207 Center Road, Frankfort, Illinois 60423
FOR SALE $399,000
So, there’s this thing called a “stigmatized property.” Basically, if the house has any kind of reputation, especially for anything bad, there is a pretty good chance the house will be a difficult sell.
Just about any misdeed could stigmatize a property, but the biggest stigmatizers are criminal activities and unnatural deaths. Paranormal activity and public intrigue of any kind also make selling a property difficult. If you ever drive by a house for sale and think, “That’s that house” and shudder or try not to stare too long, there’s a good chance others think the same way, and the house might just sit there unsold for quite some time.
This particular house in Frankfort, Illinois makes the cut for stigmatized property due to a horrendous crime that took place in 1901, and it is believed the victim of that crime remains in the house to this day.
Warning: This story is violent and shows the worst of humanity.
Prior to this house’s construction, another house stood on the property and operated as a house of ill repute. A twelve-year-old girl named Sadie took a train to Illinois from Boston to escape her abusive parents. She found a job as a maid at this house. One night, a customer mistook Sadie for one of the prostitutes. He beat and raped her and then slit her throat. Some of the prostitutes at the house wrapped her dead body in a blanket and buried her in a shallow grave near the train tracks not too far from the house.
Even though the previous home was razed and this new one built in its place, it seems Sadie never left the property. A previous owner claims he heard Sadie screaming on the night of October 22, which is the night she is believed to have died.
Another young girl also died at the house. Her name was Sarah. She contracted a fever while crossing the Atlantic to immigrate to the United States from England and died in the house. She was only ten years old.
Both girls are believed to have died in the same bedroom on the third floor which is also the place where most of the sounds and sightings take place.
BUT don’t be surprised if they show themselves throughout the property. Exploding coffee cups, girls giggling, doors opening and closing, lights turning on and off, disappearing silverware — the list of paranormal phenomena goes on and on.
Many, many, many sightings of little girls have occurred at the house. A neighbor saw a girl dangling her feet out of the third floor window. A friend of a previous owner saw a little girl enter the screen on a Skype chat, and there have been several sightings of little girls in period dress.
Some have heard little girls speaking directly to them. Others have heard crying on the third floor. Still others have heard laughing and singing.
Then, there is also the experience of the owner’s dogs, who sat side-by-side looking at the ceiling of the third floor and moving their heads in unison to the sounds only they could hear. In another story, a neighbor dog sat in the back yard and stared at . . . something . . . at the house. Perhaps dogs can see things humans can’t.
In 2018, Girl On the Third Floor, a horror film, was filmed at the house and includes elements of the real stories of the house. The film was released on Netflix in 2019.
In recent years, the house has received a major remodel and now looks like a new house placed inside an old one. There are still a few original details such as stained glass windows and ornate moldings, but much of the house looks more like a contractor-grade remodel.
Nonetheless, if the hauntings and the stories don’t bother you, this could be a lovely and spacious home to start a new adventure in Frankfort.
Contact Wendy McCreight with @properties North Center to request a showing.
Property Type: Single Family
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Square Foot: 3,208
Lot: 0.45 acre
Year Built: 1909
Price per Square Foot: $124
Other Interesting Details: There is an attached two-car garage at the rear of the house, and the floor plan shows the possibility of a rooftop terrace above. Also, there are older real estate listings that show a square footage of only 1,992. Perhaps the current owners added to the usable square footage, but it’s best to check the details before committing to any purchase.
Haunted House Hunting 