Ghost Stories
The story of The Country House Ghost dates back to 1974.
Shortly after an extensive renovation of the building, David Regnery was meeting with a contractor to discuss future work. The two men sat in the dimly lit bar, unaware that their meeting was about to become the first chapter in a mystery that would continue for decades. Without warning, six independently operated shutters suddenly opened at the same time, sending bright shafts of light across the room. Startled, the two men immediately accused one another of playing a practical joke. But neither man had touched the shutters. There was no obvious explanation for what had happened. The meeting was adjourned. Whatever had opened those shutters remained inside the building.
The Investigation
Seeking an explanation, Richard Crowe, Chicago’s famous ghost hunter, was asked to investigate. He arrived with two self-professed mediums, who claimed to “feel” the presence of a young woman. According to the mediums, she was searching for something—or someone—she had lost. They described her as blonde, attractive, and in her late twenties. They also claimed that she had died in the late 1950s from abdominal injuries. The description was specific enough to raise another question:
Who was she?
Seeking answers, David contacted the previous owner of the property. The owner recalled a young woman who had once arrived visibly distraught and asked if she could leave her child there for a short while. According to his recollection, she had been dating the bartender at the time. When the bartender refused to let her leave the child there, she took her child and sped away down 55th Street. About a half-mile away, she struck a tree and tragically died. The story seemed to provide an identity—and perhaps an explanation—for the woman the mediums claimed to have encountered. But decades later, another version of the story would emerge.
An Alternate Explanation Surfaces
Recently, two independent neighbors from the 1950s contacted us with a different account of the young woman who may have become associated with the Country House. Both neighbors described a young woman from the neighborhood who was tragically killed in a drag-racing accident on 55th Street near the Country House. The details were striking. Her physical description and the timing of the accident matched the woman described in the original story. But there was one detail that made the account even more unsettling. According to the neighbors, the young woman was seen walking away from the accident—and toward the Country House. One of the neighbors followed her inside. He expected to find her somewhere in the building. Instead, he was told that no one else had entered before him. The woman he had followed into the Country House was nowhere to be found. If the account is accurate, the question remains: Who—or what—did he see walking into the building that night?
Unexplained Activity
Since the remodeling, reports of unexplained activity have continued. There have been reports of pounding sounds coming from inside the walls. Cries resembling those of babies have been heard when no babies were present. Pots and pans have reportedly moved on their own. At times, witnesses have noticed the unmistakable scent of fresh flowers with no apparent source. And then there are the footsteps. Footsteps heard in empty rooms. For those who have experienced them, these incidents are difficult to dismiss as a single unexplained event. They form a pattern—one that has continued long after the original renovation. Actual sightings of the ghost have been rare. Yet the descriptions have remained remarkably consistent with the young woman described by the previous owner, the two neighbors, and the mediums. She has reportedly been seen beckoning customers from an upstairs window. She has been seen playing the jukebox in the middle of the night. She has reportedly stood blocking the door from inside the women’s room. And, on other occasions, she has simply been seen walking through the dining room—as though she were still looking for something. Or someone.
A Ghost in the Spotlight
Over the years, the Country House ghost has attracted considerable attention. The story has appeared in newspaper articles, television specials, and radio broadcasts. Investigators have come looking for answers. Witnesses have offered their stories. Others have tried to explain what happened. But there is a curious pattern to the reports. The ghost never seems to appear when people are deliberately looking for her. Perhaps that is what makes the story so enduring. The shutters open when no one expects them to. Footsteps are heard when the rooms are empty. A woman is seen entering the building, only to seemingly disappear. And somewhere in the history of the Country House, there may be a story of a young woman who never quite left.
