10/04/2025 Haunted Locations: Tiedemann House a.k.a. Franklin Castle in Cleveland, OH

Happy Saturday!! Today we take a look at what's said to be Ohio's most haunted house. The Tiedemann House, also known as Franklin Castle in Cleveland, Ohio. Let's dive in and see what atrocities have taken place here.

Franklin Castle is often referred to as Ohio’s most haunted house. It wasn’t long after being built that it began gaining a reputation.

It started when Hannes Tiedemann, a German immigrant, built his dream home for his family. Louise, his spouse, their children, and Hanne's mother, Wiebeka, resided in Franklin Castle.

Per thefranklincastle.com, the first reported death occurred in 1881, when the Tiedemann family's 15-year-old daughter, Emma, mysteriously died from diabetes. Within a month, Hanne’s mother, Wiebeka, also died. Between 1886 and 1888, Tiedemann and his wife experienced the loss of three additional children while residing at Franklin Castle.

After liver disease caused the death of his wife in 1895, Hannes Tiedemann remarried and eventually sold the mansion to the Mullhauser family. Thirteen years later, while taking a walk through the park, Tiedemann suffered a fatal stroke. However, Tiedemann's passing was far from the final chapter of this story.

Franklin Castle's true darkness was only starting…

Per Fraga (2021), by the 1920s, Franklin Castle was known for suspicious activities. After the Mullhauser family sold the property to the German Socialist Society, reports began to circulate. Some accounts suggested the mansion was used for illegal liquor operations during Prohibition. There were also rumors that it served as a meeting location for Nazi spies during World War II.

In January of 1968, Franklin Castle changed hands once again, this time to James Romano and his family. Almost from the moment they moved in, strange occurrences began to unsettle the household. Seeking answers, the Romano's reached out to the Northeast Ohio Psychical Research Society, a team of local ghost hunters. If reports are accurate, one investigator left the mansion in fear before finishing the investigation.

According to Fraga (2021), the desperate family then turned to a Catholic priest for help. But upon entering Franklin Castle, the priest reportedly refused to bless the home, shaken by the oppressive feeling inside its walls. His only advice was simple: leave. By 1974, the Romano's did exactly that.

Ghostofohio.org states that the Romano's sold Franklin Castle to the Muscatello family. Muscatello fueled its eerie reputation with tours and media attention. Paranormal incidents were reported, and a shocking discovery of human bones behind a hidden panel only contributed to the castle’s reputation for deviance.

The castle changed hands quickly again, it was even briefly owned by Cleveland’s Chief of Police. In 1984, Michael DeVinko bought it and invested nearly a million dollars in renovations before selling it a decade later.

In 1999, new owner Michelle Heimburger launched a restoration project and website, but a series of arson fires devastated much of the castle. Later plans to turn it into a dinner club fell through, leaving the mansion boarded up to rot.

“It was bought in 2011 by Oh Dear! Productions LLC and has been renovated completely. In 2018, Norton Records of Brooklyn, New York, announced the company would relocate to Cleveland and use a portion of Franklin Castle as its office,” says Oatman.

According to cincinattighosts.com, local ghost experts claim Franklin Castle radiates an energy of its own, similar to the infamous Amityville Horror house. They believe the mansion can influence moods.

Visitors often report strange sounds, such as tapping on the walls, phantom knocking, or heavy footsteps echoing through empty rooms. Paranormal teams have recorded chilling EVP evidence, including whispers that mutter “die” and “kill you.”

It is currently available for tours and overnight stays, and a waiver has to be signed before entering!

So, tell me. Have you heard of this location before? Have you been there? Would you go? Let me know in the comments. And as always, if you do decide to visit here or any haunted location, respect the property, respect the owners, respect the residents... living or dead.

For more details about this story, a full list of sources, information on how to visit, and links to any shows, podcasts, and documentaries can be found below.

Resources and additional information:

“Official Franklin Castle Website.” The Franklin Castle, thefranklincastle.com/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2025.

Fraga, Kaleena. "The Tragic History Of Franklin Castle, Ohio’s Most ‘Haunted’ Home." AllThatsInteresting.com, December 13, 2021, https://allthatsinteresting.com/franklin-castle. Accessed September 23, 2025.

Franklin Castle (no date) The Ghosts of Ohio - Lore & Legends in Ohio - Franklin Castle. Available at: https://www.ghostsofohio.org/lore/ohio_lore_13.html (Accessed: 23 September 2025).

Oatman, A. (2022) Franklin Castle, one of Ohio’s ‘most haunted houses,’ is looking for brave visitors to stay the night, Cleveland.com. Available at: https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/12/one-of-ohios-most-haunted-houses-is-looking-for-brave-visitors-to-stay-the-night.html (Accessed: 23 September 2025).