Hello Everyone,
This week’s haunted place in Arizona focuses on, in a way, two categories. Not only is Jerome Grand Hotel a hotel that seems to have some eerie and ghostly instances, it was also a hospital.
Jerome Grand Hotel:
The fact is, Jerome Grand Hotel actually started as a hospital. It was originally built in 1926 as a hospital for the area and the local booming mining industry. In 1930 it was even named the most modern and well-equipped hospital in Arizona.
It remained a well-used hospital until it shut down in 1950. Although there were 9,000 deaths recorded in the hospital. The well-built structure was renovated and purchased in 1994 to become what we know as Jerome Grand Hotel.
The poured in place concrete foundation and structure of the hotel was meant to make it fireproof as well as withstanding the blasts of the nearby mining companies. It sets on a hard slop against the mountain side and rests at a comfortable 5,240 ft. making it notable as a mile high hotel.
Among its advancements of the time when it was built is the notable Otis Elevator system. This was the first service elevator in Arizona. It moves slower than most to provide comfort to the one time patients. The other thing is the boiler system that does not have to be put out of use while servicing. This allowed comfort to be maintained in the 30,000 sq. ft. building while maintenance was done. Both important factors for our discussion, when it gets eerie.
Haunted?
Like many buildings, Jerome Grand Hotel carries the typical noises and apparitions of a haunted building. The hospital aspect probably adds to that. Most of the haunting or eerily noises that occur at the hotel seem to relate to the earlier days when the building was a hospital.
The sounds of new born babies crying at night, waking up guests to call the front desk with concern. That one would send shivers through me. The sounds of doors closing in vacant rooms. The smells of medical equipment (medicine, sterilizer), cigar smoke and fresh flowers sometimes flow through the rooms and hall even when no one is present.
One particular ghost is the 5 year old, or close to, that runs around giggling and sometimes crying on the third floor. Perhaps it is also his giggles and child at play noises heard on the top floor. Or maybe it’s some other ghostly spirit at Jerome Grand Hotel. I still think it would be eerie or just plain scary to wake up and see this kid looking at me from the foot of my bed like many quests have claimed.
Another story is that of the ghostly cat, runs around and disappears. You might think you just didn’t see where it went but then you happen to notice the imprints form the cat weighing down a towel or bed sheets when nothing is there. That’s when you have to question yourself.
People often see ghostly spirits walking around in white clothing or better described as nurses outfits from the first part of the last century. Probably don’t even realize that these people that were once here to help you may not be here for the same in their ghostly form.
But the most eerie of the accounts at Jerome Grand Hotel, for me, would have to be the spirit of Claude Harvey. Claude died in 1935, at the hotel, or I should say was murdered. He was the hospitals maintenance man and was found dead, pinned under the elevator.
Many guests and hotel workers report hearing coughing coming from the laundry area. Noises coming from the boiler like someone is working on it. Almost like Claude feels as if his spirit still has some work left to do at the once hospital, now hotel.
Many people presume he was murdered because of several factors. The first, no autopsy or investigation was done and the body quickly removed. The second, was the elevator that allegedly killed Claude. Remember it moves slower than other hotels. Instead of about 500 feet per minute change in height the elevator moved at a mere 80 feet per minute. A lot more time to get out of the way. A lot more reasons why someone might want to stick around and avenge their deaths, or murder. Either way Jerome Grand Hotel offers a long list of eerie and haunted encounters and a history to support it.
Thanks for Reading,
Joshua Crane Dowidat
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Grand_Hotel