Morbid Real Estate: April Edition

3 S. Market St., Shamokin

April showers bring May flowers, but this month also brings a slew of real estate opportunities for those seeking a home whose walls reverberate with the echoes of forgotten tragedies-- or an ideal place to brush up on your mortician skills. While the listings for these properties gush about historic charm and character, the real estate agents, for some reason, completely neglected to mention the darker side of their somber pasts.   

3 South Market St., Shamokin (Northumberland County). Price: $199,000

3 S. Market St.

This month's edition of Morbid Real State starts off this this well-maintained commercial property in the once-booming coal town of Shamokin. Configured for professional office space, this property is currently occupied by an insurance agency on a month-to-month lease. An ideal choice for owner-occupants looking to live and work under the same roof, the second floor features a roomy apartment with access to a finished attic. It also includes a small parking lot, excellent visibility and, well, a sad and tragic past.

3 S. Market St.

 

In 1925, this property, originally owned by I.C. Burd, was purchased by Dr. John Hill Focht, a WW1 veteran and highly-regarded surgeon. Dr. Focht established a small private maternity hospital inside the building, which continued to operate until 1930, at which point Focht shifted his focus to his general practice. 

While Focht managed to build a thriving and lucrative practice, his success came at a high cost; years of long hours and lack of sleep left him in a nervous condition, and his friends and family urged Dr. Focht to slow down and take a well-deserved break. His nerves had grown increasingly worse ever since the death of his apoted son, David. By 1932, Focht had worn himself so thin emotionally that he was making statements about suicide.

3 S. Market St.

Early on the morning of August 9, 1932, after yet another sleepless night, Dr. Focht went down to the basement and found the rest he so desperately needed. Unfortunately, his rest would be permanent.
At 3 o'clock that morning, the property's caretaker, Charles Henry, found the physician lying on the basement floor with his head resting on a chair, wearing his pajamas. One end of a rubber hose was connected to a gas line, the other end was clenched in his mouth. 

 

1000 Spring Garden Avenue, Pittsburgh. Price: $125,000

 

1000 Spring Garden Ave.

 

Next, we have this 2-bedroom home in the Spring Garden neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Interestingly, while the listing is essentially a 260-word sales pitch lauding the charm of the neighborhood and the convenience of the location, not a single line actually describes the house itself. That's like a used car salesman trying to unload a used Nissan by giving a 15-minute recital of the top restaurants of Yokohama.  

In fact, one can't even discern what the inside of this house looks like because each of the listing's 17 photos is an exterior shot, and the listing fails to provide even the most basic info, such as the home's heating source. Oil? Electric? Coal? Who knows.

1000 Spring Garden Ave.

One thing I can tell you about this property, however, is that it was once the home of Alex Cruks, an unfortunate man who, after being out of work for four weeks, decided to end his life by drinking carbolic acid at this very home. Despite the best efforts of doctors, Cruks passed away a few hours later at Allegheny General Hospital.

 

409 North Jefferson St., New Castle (Lawrence County). Price: $299,000

409 N. Jefferson St.

 

This property, once owned by former Standard Brewing Company executive Henry Grotefend, is currently a turn-key day spa. This historic property features original hardwood floors, charming stained glass windows and a wooden staircase exemplifying the fine craftsmanship of a bygone era. Other features include multiple private entrances, separate gas meters, and a parking area with up to 24 spaces.

409 N. Jefferson St.

Although offered as fully operational day spa, this property can also be reconfigured as a multi-unit rental property or converted into a private residence. In fact, there's no limit to what this charming old house can be used for. You can even embalm folks in it, just like George Morrow did. That's right, this building was once the location of the George A. Morrow Funeral Home, which operated in this location during the 1930s and 1940s.