|
|
- HISTORY & HAUNTINGS OF ILLINOIS - FRANK
LLOYD WRIGHT'S DANA HOUSE |
|
|
- HISTORY & HAUNTINGS OF ILLINOIS - FRANK
LLOYD WRIGHT'S DANA HOUSE |
|
THE DANA HOUSE IS A LANDMARK IN BOTH SPRINGFIELD AND AMERICAN HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE. IT IS ALSO A NOTED FIXTURE IN THE ANNALS OF THE SUPERNATURAL. One of the most fascinating locations in the haunted history of Springfield, Illinois is the DANA HOUSE, which was designed by the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902. The house was designed for Springfield heiress and socialite Susan Lawrence Dana, and while the foundation that maintains it claims that it isn't haunted, the house provides a viable connection between Springfield and the paranormal. |
|
After several tragic deaths in her family and shortly after the magnificent house was completed, Susan Dana turned to the occult for comfort and guidance. She became one of the city's leaders in the Spiritualist movement that swept across America in the late 19th and 20th centuries. It was common for séances to be held at the house and for Susan to hold large parties for her Spiritualist friends.
All the while, Susan was a major contributor and volunteer to charitable causes in the city and the house was often filled with the sound of children on many occasions. She was also a major campaigner in the struggle for women's rights.
The house today is maintained by the state of Illinois and while newspaper reports have mentioned "strange occurrences" that sometimes take place in the house, the site manager insists that nothing paranormal is taking place there. A few years ago however, staff members were quoted in the local newspaper (the Springfield State Journal-Register) saying that a strange incident took place on the anniversary of Susan Dana's death... the extent of ghostly activity in the house remains a mystery.
The Dana House is located at 301 East Lawrence in Springfield, Illinois and is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday all year round.RETURN TO THE GHOSTS OF THE PRAIRIE HOME PAGE
COPYRIGHT 2000 BY TROY TAYLOR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
