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Englewood Post Office

Englewood Post Office paranormal

Photo by: Google Maps
Location submitted by: sdonley on 01/15/2018
DBA Approved: Y


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PANICd#: 1979

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The Englewood Post Office was built over a portion of the site once occupied by the famous "H.H. Holmes Murder Castle."

611 W 63rd Street
Chicago , IL 60621
Phone: 773-873-0790
Open to the public: Yes

http://www.postallocations.com/il/c...

Lat: 41.7794677
Lon: -87.64043329999998

Database Summary:

Demographic Rank: 6
History: 2
Stories: 1
Claims: 4
Evidence: 2
Resources: 4
Retrievals: 15174
Vistor Rating: 1.0
Votes: 3

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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.


The story as it is generally told, and made famous in Eric Larson's book Devil in the White City, is that during the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition, Holmes built an intricate hotel on this spot for visitors to the world's fair, killing and robbing many of them. The house was designed as a death trap, with gas lines he could control to asphyxiate people in their sleep (or not) and chutes he would use to dump his victims unseen into the basement, where he would dissect them, sometimes selling their bodies to medical schools, sometimes just disposing of the evidence.

However according to Adam Selzer, a Holmes expert, the true story is a bit less salacious than that. When Holmes, a swindler, was arrested for insurance fraud in 1894, people remembered that he had a three-story building on 63rd Street that was known to be full of hidden rooms and secret passages. Then they realized that a handful of his employees had disappeared, and wondered if those passages could be for more than just hiding stolen furniture. Some of the missing people were found alive and well, but roughly half a dozen never were. He eventually confessed to 27 murders, though several of the people he confessed to killing were still alive at the time. Authorities thought the figure was closer to a dozen; pulp writers in the 20th century started crediting him with hundreds more. Most of the "castle" would have been in the space now occupied by the grassy knoll just east of the post office.

Whatever the truth of the Holmes case, the post office that sits on the site of the castle today is unremarkable in every way. If you need to visit the post office for more mundane reasons it provides counter, money order, and P.O. Box services, but does not process passport applications or renewals. Street parking is available.

Added by: sdonley on 01/15/2018 DB#:354
Source(s):
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/englewood-post...


On May 7, 1896, Holmes was hanged and buried, according to his wishes, in a coffin filled with cement that was covered with even more cement (he was concerned about his body being dug up by grave robbers). He lies in the Holy Cross Cemetery, located south of Philadelphia.

As for the Murder Castle, following the fire the upper floors were removed while the street level shops reopened. In 1937, the aging structure was sold to the U.S. government, which demolished it for a post office, which still stands on the site.

Added by: sdonley on 01/15/2018 DB#:355
Source(s):
http://exploringillinois.blogspot.com/2010/04/site...


Stories

Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location.


Video by Adam Seltzer about the basement of the Post Office.

Added by: sdonley on 01/15/2018 DB#:1342
Source(s):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fg_QSbSeqs


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

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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CLAIM #: 2644 - People have heard and recorded voices in the basement.



Evidence Type: Video
Encounter Type: EVP
Hauting Type: Unknown
Investigation Status: More Investigation Needed
Video with EVP Recorded in Basement
Submitted By: sdonley On: 01/15/2018
DBA Approved: Y



Evidence Type: Audio
Encounter Type: EVP
Hauting Type: Unknown
Investigation Status: More Investigation Needed
EVP Audio Recording from basement by Adam Seltzer
Submitted By: sdonley On: 01/15/2018
DBA Approved: Y

Additional Resources

This is a collection of Internet resources for this location. This section will house links to other websites that contain information related to history, claims, investigations, or even the location's website.


Exploring Illinois by Rich Moreno: The Site of the Infamous Murder Castle
Added: 01/15/2018 By: sdonley
One of the most bizarre stories in Chicago history is the tale of America’s first serial killer, Dr. Henry H. Holmes, and his Murder Castle.
H. H. Holmes - Wikipedia
Added: 01/15/2018 By: sdonley
Information about H.H. Holmes and this location on Wikipedia.
9 Most Haunted Places in Chicago, IL
Added: 01/15/2018 By: sdonley
Mention about the H.H. Holmes Murder Castle and the current post office.
The Murder Castle – Today! (or, Good Grief – MORE H.H. Holmes) – Mysterious Chicago Tours
Added: 01/15/2018 By: sdonley
The murder castle of H.H. Holmes was torn down in 1938. There were rumors that it was haunted while it was still standing, and a few stories now circulate about the basement of the current building on the grounds.

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