Haunted Hills of Belmont County: Ghostly Legends and Lore Trail

Louiza Fox Burial Site

Louiza Catherine Fox, a 13-year-old housemaid, was tragically murdered in 1869 by her suitor, Thomas Carr, a 22-year-old coal miner. The crime occurred in what is now Egypt Valley, Ohio. Louiza’s ghost is said to haunt both the site of her death and her grave at Salem Cemetery, with sightings of Carr’s ghost also reported near the murder scene.

Louiza Fox Murder Site

Carr, a former Union Army soldier, struggled with alcoholism and violence. On January 21, 1869, he ambushed Louiza while she walked with her brother. After sending the boy ahead, Carr fatally attacked Louiza, slitting her throat and stabbing her 14 times. A plaque on Starkey Road now marks the location of this gruesome event, where many claim to see Louiza’s weeping ghost.

Old Egypt Cemetery

About a mile down the road from Salem Cemetery, the Old Egypt (Circle) Cemetery is reportedly haunted by “devil” dogs that guard it and can be heard howling in the woods nearby at night. Salem Cemetery is also said to be haunted by witches who were buried there. Legend says if you walk around the entire cemetery six times, you will become invisible. Other reports claimed the cemetery is haunted by the ghost of a truck driver who died in a crash. He lost an arm that was never found, and the sounds of fingernails tapping on gravestones can supposedly be heard at night.

Egypt Valley

Other spooky tales in the Egypt Valley area include a disappearing house that appears to travelers with seven red candles burning in the windows but fades away when approached and a Bigfoot sighting in 1984.

The Darkness on Church Street

This book by Guy McCort tells the true and terrifying story of a family trying to fight off an evil presence, and how later the son endured living in a home riddled with poltergeist activity. The book recalls that at least four murders occurred here, and a famous axe murderer lived here while performing his macabre rituals.

Lady Bend Hill

Local lore tells of a young woman from a wealthy Wheeling family who, in 1833, fled in the night to meet her lover in Fairview. She traveled west on what was then Zane’s Trace, and on a hill near Morristown, a lightning bolt spooked her horse, causing the coach to crash. The woman was thrown and killed, with some saying she was caught in the horse’s reins, others in the wagon spokes. Legend has it that on stormy nights, her headless apparition can be seen riding the hill on a wild horse.

Thomas Carr Burial Site

On March 21, 1870, Carr was hanged in St. Clairsville. He was hanged on the second floor of the front hall in the old jail – built in 1842. He was the first and only person to be legally hanged in Belmont County and is believed to be buried in the Methodist Cemetery in old Plot No. 137, Grave No. 2, listed as “Unknown Grave,” located in St. Clairsville.

Former Belmont County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence

This 132-year-old Sheriff’s Residence building has stood witness to many historical events. It once housed the sheriff and his family and is attached to a 36-bed, three-story jail that held inmates until 1996. The first-floor cells were designated for males charged with felonies or violent history, the second floor for misdemeanor males, and the third floor housed occasional female inmates with a divided hallway for inmate trustees. Several inmates committed suicide there and it was the site of an in-cell arson and two successful but short-lived prison breaks.

The Chair at Scotch Ridge Cemetery

The chair, an easily recognizable piece of the tombstone of Thomas and Jane Mitchell, sits in Scotch Ridge Cemetery, right outside of Martins Ferry. It is said a curse was inscribed on the book attached to the seat. The inscription in the book reads: You will be missed because your seat will be empty. I Samuel 20:18. On the other side, an eerie placard pronounced: MEET ME IN HEAVEN.

Local superstition states that you will die in a certain amount of time if you sit in the chair. For many years, any tragic death of local youth in the area was attributed to them having sat in the chair.

The Rothermund Haunting

The Rothermund Ghost haunted a two-story brick house in Martins Ferry, once owned by German immigrants Augustus and Hannah Rothermund. The ghost, believed to be Augustus, caused eerie events like the parlor organ playing by itself, objects moving, and doors flying open. These disturbances, often targeting women, drove families to leave. On January 23, 1890, Mrs. Ribold, the tenant’s wife, fled in terror with her infant, too frightened to speak. The house became a local spectacle, but it was sold at a sheriff’s sale in 1892 and later demolished for Route 7.

The Bellaire House

At first glance, the Bellaire House may seem like any other old house, but much more lies behind its doors. This house sits atop the perfect combination of ‘horror,’ as it is built above a cursed coal mine, where an explosion killed 42 men, is in the same domain as sacred Native American burial caves, and sits on land where numerous battles from the French and Indian war took place. Locals have dubbed it the ‘most haunted house on the planet.’ Even today, with ongoing ghost hunts and thrill expeditions, people continue to have violent and downright horrifying experiences in the house.

Belmont County Casket Co

The Belmont Casket Company in Shadyside held a patent for the Cadillac of caskets called “The Masterpiece,” a handcrafted coffin with an indestructible steel lid. The company, which also had a factory in Columbus, made Marilyn Monroe’s coffin. It was a special, double-lidded design and was bronze with champagne-colored silk lining. The company also manufactured President Woodrow Wilson’s casket. The company closed in the 1970s and both factories remain standing.

Week’s Cemetery

Located in Sunset Heights in Bridgeport, this cemetery is said to be haunted by an apparition called “lady in white,” who is said to roam the cemetery during full moons.

Butter Milk Road

An ancient road called Butter Milk Road runs along Butter Milk Creek where the town of Egypt Valley once stood (now in the Egypt Valley Wildlife area) and extends to nearby Morristown. Somewhere along its 4.5-mile run between Morristown and the ghost town of Egypt, the spirit of a cemetery caretaker who froze to death in the winter haunts the remote, gritty mud and gravel road. You can see the glow of his lantern while he works his way along the road.

Frozen Spirit of Black Oak Road

Black Oak Road, just outside Lafferty and Morristown, has been home to a ghost for more than 100 years. During the winter in the 1800s, a young servant was sent to fetch the doctor in Morristown for her ailing employer. She froze to death near the railroad tracks on Black Oak Road. She has been seen traversing the route alone and huddled as if walking against the wind.

Belmont County Sanatorium

The Belmont County Sanitorium is located on Route 40, four miles west of St. Clairsville.  It was constructed in 1924 and accommodated 56 beds. Described as”10,050 feet above sea level—among the sun-kissed hills—and devoted to the care and treatment of tuberculosis, Belmont Sanatorium is located on a 40-acre tract of land.” 

The 100-year-old building, which was previously the senior services building, is currently used for county record storage. Many people who worked in the building have reported strange occurrences.

Zane Mansion

The mansion was originally located on the site of an old cemetery. Constantly, the town and cemetery were being flooded, thus they were both moved to another location. When the coffins were moved, it is said that Hannah Zane’s was empty. The house, which used to be an occult and a bordello, is now said to be haunted by Hannah. There have been reports of her walking up and down the halls and dancing in the living room. There have also been reports of a small child staring out of the stairway window and ghostly hands have been said to touch visitors. The mansion was located at South 3rd Street in Martins Ferry but was torn down in 2010.