By Kathy Schlaeger
Contributing Writer
Thursday, September 28, 2006
For much of the 20th Century, teachers, farmers, and widows lived in the Quaker boarding house located at the corner of Fourth and Miami streets in Waynesville.
The 19-bedroom facility was converted in 2000 into the Museum at the Friends Home. The museum is now home to the Waynesville Area Heritage and Cultural Center.
"Our goal is to preserve the history
and culture of Waynesville," said Vice President and Program Director of Friends Home Linda Morgan.
The museum has been self-supporting from its beginning, so the museum staff has created a variety of fundraisers to cover museum expenses.
The top three fundraisers for the museum are the yard sale, Teatime at the Waldorf and the annual ghost tour.
"People have always told stories about ghosts in Waynesville, so we created the ghost tours," Morgan said.
This year will mark the third year for the ghost walking tours. And it's not just the residents there who claim that they live in a ghostly town. Waynesville has been called the "most haunted town in Ohio" by "Haunted Ohio" author Chris Woodyard.
Guests have the choice of two different tours.
The walking tour consists of a new tour, the Quaker Hill tour that costs $10. Guests make a reservation with the museum for the 7 or 8 p.m. tour. The group walks a half mile together, which lasts about one hour. The guests learn about the history of Waynesville, points of interest, and the ghosts that inhabit there. Guests return to the museum for refreshments and the opportunity to share their own stories.
Another second option is a walking tour of haunted locations on Main Street.
"I think people enjoy the Waynesville ghost tours, because it is different from other ones. The stories are factually based, and they are told by first-hand witnesses," said museum trustee and treasurer Bill Stubbs. "Every time I have had a tour, I offer people the chance to share their own ghost stories and people always do."
Tourists can also partake in the Main Street tour for $32, which includes dinner at the Hammel House owned by Pam and Dale Bowman.
Approximately 50 people, mainly adults, gather for dinner at the Hammel House Restaurant, which is often referred to as the most haunted building in Waynesville. During the meal, museum volunteers share the legend of Hammel House, stories shared by the bed and breakfast guests, and stories shared by staff at the inn.
"We have found that our guests at the inn have similar experiences. Something ghostly that happens to a guest in January is described again by a new guest in July," Bowman said.
At the conclusion of the dinner, the group is split into three groups. Museum volunteers share stories about Waynesville's ghosts and the history of the town as they make the half mile walk back to Friends Home.
"It seems that the more we talk about the subject; the more active our ghost community becomes," Bowman added, "We think that they are at least three ghosts at the Hammel House."
The dinner tour is geared towards adults who are looking for a unique October experience.
Dinner tour dates are Oct.
6-8, 20-22, and 27-29 and begin at 7 p.m. at Hammel House. Call (513) 897-3779 to make a reservation.
The walking-only tour dates are Oct. 11, 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, 28, and 30. Call (513) 897-1607 to make a reservation.
For more information about this annual event, check out www.friendshomemuseum.org or www.waynesvilleshops.com/hammelhouseinn
http://www.oxfordpress.com/life/content ... ghost.html
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