Waverly is a city in Pike County, Ohio. It was formed in the year 1829 and has since become a nice city to settle down and live in. There are a lot of places to visit in Waverly like the Lake White State Park, the Pike Heritage Museum, Stewart Lake, and many more.

A photo showing the skyline of Waverly, Ohio. (Link: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/waverly-oh)

Another reason why Waverly is on the map is because of the haunted Emmitt House. This home is no longer standing in the area but it is one of the most haunted places in Ohio. If you want to know how scary this place was, continue reading below!

An old photo of the Emmitt House as seen from the outside when it was still standing. (Link: https://supernaturalmagazine.com/articles/the-emmitt-house)

The History Of The Emmitt House

The Emmitt House has been at Waverly, Ohio since the year 1861. It was built by a local entrepreneur back then named James Emmitt. He wanted the house to be a place where traveling salesmen can rest as they pass by the town to go to their destination.

An old photo of the Emmitt House as seen on the right side of the photo. (Link: https://www.newswatchman.com/blogs/pikes_past/article_3fb29fe2-e59a-59fa-a47e-90b511a41c1d.html)

After the building was abandoned for many years and was closed to the public, local resident Pamela Ison bought it for $350,000 as she wanted to renovate it and make it into a tourist destination. It became a restaurant and was popular for the alleged ghostly encounters and paranormal activities. The building also became a landmark for tourists wanting to go to downtown Waverly.

However, in January of 2014, a fire engulfed most parts of the Emmitt House making it irreparable. No one was injured from the fire but the community was gutted for such a loss of the historic three-story building. Because of the fire, the Emmitt House was later demolished.

The Emmitt House photographed when it was on fire. (Link: https://www.newswatchman.com/news/article_717a3bf2-5cb5-5972-b2ed-62e36550a7f0.html)

What remained of the Emmitt House after the fire. (Link: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/30328997464593367/)

The Cause Of The Fire At The Emmitt House Remains Unknown

Even after the many years that passed since the Emmitt House caught fire and was demolished, the cause for the fire remains unknown. The State Fire Marshal’s Office said that even after almost a year after the fire, it remained an open case for them.

They even asked the public to submit the videos and photos they took when the Emmitt House was on fire. However, despite reviewing frame after frame, they found no clues.

Bones Found At The Emmitt House

Two years before the devastating fire, bones were found at the Emmitt House during a paranormal event called PTVN’s Paracon. A medium was the one who led the police to the basement where the bones were discovered. The bones were under a large stone slab.

Waverly Police Chief Larry Roe and his team collected a handful of bones. The bones, however, were tiny so it was unclear if the bones belonged to humans or animals. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was even involved in the matter. Fortunately, months later, it was determined by experts that the bones were from an animal and not a child. The bones were also determined to be very old.

The Haunted Stories, Paranormal Activities At The Emmitt House

When the Emmitt House was still standing, there were a lot of paranormal activities experienced by visitors and paranormal investigators.

For one, in the year 2012, Tracee Ford, of Piketon, formed the Southern Ohio Ghost Hunters. Ford shared, “One day, our crew at work ordered food from the Emmitt House. As I was standing in the foyer waiting, I felt as if a thousand eyes were on me. The Emmitt House was a hub for ghost hunting, and the ghost of James Emmitt was believed to occupy the building. Some had even seen him smoking his pipe, and past employees say they smelled cigar smoke and saw a woman in an apron cleaning. Others heard loud noises and claimed to encounter ghosts of slaves who could have died while traveling the Underground Railroad. Before I even knew I had ‘radar,’ I felt very uneasy and didn’t feel at peace about hunting there.”

An old photo of James Emmitt. (Link: https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm704_The_Emmitt_House_James_Emmitt)

Other investigators also shared their experiences. On the website of what-when-how, they shared that when they first walked into the restaurant of the Emmitt House when it was still standing, they felt as if they were in the 1800s because it looked a lot like how it was in the past. They shared, “There seems to be an aura of the people who stopped by there in the early days, where traders, the wealthy, and war soldiers came to eat and sleep.”

A photo showing a sign talking about the history of the Emmitt House when it was still standing. (Link: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=132438)

The investigators with what-when-now added that when they walked from room to room, they felt as if someone was behind them walking with them was they checked out the Emmitt House so they often looked over their shoulder to see if someone was there. Their team also spent the night at the Emmitt House and used their EVP to capture the sounds that the human ears cannot hear immediately. They were able to record the sounds of children’s voices and many growling voices in the guest rooms at the Emmitt House. Their psychic also shared that she saw a young girl and smelled bubble gum in the hallway. 

A former employee at the restaurant at the Emmitt House also shared, “I was in the kitchen working when an old woman walked by the hall. I told her we were not open yet, and asked if I could help her, and she said ‘no.’ She walked by a second time, and I knew her clothes were out of place for this time, and when I immediately looked down the hall, she was gone.”

Other Entities At The Emmitt House

Another well-known spirit at the Emmitt House is said to be a former maid. She was seen walking around the area still in her uniform. Usually, she was spotted in one of the upper windows and was looking at the passersby.

Two children were also reportedly very playful with the guests and visitors. They were usually felt at the hallway between the Canal Room and the Drummer Room. The children were reportedly part of the Harper Family and were just visiting the area and stayed at the Emmitt House during their visit. However, small pox broke out and all the members in their family died.

The Emmitt House when it functioned as a restaurant. (Link: https://www.newswatchman.com/news/article_24b94264-a9a6-545a-8936-906b68f686c6.html)