A National Historic Place, this was one of the finest homes in Spokane when built in 1898. For quite a while, perhaps many decades, there have been rumors that the Campbell House was haunted.
While you may think eyes moving in a portrait only happens in movies, you'll be horrified to hear that type of creepy activity has been reported here. It was also peculiar that there were stories widely circulating that three of the Campbell children who lived here in the early 1900s were murdered by an intruder, then kidnapped a fourth kid who was never seen again - but the Campbell family only had one child, who lived healthily into her adulthood.
From Only In Your State
Capitalizing on these rumors the Eastern Washington State Historical Society opens the house each Halloween to young trick-or-treaters (for a small fee) to allow them to scare themselves silly, while collecting their treats. KXLY TV ran a story on the event this year, which can be read below.
The Campbells had come from Youngstown, Ohio and Amasa had invested $25,000 in successful mines near Coeur d'Alene, most notably the Gem and the Mace, turning it into a fortune. They resided in Wallace, Idaho, a wild mining town, until 1898 when Campbell and his partner, John A. Finch, both moved themselves and their mining operations to Spokane, a more genteel and secure setting offering better educational, social, and business opportunities.
Restored and refurnished (the original furniture was auctioned in 1925 when the house was donated) by the Historical Society and the Arts Centre, this is one of the most original houses in Spokane, accomplished by studying the original cost inventory made in 1898, which included descriptions of furniture, draperies, and wallpaper.
SPOKANE, Wash.
Short of collecting as much candy as your pillow case can hold, what better way to spend Halloween than at a spooky, creepy old mansion? The Campbell House in Browne's Addition opened its doors to trick-or-treaters looking to escape the rain Monday night.
The house was built in 1898, so you had the chance to step back in time and take a tour of the haunted home.
"It's an open house format so you kind of get to explore at your own pace. Maybe take about an hour to go through the house," Logan Camporeale, Volunteer Coordinator at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, said.
This is the second year the MAC hosted Halloween at the Campbell House and organizers say it's easy to get it ready for the spooky night.
"This place is perfect for Halloween. It just lends well to it. You don't have to decorate much. You just let people come in and the spookiness just speaks for itself," he said.
With a scavenger hunt and a craft room, there was plenty for little ghosts and goblins to do. They also left with a handful of candy.
"Everybody has their own experience inside the house. It's just a fun and safe place for little guys to come. Although, we've had a bunch of adults that have wanted to come and check it too," Camporeale said.
Tickets sold out before the event started, but Camporeale says they're going to organize the event differently next year to give even more people the opportunity to see The Campbell House.
From the KXLY TV