Old Stone House
Add Your Tale!
|
Built in 1848 by Azariah Sweetin, the Old Stone House has become a legend in the area near Eldred and Hillview. Mr. Sweetin used the limestone from the land that he bought to make the elaborate mansion. The woodwork was all walnut. On the third floor was a ballroom that he used for dances on holidays.
The mansion is said to have a lost treasure of gold coins hidden somewhere inside it. Legend also tells of a murder that happened during one of his dances. The party was for the soldiers that would be going off to the the Civil War.
The sons of two local farmers had an arguement as it got worse, one of the men got disgusted with the whole affair and turned to walk away. As he did the other man stabbed him in the back, he fell onto the fireplace hearth and bled to death.
For many years it has been said that the ghost of the young man appears on the hearth. His blood stained the hearth in the outline of his body. They were never able to remove the stain, and it is said that it is still there to this day.
Mr. Sweetin had done quite well in cattle trading before the war, he didn't trust banks so he started hiding gold coins all over the mansion. No one was sure where it was hidden and Azariah lost his memory due to being thrown from his horse and hitting his head.
The mansion slowly turned to ruins, after it had been deserted, local youths, treasure hunters, and curiosity seekers tore the house apart trying to find the gold. The gold was never found and some say that it was never hidden in the mansion but, instead, in the caves behind the house.
The caves are hiding places for rattlesnakes which has scared away many treasure hunters. But they aren't the only ones protecting the gold, it is said that Azariah's spirit still watches over it.
