Anyone who has walked by the Franklin Castle in Ohio City has some sort of theory about the energy that may still inhabit the castle walls. A nationally registered historical location, Franklin Castle, also known as the Tiedemann House, has been widely accepted as "the most haunted house in Ohio."
Last year, authors John Meyers and William Krejci co-authored a book called
Haunted Franklin Castle, and lived inside the allegedly haunted house to offer first-hand experience of the strange happenings like doors opening and closing, objects moving on their own, the sound of footsteps echoing through the halls despite no one else being present and the unexplained
feeling of being watched.
Since then, the Franklin Castle has undergone serious renovations and now serves as the home for Brooklyn-based record company,
Norton Records. In celebration of Norton's anniversary, the company is throwing a massive shindig this Saturday, Oct. 13, and features the artwork of Zac Webb, an artist who has been living inside the castle since June.
Webb's exhibition "Faces of the Castle" will be on display during the party, and is featuring portraits inspired by his time living in the old Tiedemann House.
"As I started painting at the castle, I noticed over time, my style gradually changed," Webb tells
Scene. "When you’re in seclusion in the castle alone for a couple days at a time, the isolation slowly changed how I saw things."
Franklin Castle has a longtime history of hauntings, and was even featured on Destination America's
Paranormal Lockdown in 2016.
"I definitely have had a few experiences in the castle, as has everyone that's ever stayed there," Webb says. "As far as 'haunted?' I'm not quite sure." Webb explains that he frequently had unexplained experiences, including noises made when no one else was around.
"I didn't go into the house with the attitude that I wanted to contact spirits, because I've always had a hard time believing in that sort of thing," he says. "I think everyone has a different experience based on the attitude they have going in. If you come in with good energy, you'll leave with it."
At some point, Webb started having strange dreams.
"I wouldn’t say they were nightmares, just interesting visual imagery," he says. "Maybe some people would call them 'disturbing,' but I thought it was interesting content."
Webb began painting the faces he would see in his dreams, many of which were dreams he would take back home with him to his apartment on the nights he didn't stay at the castle.
"
I’ve always enjoyed portraiture, so I really tried to dabble in different styles to see what fit," he says. "I had been trying to find something a little bit different to capture on the canvas, and the faces seemed like the perfect fit."
At this point, the Norton Records party is invite only, but if you want to try and squeeze your way onto the guest list to check out the space and Webb's paintings, you can try and RSVP with Norton Records by
clicking here.
