947769999997

Database Summary:

Demographic Rank: 6
History: 1
Stories: 2
Claims: 17
Evidence: 0
Resources: 0
Retrievals: 4409
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.


In 1795 General Moses Cleveland along with several surveyors stumbled upon this area naming the territory "The Western Reserve".

In 1806 Lemuel Punderson traveled from New Haven Connecticut and also surveyed this area finding what he called "The Big Pond" and eventually settled in what is now Newbury, Ohio. Lemuel lived in Burton at which time he met Sybil Hickox who became his wife in October 1808. Lemuel built a cabin near the "Big Pond" in Newbury for workers to build his Grist Mill and Distillery while Lemuel and his wife lived in Burton. In July 1810 Lemuel and Sybil moved into the cabin that was built for the workers to be closer to the grist mill business. Over the next 12 years Lemuel and Sybil had 6 children. Lemuel died in 1822 with complications from malaria and his wife and 5 children worked hard to continue to develop this area and then changed the "Big Pond" name to "Punderson Pond" in honor of Lemuel.

Sybil Punderson died in 1872 and the property was owned by the Punderson Estate. It was stated that no one owned the rights to the pond itself so it was used for recreational purposes and open to the public.

In 1885 James E. Wales started constructions on a building later called the Wales Hotel which was located on the south end of the campgrounds. In 1887 the hotel officially opened and was operated by J.E. Wales and his wife. The hotel was complete with a dining room, banquets rooms, and overnight room accommodations, music for dancing, fishing, boating, and fireworks over the lake. The hotel was operational and opened to the public for 20 years

In 1902 W.B. Cleveland (descendant of Moses Cleveland) started purchasing land around Punderson Pond but did not own the rights to the pond itself. W.B. Cleveland visited Lake Punderson and the Wales Hotel as a child and had a vision to turn this property into a private hunting and fishing estate.

In 1904 W.B. Cleveland married Ocie Coppedge and they built a home called the "Big House" which is where the Manor House is today. Their vision at this point started to become a reality as he acquired 500 solid acres of property. In 1907 W.B. Cleveland took up a legal action to purchase the rights to Punderson Pond because he owned almost all of the land surrounding the pond except 5 acres which Ella Punderson owned. Once he acquired the rights to the public pond and he took legal action and was awarded Ella Punderson's 5 acres now totaling 505 acres.

W.B. Cleveland then used this property for private purposes and started a dog kennel calling it Lakefield Farm and Kennels. Within the 500 acres you would find a kennel prized bird dogs, a dog food factory, herds of buffalo, angora goats, cows, elk, wolves, fox, swans and cranes. There was a Maple Sugar Bush on the property and a houseboat with 6 bedrooms. This property ran like this until after WW1.

W.B. Cleveland became ill in the early 1920's and was no longer capable of keeping up with the property. He passed away a decade later.

Dr. E. Coppedge financially rescued Lakefield Farms and then land contracted the property to Karl Long, a builder from Detroit, MI around 1925. Karl had a vision to build a 43 room English Style Tudor Mansion and began construction in 1925.

The agreement between the Cleveland / Coppedge family and Karl Long was that he could make minor renovations to the existing house on the property. After spending roughly $250,000 Karl Long tore down the existing "Big House" (except the two main chimneys) and built an English Style Tudor Mansion. In 1929 Karl Long defaulted on his mortgage and abandoned the property in Oct 1929. The mortgage was owned by Dr. Coppedge / Cleveland Estate and they took back ownership of the property.

Ocie Cleveland used the property for a girls summer camp in the early 1930's. After no longer being able to keep up with the camp or financially support the property, she sold the rights of the land to the State of Ohio in 1948.

In 1951 the state started an extensive renovation to finish the mansion started by Karl Long and opened its door officially to the public on November 15, 1956. The mansion provided 8 lodge rooms as well as dining facilities

In 1965 a $1.4 million renovation was complete adding an additional 24 lodge rooms and 26 cottages.

On Feb 1, 1966 the state officially opened Punderson State Park Lodge featuring 32 lodge rooms, 26 cabins as well as tennis courts, outdoor pool, shuffleboard courts, snack bar, dining room for 160 guests, and banquet / meeting facilities for up to 125 guests. Other recreational facilities included a golf course, marina, beach and hiking trails.

The lodge closed in the fall of 1979 and the state spent approximately $655,000 on a structural renovation reopening in March of 1983 to which has been opened year round ever since.

Part of this renovation included restoring the original master bed room built in 1929. Now the existing lodge has 31 guest rooms and 26 cabins as well as the Oak Lounge, the Alcove & Cherry Dining Room, The Round Room, the Sir James, 4 Banquet Meeting Rooms, indoor / outdoor pool, 18 Hole Championship Golf Course, marina and campground area.

Added by: sdonley on 02/01/2015 DB#:218
Source(s):
http://geauganews.com/the-history-of-punderson-man...


Stories

Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location. This section could also contain research notes as well.


Punderson State Park in Newbury has a lake haunted by a teenager who drowned there in 1977. Gypsies saw her in 1978--a black girl emerged from the lake covered in seaweed, walked down the shore, and then walked back in. They never went back. Can you blame them? I recently heard from a guy whose dad witnessed a drowning at Punderson Lake sometime in the mid-1970s. The lake, by the way, is one of the very few natural lakes in Ohio. Here's his story:

In about 1975 or so my dad bought a new fishfinder, which at the time was really pricey, so not many people had them. My dad went to Punderson to try it out, and put his boat in.

He noticed two teenagers out in a canoe, and that they weren't wearing life jackets. So my dad rowed out, fished for a while, and then heard the canoe flip over. As it turns out, only one of the kids could swim, and the other one drowned. The police came with a small boat to try to locate the body, but had no luck. The cops noticed my dad's fishfinder, and asked him to help. In those days, the fishfinders made a beep when you were over a school of fish, and didn't have a screen or anything, just the deeper the beep, the bigger the "fish." So, gliding along the lake, my dad hears a low beep, and waves to the police who are dragging a net to get the body. Nothing.

A few "low beeps" later, they locate the body. As they pull it up, my dad's fishfinder goes nuts, beeping like crazy, until it finally shuts off. He has only been on a boat in that lake once, when he still had the old fishfinder. He got out to the deep part (where they found the body) and it made a series of low beeps, and shut off. He hasn't been back since.

The Punderson Manor House, however, is the site of most of the hauntings. The Manor is an English Tudor country home which was renovated in 1982. The ghosts tend to haunt the Tower, the "old section" of the building. They especially like to bother winter caretakers. One caretaker was alone when there was a knock at his door. Opening it, he found nothing but the sound of footsteps going down the hall.

Laughter is heard here; cold spots are felt. A man with a beard roams the building, disappearing into wall and appearing in rooms where people are asleep. A woman in old-fashioned dress with a blue-grey bonnet also haunts the building. The ghostly sounds of children playing are heard here. Also present are a man dressed like a lumberjack, and a man who looks like Teddy Roosevelt, with the same mustache. Karl Long, who built the place in 1929, is rumored to have hanged himself here; he could account for one of the ghosts. The children might be those who died in a fire at a tavern on the opposite shore of the lake in 1885.

A secret network of tunnels was discovered under the Manor House a few years ago, and employes explored them, but one night the blueprints disappeared. A session with a ouija board indicated that there were no less than twelve ghosts at Punderson. Stop by and maybe you'll see one.

Added by: sdonley on 02/01/2015 DB#: 1172
Source(s): http://www.forgottenoh.com/Counties/Geauga/punders...


Often times, we come across haunted sites with pretty simple legends told second-hand by persons who did not actually witness the events. Yet, Punderson Manor is markedly different from the typical Ohio haunts. First, there appear to be approximately a dozen different sightings associated with this English Tudor mansion located in Geauga County near Newbury. Yet, in many instances, there are not always clear answers as to the identities of the apparitions. Second, many of the hauntings date back 30 years or more, encountered by credible (sometimes skeptic) people who seemingly have no awareness of any prior, eerie history regarding the mansion. Third, research has turned up some fascinating facts that tend to lend credibility to some accounts, and in other instances only further add to the mystery of this area.

To understand the haunted reputation of Punderson, one must first go back to a time before the mansion was built. The mansion rests on grounds located near Punderson Lake. Punderson gets its name from Lemuel Punderson, who in 1802 settled with his wife Sybal Hickox in the area that was once known as the vast Connecticut Western Reserve. One of his wife's prized possessions was a rocking chair, which Sybal brought with them on their wagon trip from Connecticut. Once settled here, Lemuel opened a distillery and grist mill with another business partner and built a home by Punderson Lake.

Nearby the Punderson estate was the Josh Burnett Tavern, which was a popular drinking hole until it burned mysteriously in 1885. Some say children died in the fire, but there is no evidence to substantiate this claim. Also nearby the Punderson estate was the Wales Hotel, an amusement park, a small zoo and a steamboat ferry. Apparently, it was quite an attraction for small children and their families until it closed down in the early 1900's. There is no particular grisly event associated with this turn-of-the century entertainment center, but its existence may explain some strange occurrences witnessed years later.

Punderson and his wife are buried on a hill by Punderson Lake. It is unclear what happened to Mr. Punderson, but local legend holds that one day he got inside a "golden bathtub" and drifted out into the lake. He then pulled the plug (literally) and drowned, resulting in one of the most unusual suicides we have ever heard. No one knows what happened to Sybal's rocking chair following her death, although it eventually made its way to the Geauga County Historical Society, where it is on display at its museum.

Following Punderson's death, the property then transferred to W.B. Cleveland. Cleveland built a small wood frame house on the site of the mansion. Little is known about Cleveland's occupancy of the land. Sometime later, Cleveland transferred the property to his son-in-law. His son-in-law, in turn, sold the property to Karl Long, a Detroit business man. Construction of what is now known as Punderson Manor began in 1929. However, Long soon lost his fortune in the Great Depression and was unable to finish the project. Some say Long killed himself in the Manor, but research does not support this claim. Eventually, the property reverted to the State in 1948.

After extensive renovation, the manor was opened to the public in 1956. It had then undergone a second renovation (which included the addition of a new wing to the mansion) and was re-opened to the public in 1982. The sleeping areas were now divided into two areas. The old "tower" section, and the new quarters.

It was during this time--the late 70's to early 80's--that talk of hauntings and other strange occurrences started to surface. Of course, there may have been sightings prior to this time. However, the first serious investigation and documentation of these paranormal events were conducted by Robert L. Van Der Velde, who interviewed employees, investigated the manor and researched its history for a period of five years through 1983.

The amount of information that Van Der Velde uncovered seems pretty compelling:

- In 1977, a teenage African American girl drowned in Lake Punderson. One year later, a caravan of gypsies from out of state camped near the lake. During the evening, its elders saw a "a young black woman, covered with seaweed, [emerge] from the darkened waters of Punderson Lake." Her apparition was then seen walking for a few yards before returning to the water and disappearing. The group reported the incident to the Park Ranger and told him that they would never come back.

- A custodian, who was a skeptic, was seen driving wildly one night from the mansion by the Park Ranger. When asked what happened, the custodian replied that his TV had suddenly went blank, and the lights started turning on and off without explanation. Then, the custodian heard loud, repetitive knocking on his bedroom door. When he opened the door, he saw no one in the hallway. At this time, Punderson was closed to the public in the winter, and presumably no one else had access to the mansion except for the custodian and the rangers. According to the Park Ranger, the custodian--pale and wild from fright--said, "I'm not going back to that hotel tonight! It's haunted!"

-While making rounds one winter evening, the rangers walked up the main circular staircase. They then noticed that the hall had turned cold, and one of the rangers remarked that there was a problem with the heating system. Then, they heard the laughter of a woman. When the laughter stopped, the hallway turned warm again.

- A former employee was sleeping in one of the rooms in The Tower when she awoke and saw a "bearded man dressed in shabby clothes" at the foot of her bed. When she tried to kick at this man, her foot went right through him. She then watch him disappear through a wall.

- Another ranger making rounds at the mansion spotted a strange man in the dining room. He chased the man into the basement storage room, which had no exit. However, the man disappeared.

- The night auditor received complaints from visitors about noises coming from the bedroom next to her. However, the room was unoccupied.

- The night auditor reported other strange events, including: rattling chandeliers, pictures falling off walls, and doors opening and closing on their own.

- A psychic who claimed to have made contact with a ghost in the Tower stated that one of the male spirits refused to leave the manor until the rocking chair was returned. The psychic's description of the ghost fit that of W.B. Cleveland, the gentleman who used to occupy a house on the site of the mansion.

- While searching for the rocking chair, workers and Van Der Velde discovered a network of tunnels and and crawlspaces beneath the mansion. (Note: Could these have provided easy access to the rooms by a prankster?) Inside, they found smashed furniture. Before they could explore any further for the missing rocking chair, the blue prints to the mansion mysteriously disappeared.

Perhaps the most fantastic report centers upon the manor's dining room. Late one night in 1979, three employees witnessed what they claimed be a man hanging by his neck from a rope in the rafters. The man appeared to be dressed in "lumberjack" clothing and rotated slowly from the rope, his fingers twitching. The apparition lasted for an incredible three hours, before it faded with the rising sun.

Some speculate that this apparition may be that of Karl Long, the original builder of the mansion. However, there is no evidence to substantiate that Karl Long ever killed himself, much less in the manor.

Interestingly, Van Der Velde did later discover that an old, tall tree used to grow on the spot where the dining room now stands. This, coupled with the man's "lumberjack" clothing, fuels the imagination as to who this apparition might be.

Another employee heard the sounds of children laughing and running around her in one the the Tower's meeting rooms. However, no children could be seen.

The infamous spiral stairs. In addition to Park Rangers who witnessed strange laughter and cold spots, Van Der Velde also interviewed the night auditor, who claimed she saw a female apparition "wearing an old-fashioned, bluish grey cape and bonnet and floor-length dress." The woman in Civil-War era clothing then floated up the stairs and left behind ice-cold air.

The employee also witnessed the same female apparition several times later, sometimes accompanied by children running around her. When the employee made eye contact with the woman, "she opened her cape and swallowed up the children in it and faded away."

On another occasion, this employee saw a mischievous, giggling little girl dressed in pink hiding behind the rails of the staircase, who then disappeared.

The hallway leading to The Tower suites. Based upon reports by employees and visitors, it would seem that practically every room on this wing is haunted.

However, the most notorious room is the Windsor Suite (or, Blue Room).

According to Van Der Velde, a banquet manager was assigned to the Tower's master bedroom. This bedroom, formerly known as the Blue Room, is considered to be the most haunted room in the manor. The manager reported a heavy fan floating across the floor toward him. Doors would burst open on their own. Another employee heard moans coming from the room when it was empty. On another occasion, he felt someone sit down on the bed next to him. As he said, "You could hear the springs of the mattress compress and see the depression in the blankets." The room would turn ice cold in the summer....so cold that frost would appear on the windows (Note: The manager did have the air conditioner running, although it is unclear whether it would have run cold enough to cause frost). Another night, he woke up suddenly with the feeling that someone threw cold water on him.

Most incredible of all, during Van Der Velde's investigation, the manager scraped off the blue paint on the Blue Room's old-fashioned bath tub, only to find gold paint beneath. Could this be Punderson's legendary golden tub?

Since Van Der Velde's investigation of Punderson Manor, the ghost tales continue. Guests still complain of noises coming from unoccupied rooms. One couple reported feeling the weight of several people sitting on their bed. Children are heard running the hallways (but if this is a family lodge, is that any surprise?). The manor itself hasn't gone out of its way to publicize the alleged hauntings, but it doesn't discourage the paranormal clientele, either. After all, one of Chris Woodyard's books on Punderson Manor is prominently displayed in its gift shop.

And what of the apparition of the Civil War era ghost? The property was built long after the war. Could she be a residual spirit, tied to the place under different circumstances further back in time? Or was she the manifestation of the night auditor's active imagination? And what about the children--are they simply the regular guests who lodge at the mansion, or are they linked to the zoo and amusement park that used to exist nearby?

Van Der Velde himself was cautious about some of the tales he heard. He acknowledged that a secret passageway between the Blue Room and main areas may have accounted for some of the strange events (That passageway is now sealed). It certainly would have provided the opportunity for a few bored employees to play a joke on one of their co-workers. He also acknowledged that many claims--such as Long's suicide and a tavern fire that killed children--had no basis in fact. On the other hand, some of his sources, including Park Rangers, seem credible and not likely to simply make these tales up.

We had the opportunity to visit and explore Punderson in May 2005. While we did not encounter any restless spirits, it is definitely one of the more creepier places we've been to, and is quite beautiful. For anyone looking to spend the night in one of its guest rooms, it would certainly be worth the trip. Just don't linger in the dining room for too long!

Added by: sdonley on 02/01/2015 DB#: 1173
Source(s): http://www.deadohio.com/punderson.htm


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
2006 02/01/2015 sdonley Noises have been heard from unoccupied rooms.
2014 02/01/2015 sdonley A night manager reported cold spots so bad on night that the windows frosted over.
2013 02/01/2015 sdonley A night manager reported waking up one night as if someone threw cold water on him.
2012 02/01/2015 sdonley The feeling of someone sitting on the bed has been reported in the Tower's master bedroom.
2011 02/01/2015 sdonley Moans have been heard coming form the Tower's master bedroom.
2010 02/01/2015 sdonley In the Tower's master bedroom doors burst open and their own.
2009 02/01/2015 sdonley Fans have moved by themselves in the Tower's master bedroom.
2008 02/01/2015 sdonley An apparition of a mischievous, giggling little girl dressed in pink has been seen.
2007 02/01/2015 sdonley The apparition of a man hanging from the rafters in the dinning room has been seen.
1998 02/01/2015 sdonley Footsteps have been heard when nobody was around.
2005 02/01/2015 sdonley An apparition of a man who looks like Teddy Roosevelt has been seen.
2004 02/01/2015 sdonley An apparition of a man dressed as a lumberjack has been seen.
2003 02/01/2015 sdonley The sounds of children playing have been heard.
2002 02/01/2015 sdonley An apparition of a women in period clothes has been seen.
2001 02/01/2015 sdonley An apparition of a man with a beard roams the building, disappearing into walls and appearing in rooms.
2000 02/01/2015 sdonley Cold spots are felt.
1999 02/01/2015 sdonley Laughter of a woman has been heard.

Paranormal Evidence

Paranormal evidence is based on claims that have been reported for this location. There can be several types of evidence; however, we have grouped them based on media type for better organization. Here you will find evidence that are logs, audio, video, or photographic.

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Additional Resources

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