Strawberry Hill Museum
Brief History
The Strawberry hill museum started off life as a normal home. Built in 1887 by an architect named John G. Braecklein at the age of just 21. It was his first commission and considered one of the finest examples of Queen Anne Style architecture in all of Kansas City.
The homes first occupants were John and Margaret Scroggs, who lived in the property for 32 years. After this time an epidemic of influenza struck the area and many of the children of Kansas city were left without parents.
It was because of this outbreak that Sister M. Bonaventure visited the Scroggs home to enquire about purchasing the property for use as an orphanage. On 15th August the church paid $15,400 for the home and it was converted into an orphanage.
The orphanage ran from the year of purchase in 1919 until mid 1988 when it was closed down for the reason of "changing social needs", whatever that's supposed to mean.
The same year the house was purchased by the Strawberry hill ethnic cultural society for conversion into a museum dedicated to the preservation of the Slavic heritage prevalent in Kansas city.
Today the museum is still open and always welcomes any and all members of the public.
Is The Strawberry Hill Museum Haunted?
Exactly why the museum is haunted and by who or what is unknown, as there weren't any major tragedies in its past and the previous owners didn't die in the house. The building is thought to be one of the most haunted locations within the state and there have been any number of its mention with various TV shows and media pieces.
Records for any deaths in the house while it operated as an orphanage are very hard to come by, and there's also the very real chance that some of the people who were taken in wouldn't have been properly recorded.
One of the deaths that is thought to have created a spirit in the house was from a homeless woman who was taken in by the nuns. She is believed to have died within the house from an abortion that went wrong and people have claimed to have seen her in various areas of the house. She has been described as a woman with red hair and a red dress resembling 1940's style. People who have ran into her have said that she always says the same things to them, "Where's the house of the priest?" before fading away into nothing.
As for other ghostly goings on here many claims from the various visitors over the years have been recorded. Tales of various other apparitions, from small children to a nun are probably the most frequently reported, though other claims include things such as unexplained sounds and smells, in particular the smell of baby powder.
Electrical equipment is also known to often malfunction in the house, with camera and phone batteries being instantly drained, only to go back to normal after leaving.
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