Ruins of Gore Orphanage » Real Haunted Houses

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Ruins of Gore Orphanage

If you travel down a winding road through the thick of the woods, you will eventually come across a bridge, a field, an overgrown foundation, and a short sandstone pillar. This is what remains of the Gore Orphanage, one of Ohio’s most haunted locations. Although it was originally known as the Light and Hope Orphanage, the place earned its nickname from the shape of the land and, later, the gruesome story that accompanied it.

Founded by Reverend Johann Sprunger and his wife Katharina in 1902, the place was a nightmare even before being supposedly engulfed in flames. The couple shared a depressing, unfortunate history, which included the destruction of their previous orphanage and two other businesses in Indiana, as well as the death of their two children. However, nothing could compare to the atrocities inflicted upon the children they were currently made to take care of at Light and Hope.

The orphanage held up to one hundred twenty children, with two separate farms for the boys and girls, a schoolhouse (which included a chapel), and a small printing press. Although the Reverend must have been a religious man, rumors surrounding the orphanage suggested that the children there were being subjected to a hell beyond belief. In fact, a few even waded through the deep Vermilion River in effort to escape. Tales were told of bedrooms filled with rats and other vermin, large welts that developed on one’s skin after being beaten, and a diet consisting of animal innards, and diseased meat and corn. The inmates received hardly any schooling, and any illness was treated only by prayer.

However, further research has concluded that the eventual burning of the Gore orphanage is simply a legend created by the accidental entwining of another morbid occasion into the story. In 1908, an elementary school in the town of Collinwood had mysteriously caught fire, killing well over a hundred children. Some were burned or trampled to death, while others were trapped by the walls and flames. Still others tried to escape, but found the back door locked. When rescuers tried to open it, they found it was the kind of door that swings inside, and therefore wouldn’t budge because of the desperate crowd pressing against it. The blaze spread quickly, drawing screams and shrieks from the trapped children. Although the heartbroken town investigated, the cause of the fire was never found. The legend states that a little boy dropped an oil lamp outside, but many people suspected it was started by the school’s own janitor, a German-American named Herter.

The Light and Hope orphanage finally closed down in 1916 due to ongoing financial problems. It might have been closed down sooner, after an investigation was conducted in 1909, but the state of Ohio had no formal laws concerning the operation and conditions of such institutions. Strangely enough, this happened exactly 13 years after the orphanage first opened. The children were then dispersed among relatives and guardians throughout the town, with the exception of those who had nowhere to go. Now widowed, Mrs. Sprunger took them with her back to Indiana, where she eventually died in 1953.

The areas around the ruins of both the school and the orphanage are said to be very haunted. There are often reports of shrill screaming, balls of light, visions of fire, and strange apparitions. Visitors who have taken pictures of the nearby forest and bridge are surprised to find that, after developing the film, mysterious white smudges and smoke wisps have shown up in the photo. There have even been some ghost sightings, including the discovery of a little ragged boy named Jacob. But perhaps the most disturbing of all are the small, dusty fingerprints found all over many a visitor’s possessions…

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113 Comments

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Kimberly says:

September 30, 2005, 10:04 pm

This did not take place in Colorado, but in Ohio.

APRIL says:

October 5, 2005, 4:14 pm

Yeah this is in OHIO.
MY MOM GREW UP THERE!

Andy Powell says:

October 5, 2005, 10:39 pm

Thanks for the correction! If anyone has any more information about this orphanage, post it here!

Bob says:

November 5, 2005, 10:36 am

After doing some research, I got directions on how to find the ruins. There are only a few stone posts remaining and it is on private property, so beware! The woods surrounding the area are erie and we tried to communicate with the spirits there but all we heard were the trees creaking. After a little more research, I found out that there was a mansion there at one time, and it was eventually used to house some “wayward” children, but there was no fire, and it wasn’t an orphenage. This is just one of those urban myths.

Mystery hah! says:

November 7, 2005, 3:15 am

If you find out any more info can u give some more if possible i want to here some really cool stuff even if its not real…

Leslie says:

November 14, 2005, 7:34 pm

http://www.cleveland.com/haunted/index.ssf?/halloween/more/ghosts/gore.html

Here is a link from Cleveland.com telling about the story. I’m from Cleveland’s west-side which is where this story takes place and have heard about it all my life. My mom grew up in this area and I have relatives who currently live there. My crew and I will hopefully be investigating it soon.

Matt says:

November 27, 2005, 5:44 pm

THE NAME THE ROAD IS GORE-ORPHANAGE, YOU CAN FIND IT AND WHATS LEFT OF THE FOUNDATION IS STILL THERE.

Mike Watts says:

December 19, 2005, 11:46 am

I’ve been there where the gates are but no ones allwoed there, but we still go and there was a fire many kids died and there is another thing that happens when you drive by on some night at midnight your lights will dim and flash or ect. i’ve seen it done but, i guess no will actually really find out what happened.

Missy says:

December 20, 2005, 10:59 am

I live maybe 20 minutes from Gore Orphanage and, of course have been there many times as all of my siblings have been too.I can say that while I have not ever heard nor seen any strange things at the site every time me or any of my siblings have gone and mind you I am from a family of 9 something has happened to us.We have had car accidents, flat tires,run ins with the police,chased by dogs on many seperate occasions,and as strange as this sounds a black cat kept jumping into our car when we were stopped.I can not say for certain if this is a haunted site but it is quite strange how everytime someone in my family goes to the site unexplainable things happen.

NAOMI says:

January 16, 2006, 2:09 pm

I HAVE LIVED NEARBY VERMILION FOR 12 YEARS AND THERE IS A GORE ORPHANAGE BUT IT DID NOT BURN DOWN WITH CHILDREN IN IT, AND IT’S NOT WHERE MOST PEOPLE THINK IT IS

Medina Ghost HUnt Crew says:

January 26, 2006, 7:25 pm

Last weekend me and my fellow spirt hunters made the trip to gore from Medina. As we drove down the street a Black CAT ran right out in front of us. I honestly had a erie feeling about dark road and woods. We walked around in the wood but never found the site. We got back to the car and the battery was dead.Mind you nothing had been left on.

mr. burger says:

February 4, 2006, 12:32 am

ive been there on multiple occasions… no joke, no humor at all. if you stay very quiet in the middle of the open field you can see orbs and hear creaking doors. they sound as if you are in a vacant building as the creaking echos. i thought my mind was playing tricks on me when i watched an almost transparent child run and dive towards the woods, but the three people i was with saw the same thing and we decided to bail as quick as possible. some rednecks gave us **** for being there because its private property, but it hasnt stopped us yet. i dont know if the stories are true, but i know that area is haunted.

eturnal says:

February 15, 2006, 1:11 am

mr. burger i to have been there many times and I HAVE HEARD THE CREAKING DOOR SLAMMING. and i have seen the well and lil pieces during the day but at nigh ti will not get ou tof the car we have had a few things after us including that cat!

brandon says:

February 15, 2006, 9:36 am

GORE ORPHANAGE IS REAL, LIKE WHEN ME MY MOM, BY DAD, AND 2 BROS WENT THERE FOR FUN, AND I HAVE SEEN THAT BLACK CAT, I ACTUALLY TRIED THROWING ROCKS AT IT. BUT IT JUST RAN BACK INTO THE WOODS.

Kelly says:

February 27, 2006, 7:20 pm

is there like a sign or anything left there? i’ve never been there.

Kelly says:

February 27, 2006, 7:21 pm

is there a sign or something?

tim says:

March 2, 2006, 9:01 pm

Wat do u mean a sighn

tim says:

March 2, 2006, 9:02 pm

O ya another freaky place that is in boston mills ohio is hell town freaky as hell there is houses just left there churchs and lots of stuff

sean cole says:

March 13, 2006, 2:52 pm

Just reading not enough. Need the address so my family and I can see for ourselves

matt a says:

March 26, 2006, 12:52 am

i have went to gore orphanage several times and had things follow me,weird noises,my car not start for several minutes and other unexplainable things. I touched one of the pillers of the foundation and it was like 30 degrees out but the piller was warm.

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