Morbid Real Estate: November Edition

625 Rosen Ct., Scranton

 

Halloween has come and gone, but those of you who aren't quite ready to give up on being spooked might want to consider moving into one these recently-listed properties, all of which come with a blood-chilling history-- and possibly, a mysterious bump or two in the night! 

625 Rosen Ct.

625 Rosen Court, Scranton (Lackawanna County). Price: $95,000

This 4 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom home is in need of a little work and is being sold "as-is", but, in today's real estate market, what do you expect for under $100k? A watertight roof and pipes not made from lead? Keep dreaming! With a fenced yard and off-street parking, there's some real potential in this 1,560 square foot home if you're entertaining the thought of becoming a landlord-- which might be a better idea than living in it yourself, considering what happened here in February of 1924.

 

Using his belt as a noose, an out-of-work and down-on-his-luck father of six named Alex Bieniecki hanged himself from his bedroom doorknob on the morning of February 11, 1924. Sadly, it was his 10-year-old daughter, Anna, who discovered the body. 

631 Clinton St., Reading

631 Clinton Street, Reading (Berks County). Price: $1,200/month

Nestled next to a 50-acre industrial site (recently sold by the city of Reading for the construction of a warehouse), and a set of very busy railroad tracks, this 3-bedroom rental property is perfect for insomniacs and those who are hard of hearing. But, as with all the seemingly good things in life, there's a catch-- in addition to the $30 application fee and the customary last month's rent, first month's rent plus security deposit (a.k.a. The Devil's Trifecta), the lucky tenant must pay for all utilities and have a minimum monthly income of $3,600. Not the worst rent in the city, but it certainly doesn't leave much left over for the earplugs that you're going to need.

631 Clinton St.

How many coats of paint are on that molding?

 

It's also worth pointing out that this apartment is just 871 square feet, which means that unless you're comfortable sleeping in a bedroom only slightly larger than a coffin, you might want to look for more spacious accommodations (unless Rick Moranis will let you borrow that ray gun he used to shrink his kids). And, much like the previous property, this one was also a place where an unfortunate fellow chose to shuffle off this mortal coil; on March 14, 1930, Charles Trout took his life by hanging himself in the basement.

 

338 Cedar St., Reading

 

338 Cedar Street, Reading (Berks County). Price: $1,250/month

Located within walking distance to the Santander Performing Arts Center, this 984 square-foot, 2 bedroom apartment boasts a charming facade evocative of gaslamps and horse-drawn carriages, while off-street parking in the rear ensures that whomever steals the catalytic converter from your Honda Civic will be able to make a clean getaway without being seen. With a low, low security deposit of just $2,500 you can live high on the hog while enjoying luxurious amenities such as a toilet, refrigerator and two square feet of kitchen countertop. Best of all, there's no pesky washer and dryer to worry about, and you'll be entirely responsible for all utilities.

 

And, as if all that ain't enough, you'll be able to brag to your friends that you live in the same house where William Kline fatally shot himself in the temple on June 12, 1931.

 

116 N. Evaline St., Pittsburgh

 

116 North Evaline Street, Pittsburgh (Allegheny County). Price: $110,000

Next, we have this spacious 1,796 square foot, 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home in Garfield, site of the famous Steps of Pittsburgh. And the description you just read contains five more words than what the seller posted online. The owner, who simply states "Investment opportunity in Garfield. 3-story home. Location, Location!! Property is part of a portfolio sale", has also declined to provide more than one picture. With such attention to detail, you can be sure that this property is well-maintained, in the sense that it's still standing. Plus, one sort of gets the feeling that this "investment opportunity" is a lot like one of those "career opportunities" that require you to recruit your Facebook friends to sell wrinkle cream.

 

For those who are unaware, the "Location, Location!!!" of which the seller speaks is a blighted neighborhood which lost over 60% of its population between 1970 and 2020, and presently has a murder rate more than six times the national average. And as for this particular location, 116 North Evaline, it happens to be the house where 79-year-old Albert Horner slashed his throat with a butcher knife on December 22, 1932.

2930 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia

2930 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia (Philadelphia County). Price: $319,000

Finally, we have this mixed-use building in Philadelphia, which includes a corner commercial space on the ground floor and four 1-bed 1-bath apartment units on the upper floors. The seller states that the apartment units are all in need of kitchen appliances and "a little bit of work", and this, believe it or not, seems to be an overstatement, as this property appears to be in much better shape than the other crapholes on this list.

 

But, alas, this humble structure does come with a tragic backstory. The horrible incident, which occurred on the morning of February 23, 1930, took place in one of the third floor apartments, which was occupied by a woman named Elizabeth Mulligan and her four children. Shortly before sunrise, Elizabeth's estranged husband, Cornelius Mulligan, showed up at the apartment in an intoxicated state, looking for the wife he hadn't seen in over two years. Elizabeth and her youngest son were away from home at the time, leaving Mulligan's 17-year-old stepson, Edward Slickmeyer, and his two younger sisters, Ruth and Ethel, asleep in the apartment. Edward, in an attempt to protect his sisters after their drunken stepfather broke down the door, grabbed a .32-caliber revolver from a dresser drawer and fired at Mulligan.

 

"I was afraid he'd hurt my sisters," stated Edward. "I pointed the gun at him and told him to get out. He laughed and started toward me. I pulled the trigger five times." Four of the bullets penetrated Mulligan's chest. He fell to the floor, blood streaming from his mouth and chest.

Got a tip about a murder or suicide house for sale? Send me an email and let me know!