Brownsville a once thriving town with a most unigue attraction a Castle said to be haunted.

Brownsville was a once vibrant town with a busy boat building and rehab yard and busy downtown full of small business. But when the economic downturn in steel hit the Mon valley Brownsville was also hit as the Barges and other craft built there where now not needed and many small forges and other suppliers to steel industry which grew up in the region where also shuttered. 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownsville,_Pennsylvania

To make matters worse in the late 90's a couple from Churchill the Liggett began purchasing property in the downtown  with the supposed intent to rebuild the town but it all hinged on River boat gambling coming to the town and when it did not the Liggett allowed the property's to decay ruining what was left of the down town.

http://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010311liggett5.asp

But thru it all one shining high point of the town has been the Castle high on the hill above town known as Nemacolin.


http://www.nemacolincastle.org/history.html  


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowman%27s_Castle

What started out as a wooden trading post near a fort was transformed by the Bowman Family into a beautiful home built like a castle. that several generations would live in

Of course what would a castle be if it did not have a ghost or two

http://www.ghostresearch.org/Investigations/nemacolin.html

But beside the 2 prominent ghosts one named Elisabeth there are 8 more said to roam the castle. 

Why so many ? well it may be spirits of angry Native Americans who did not want their land befouled. But who ever they are they just make visiting the castle that much more exciting. While I have never been thru it But past it many times on Historic US 40 the national road  I understand its a fantastic tour .

 So if you find your self in Fayette County and looking for something to check out check out Nemacolin Castle.

The old Allegheny Social Hall One night it wasnt so social when some one showed up with an Uzi and still a mystery to this day

The Allegheny Social hall was the place to be on Concord Street in Pittsburgh's Duetch Town section of the North Side  back in the day when all the Big Bands where touring  and there where social events almost every night of the week from Bingo to the basement Bowling Alley to union rally's  when there was not dancing.
It had a bar almost 50 ft  long at one time and a  intricate wooden chandelier 35 ft in diameter  till roof collapsed and it was destroyed.  The place is rumored to be haunted as workmen cleaning the place always got an uneasy feeling when working in there  in particular the basement but I never observed such activity. But I could just stand and imagine the big bands playing and people dancing as you stood on the dance floor it had to be an exciting experience I would have loved to experience back in the day.

Unfortunately thou the popularity of such places went down hill in the 60's and like most places it slid down hill as well to become more of a sleazy after hours club where Rocco let you in the door only if he knew you.
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But one night in particular March 10,1984 would never be forgotten when a group of  2 or more men showed up outside and shot the place up with an Uzi sub machine gun. you can still see bullet marks where the shots hit the front of the club Luckily none of the bullets hit there mark and no one was hurt .

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19840310&id=oJEcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5mEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4183,4788839

Bullet holes can be seen left of door way

No one was ever charged and shooting has gone unsolved to this day. But it is believed to have been some rivalry between drug gangs . After the shooting no one wanted to go there any more not even to just drink and it closed and was bought by a Dr. who stored all kinds of crap in it till a 

 a customer of mine Bruce Klein bought the building a few years back with hopes of moving his Photoantiquities Museum to it  and while researching the clubs history  I often wondered about the marks in the brick  hearing rumors about the shooting when I came upon the above article.  He has since cleaned up the interior fixed the collapsed roof and installed a security system and cameras  in hopes of one day making the building great again one day.  as it will make a great museum with its heavily reinforced floors once used for dancing .

Seems Ghost like to read when you realize the library's in Homestead, Dormont and Bellevue are said to be haunted

Seems ghosts like to read why else would there be so many ghosts and spirits lurking in them.
The most famous one in W. Pa.  the Carnegie Library in Homestead almost everyone knows about but there are 2 others  not as well known as well as plenty of rumors of others with other world activity's.

http://hauntsandhistory.blogspot.com/2011/11/homestead-carnegie-library.html

The other 2 include the Andrew Bayne Library in Bellevue

http://www.baynelibrary.org/

It is said the ghost of  Amanda Bayne Balph who donated the home seen in photo above from the Library's website  and named the library after her father   has appeared to staff of the library  and she is some times seen with a vie on looking out the window of here 2nd story room . she also has been known to make books apprear and disappear off shelf's when certain titles are looked for and plays games with the lights and the computers.

Then there is the Dormont library where it is said the old Librarian  Mary who ran it for many years s checked on visitors and staff. and caused books to fall of shelf and lights to flicker  until her husband who would come to the library t be closer to her spirit passed and activity's have all but ceased.

http://dormontlibrary.org/

http://www.swpenna.com/item/dormont-library-ghost-pittsburgh/

  The Dormont library along with many from Eastern Pa section are mentioned on website below. 

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2007/10/haunted-libraries-in-the-us-pennsylvania-texas

It is also said there is activity at library in Lawrenceville in Pittsburgh  and Oakmont

Is there any truth to any of it are these library's really haunted ?  well you will have to visit and find out for your self and sit and enjoy a good book while you are at it.