I really enjoyed reading your blog but I’m surprised there was no mention of the creepiest cemetery that I have ever been to: Alger Cemetery located in the “West Park” area of Cleveland. For years I never knew the name of the place because my friends and I would enter from an old entrance not clearly accessible. Alger is technically located at 16710 Bradgate Street, Cleveland Ohio but it was commonly known to us as “the cemetery near Common Grounds.” Here is a link to a site about the cemetery history. The back entrance is located behind a KFC parking lot off of Lorain Road, across the street from Common Grounds coffee shop. Anyone that used to spend time in Common Grounds about a decade ago knows it was a common haunt for teens, weirdos, magicians, rockers and artists, which is how I learned these legends about the cemetery:
One of the more noticeable features of the cemetery is the single crypt in roughly the center of the large cemetery. It’s the only tall feature other than trees as it is the only raised structure, fairly easy to see during the day or evening. The only markings I’d ever seen on the crypt is the name PAULICK (I read somewhere it belongs to a Catherine Paulick, died 1951). The crypt isn’t very well maintained, and had a 2-3 foot angel statue nearby. Legend has it that come time ago (unspecific) a gang of kids or “Satanic cult” broke into the crypt on Halloween, and burned the artifacts and human remains contained within. Either from angering the ghosts or from opening up a demonic portal (depending on the version), the cemetery is now heavily haunted with noises, shadow people and the like. Also, the angel statue is said to move, change position, and do other supernatural things.
I personally never had a frightening experience there, except for suspicious sounds like footsteps and branches cracking. I DID note the angel statue’s head broken during one visit, only to see her intact and in a different location during a future visit, though that could easily be the work of maintenance crews. Still, I never felt comfortable there and I get the chills just thinking about Alger. I wonder if anyone else remembers hearing about this story or had a supernatural experience there, or can corroborate the crimes that supposedly took place there.
It’s a lot more frightening than Old Chestnut Grove or “Witch’s Hill” in nearby Olmsted Falls.
As a kid growing up in WestPark just around the corner Alger Cemetary was our hang out. We never did any of the damage that was done by other delinquents we appreciated the piece and quiet. It was a great cut through to Lorain Ave.
Every spring we would pick the cherries from the Cherry Trees.
I never heard the story about the Angel's head moving.
There was one night a friend and I thought we saw a man holding a lantern we were much younger then nine or ten. The man had a engineers hat on.
It didn't scare us away.
I lived on Bradgate and had a friend who lived across from the cemetary. I went to visit one night and was freaked out by the sound of footsteps, creaking–just unusual sounds that should not have been there. I thought perhaps kids were hiding in there -somehow it did not feel "normal" and I felt threatened and horrified. Never walked there at night again.
I know the cemetary well. We did Grave Rubbings there once, for a school project. We'd love to get in contact with you about paranormal hunting.
as i neglected to say in my first post, i'm talking about chestnut grove cemetary; and the nearby'house-on-the-hill that had old still standing iron gate[s] and a burnt-out chimeny. hence,"whitches hill"? i don't know, but the proximity of the cemetary to the house is worth note. a new house is in place, and is allways up for sale. olmstead falls, lewis&water st. and most difinatly, on the hill not 1000 ft from the cemetary. come on people, i know some one knows more about this!
when we teens from cleveland rode through the metroparks at nite {approx. 1968] drinking beer,the story was that a old house at the intersection of water&lewis rd. had burnt down. you could still see the old iron fence and burned -out chimeny still standing. this location is perhaps 1000 feet from the cemetary, and equally creepy. stories about the old house abound; murder, ghosts,etc. oh, at the time, nobottom rd. connected all the way from rt#252. a twisting, scary drive at nite. find out more about the old house, i'm certain more qlues abound
my friend lives next to the cemetery and his mom grew up in the house, she told him that a man burned the human remains and she was very close to him
My sister and I had walked into Alger cemetery one night. Not even half way in the temperature had drop greatly and my sister was stating into the dark. She told me later on that a man was staring at her. she also said she felt something push her arm down a little and the man was in a military uniform. But he did nothing else to her and disappear into thin air.
I've been in that cemetery by myself many times but this has never happen to me so I was a little freak out. We also heard snapping of tree branches one time as well.
We also went back there and again the temperature drop but onces I told them 'we come in peace and we are not here to cause any damage or harm to you or the place. We just want to past through' the temperature went back up to its normal temperature.That very same night I ask my sister where she saw the man. She lead me to a tombstone with the name Emmett ( Henry emmett with his wife Minnie emmett) . As we got to the tombstone I got close to it to read it then back up to my sister and told her the name. But as I look forward again I saw a dark shadow between two tombstone staring at us. I know for sure it was not one of us because there's no way our shadows can reach that far and it looked like a male in a heavy coat was watching us. He did not move towards us but I felt like he was watching us very closly. I was also looking for the angel statue but I did not want to upset whatever was in there so I told her we will come back but for now we are just going to walk through just like we told them. My sister was recording the whole time we were in there with her phone and we even caught weird water noises and I swear I keep hearing on the recording' help me' but I could be wrong.
But that cemetery is very interesting to me but I also hope if your are reading this please let them be and do not upset them in anyway possible.
So if you do go in there please be respectful to them and the cemetery because if you do, they well leave you alone. If you don't I do not know what they will do. I also do know there is more then one spirit in that cemetery.
As a teen-ager we raided the cherry trees also used as a cut thru, we used to go their to drink and smoke , IT always felt erie because it was a cemetary c'mon now , does anyone remember the old caretakers house that was on the straight away.