Spirits who identify themselves, children laughing and phantom music. We found it all at the unusual Villa de Kathrine in Quincy, Illinois. The Castle The Villa de Kathrine is a Moroccan-style home located on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in Quincy, Illinois. The unique home, sometimes branded as a castle, was built in 1900 for wealthy Quincy native W. George Metz. While extravagantly decorated and detailed on the interior, locally sourced building materials kept building costs to a modest $5,000 as evidenced by a building permit issued June 21, 1900. Inside, the Villa features a harem, a courtyard, and a reflecting pool. Much of the design for the interior and exterior of the building was based upon George's sketches of Islamic architecture that he observed during a trip to Algiers. Originally opened to the sky, the courtyard balustrades would have rich tapestries draped over them in fair weather. The courtyard was roofed over sometime after 1914. Initially white stucco over brick, the Villa was repainted in the current sandstone color by the Friends of the Castle, during their restoration work. Some stories say the Villa was named for a love interest, however in newspaper accounts of the time, George states he named it in honor of his mother. The Man and His Dog While known throughout the community for hosting lavish parties at his home and dining with friends, his main companion was his 212-pound iron gray Great Dane named Bingo, who had a separate apartment and side entrance. Bingo was said to be harmless and fond of children. However, I did find a newspaper article telling of how Bingo attacked the dogs of several neighbors. By all accounts, George could not control the dog. Bingo died of pleurisy in October, 1909 and was buried “on the highest point of the hill” on the grounds of the Villa. George himself is said to have been ‘mild, placid and courteous’ but, again, newspaper accounts of the day indicated he didn’t get along so well with his neighbors. Once he even had 5 ducks that had wandered onto his property taken to jail, much to the dismay of the neighbor who owned them. George was known to travel extensively. He visited relatives in Germany and his travels also took him to Norway, Denmark, Algiers and Cuba. He was in Sweden when WWI broke out. He also travelled to South America and lived for several years in Hawaii. It appears he began travelling in 1899 at the age of 51. Local lore has it that George was educated in Germany and it is claimed that his wealth came from the family brick manufacturing business. My research indicated that he seemed to drift from occupation to occupation until inheriting the bulk of his wealth when his mother died in 1897. In the 1870’s he was a bookkeeper in Peoria and in the 1880’s he attended trade school in the Chicago area, studying carpentry. Once his mother passed, George fancied himself a real estate man. George’s father, William George Metz, Sr., was a druggist who invested wisely in the real estate market in Quincy. Upon his death in 1873, his estate was worth the equivalent of 1.3 million dollars. At that time George inherited his first piece of real estate, a 3-story commercial building located at 515 Maine Street in downtown Quincy. Following the death of his mother, George inherited several other parcels of downtown Quincy real estate and, apparently, never worked again. George was a confirmed bachelor. Spirits Roam Villa de Kathrine The most active spirit in the home is said to be Bingo. Visitors claim to hear barking, dog tags jingling and other sounds that would be made by a large dog. Some visitors have claimed to hear the voice of a German speaking woman in the basement and, more recently, a small child has been heard. While many believe the German woman to be a servant, George’s mother, Anna Kathrine, was German. George spoke fluent German as did many of his relatives. He also had a niece, Luella Bishop, who was a frequent visitor to the Villa often bringing along her small children. Could it be her child that visitors are hearing? The Investigation We investigated the Villa in October 2020. The weather was fair, with temps staying in the low to mid 70s throughout the investigation. Winds were moderate from the south at 14mph, and there was no precipitation. Due to the large amount of glass and reflective surfaces inside the home, we did not set up our static cameras. Almost immediately we heard the familiar sound of dog tags jingling while we were on the second floor. The most bazaar experience of the evening occurred during an EVP session on the second floor, when we heard the unmistakable sound of a ball bouncing. It was loud enough to be captured on audio and it continued for the entire session – about 30 minutes. And while no explanation for either sound could be found, we later captured the sound of a ball bouncing as a small child was talking. Although the only identified hotspot was the basement, we also captured EVPs in the second floor office and a harem room on the first level. While we didn’t capture anyone speaking German, we appeared to capture someone speaking Spanish and the laughter and voice of the small child who has been recently encountered. Visit our investigations page to listen to these EVPs. Is the Villa de Katherine haunted? We had some experiences we can’t explain. But you decide. If you’re ever in Quincy, it’s worth a stop to see this one of a kind home. See clips of our evidence on our youtube video.
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AuthorI have been looking for ghosts in haunted locations across the country since 1977. Previous Blogs
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