This Abandoned House in Portland Is Freaky, But Also Beautiful

There is perhaps nothing more creepy than abandoned buildings. These structures bring up a bunch of different questions that can keep our minds racing for hours. What happened there? Why is it abandoned? And where are the people who used to live there?

In addition to the creepiness that can arise from these questions, there is also the fact that these abandoned buildings look terrifying and haunting, even when there may not be any history of frightening things happening there. But the location we will be looking at today not only looks haunted and scary — it also has the story to back it up. Deep in the lush woods of Forest Park in Portland, Oregon, sits an abandoned house that is supposedly home to creepy, other-worldly guests. The place looks horrendously creepy, has been abandoned for years.. If you are brave enough to make the journey, all you have to do is head to Forest Park, and make the walk to what’s known as the Witch’s Castle.When you first get to the Park, your next step is to follow the Wildwood Trail or the Lower Macleay Park Trail to the point where they meet, and then you are eerily close to the location.

The story behind the area dates back to the 1850’s, but the building you see was actually only built in the 1950’s. The building was first used as a ranger station and a place for travelers in the area to use the bathroom. By the 1960’s, the building was abandoned and has deteriorated ever since then. However, that hasn’t stopped people from coming to check out the frightening area. Now, let’s take a look at the reason this place is so haunted by learning about its scary history.

This abandoned little cabin sits very close to the home of the Balch Family. The story goes that Danford Balch hired Mortimer Stump, who was a laborer, to help him clean his land. But soon, it just so happened that Stump had fallen in love with Balch’s 15-year-old daughter, Anna. Even though her parents obviously weren’t fond of the idea, she ran off to marry him.

The next time Danford Balch saw his old hired hand, he shot the man right in the head and killed him. He went to jail for the crime, but later managed to escape. A few years later, he was re-arrested and later hung. This made him the first person in the history of Oregon to be hung as a legal penalty.

Since then, the whole area around their property is thought to be constantly visited by the ghosts of the entire family. Witnesses have reported a number of bizarre, unexplainable occurrences such as hearing toilets flush, strange sounds and even seeing the ghosts.

If you’re in the area or headed there soon, check it out! During the day, it’s a beautiful abandoned landmark. At night, you might be in for a little extra spookiness!