Prospect Place which is also known as Trinway Mansion was owned and built by abolitionist George Willison Adams in 1856. The property was known to be on the underground railroad. It’s located just north of Dresden Ohio.

The mansion had every “modern” convenience and a few that were not in homes in 1856. On the second floor it had a copper cistern that provided water and water pressure for the first indoor toilets. There also were two coal burning stove with copper cisterns which gave the home both hot and cold running water. And nearly all of the other 27 rooms had coal burning stoves.

Imagine the carbon offsets one would need to justify their use today!

Finally the home had a primitive cooling system with ducts that took cool air from the basement to the upper floors. Also a pit filled with ice to cool food like butter, cheese and milk, a sort of refrigerator.

The mansion pretty much stayed in the Adams family until 1960. Then the property was left to deteriorate. Vandals stole much of the interior fixtures. Those copper cisterns were probably taken and sold. There was an attempt to refurbish the property in the 1990s and later in 2001. Those plans fell through.

The property has been investigated for ghosts in recent years. The claims of paranormal include a young woman who died late in the 19th century while wandering the home somewhat delirious from a fever. She stumbled over a balcony and landed on stone steps. The story goes on to say since it was winter she could not be buried so they kept her body in the basement packed in ice so it would not decompose. Looks like the refrigerator system was put to dual use.

Also the area where run away slaves stayed is supposed to be haunted. Apparently in the brick barn behind the mansion, seven people were hanged and now haunt there.

The property is to be visited by the Ghost Hunters in April 2008 in the episode entitled “Ghostly Bounty Hunter.”

[flickr 3:2:trinway,prospect]