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Fairlawn
Mansion
Location:
Superior, Douglas County, Wisconsin
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The Reputed
History:
- The home was
built by Martin Pattison, the first mayor of Superior.
- A former
housekeeper who was murdered by her husband haunts this
house. The Pattison family used to sponsor
Scandinavian immigrants to America by paying for their
passage to this country in exchange for a period of service
at their home. Martin Pattison was a kind man and
usually treated the immigrants as if they were members of
the family. After completing her time of service to
the Pattisons, one servant girl married and moved away with
her husband only to be murdered by him shortly
thereafter. It is believed that her spirit returned to
Fairlawn Manor because that is were she felt happiest and
most secure during her short life.
- The house was
at one time an orphanage, and two young girls who drowned in the
pool haunt the house.
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Martin Pattison |
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The
Investigation:
- Martin
Pattison, a mining and lumber baron, was not the first mayor
of Superior. He was actually the second, third, and
sixth mayor.
- The 42-room mansion was constructed from 1889-1891
at a cost of $150,000.
- The Fairlawn mansion was built as the family
estate of Superior's
three-time mayor Martin Pattison. He lived
there with his wife Grace and six children from 1891 to 1918.
- In
1918, Grace Pattison donated Fairlawn to the
Superior Children's Home and Refuge Association to
be used as an orphanage. It was home to
approximately 2000 children from 1920-1962. During
that time the pool was empty and never used.
No children ever drowned there.
- There is no
record of any children dying in the house; however, records
from that period have been sealed by the county.
- In
1963 the mansion was slated for demolition but was
purchased by the City of Superior for $12,500 and
has operated as a city-owned museum ever since then.
- We have been
unable to confirm the story of the murdered servant girl.
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The Reputed
Phenomena:
- The ghost of the murdered servant girl
haunts the mansion. Her apparition, in 1890's
dress, is frequently mistaken for
the museum tour guide since they dress in period costume,
and she will help lost visitors find specific displays and
then vanish into thin air.
- The ghosts of two young girls has been
reported in the basement playing near the swimming pool.
- People experience a cold, damp chill in
the air whenever the ghost of the servant girl is present.
- After hours, lights have been seen in
the windows on the upper floor.
- Faces have been seen peering out the
windows.
- A figure has been seen in the tower.
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The
Investigation:
- According to
an employee of the museum, nothing paranormal has been
reported during the two years she has worked there.
There have been no sightings of a phantom tour guide or
sprites by the pool. She believes the stories originated with a creative director
of the museum who worked there several years ago and that
tour guides and local residents have embellished and
contributed to the stories.
- She confirmed
that lights have been seen in the windows after the museum
has closed, but explained that guides frequently forget to
shut off the lights in some of the rooms after the last tour
of the day.
- Except for a
three-week period during Christmas, the employees currently
do not dress in period costume.
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Designed by Terry Fisk
Copyright © Unexplained Research. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 28, 2004
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