Morbid Real Estate: August Edition

444 Prospect St., York.

 

Looking to buy a murder home? A house where unspeakable horrors have occurred? A home possibly haunted by the restless, wandering spirits of the tragedy-cursed folks who once lived there? Well, here at Pennsylvania Oddities Realty, we specialize in that sort of thing! Okay, you caught me... I'm not really a real estate agent. But, if I was, these are certainly the types of homes I'd be showing to prospective buyers, because all of them come with a very creepy history and chilling backstory.

 

444 Prospect St., York

444 Prospect Street, York (York County). Listing Price: $163,000.

First, we have this five bedroom, one bath townhouse just a short walking distance from the heart of downtown York. For the low, low price of $163,000 this spacious 1,836 square foot property comes with an idyllic grass-free lawn (perfect for summer barbecues!) and absolutely no appliances or central air. In other words, less things for you to worry about! Best of all, the graffiti comes pre-painted on the brick wall!

Although the seller hasn't posted any pictures of the interior, it's probably safe to assume that it's chock full of old world craftsmanship, lovingly maintained by someone who's probably now doing 10 years in state prison on a drug charge. You can tell that the current owner has put a ton of work into it, as this very same property sold for under $40k just six years ago-- all the proof you need that the seller isn't some con artist looking to make a quick buck! 

With a crime rate of 33 per 1000 residents, York has one of the highest crime rates in the country (according to NeighborhoodScout), with one's chance of falling a victim to violent crime or property crime 1 in 30. And, with any luck, you won't end up like Emma Jane Miller, a poor 54-year-old housewife who was murdered by her husband on the front porch in 1915.

 

George Miller, a blacksmith by trade, was drunk and blind with jealousy, having accused his wife of fooling around with his brother-in-law, Benjamin Hibner, who shared their home with his two children. At seven o'clock on the evening of Saturday, February 6, 1915, Miller saw his wife returning home from a grocery store. He walked by her side until they reached the front porch of their home at 444 Prospect Street, at which point Miller shot her five times in the abdomen. He then ran out into the back yard (though the passageway visible to the right of the porch), into the alley, and then down Prospect Street, firing off his gun and scaring the bejeezus out of the entire neighborhood.

 

After failing to shoot a patrolman who had attempted to arrest him, Miller ran into the home of Robert Mann on Liberty Street. Brandishing his revolver, he stuck the barrel under Mann's nose. "Smell that? I've done two of them and if you open your mouth you'll get it next," he said. With the police in hot pursuit, Miller ran back to his house, only to find it swarming with policemen, and took his own life by shooting himself in the heart in the back yard. He died in a taxi on his way to the hospital.

 

5563 Chancellor St., Philadelphia

 5563 Chancellor Street, Philadelphia. Listing Price: $114,900

This corner property in the Cobb's Creek neighborhood has definitely seen better days. The price was recently dropped by $50,000 because of the damage to one of the exterior walls and host of other unknown issues which led the owner to sell the property "as-is". Since the listing states that showings are by "drive-by only" (which makes sense, as Philadelphia is known for its drive-bys), whatever's lurking inside this structurally unsound catastrophe-waiting-to-happen is a total mystery. The listing also states that "the owner will not do any repairs" and that the property "will not be cleaned out prior to closing". 

Yet, interestingly, this 1,302 square foot, three bedroom, two bath mixed-use row home/storefront is being lauded as "a property with endless potential", a "backdrop to your vision and dreams", and a "piece of Philadelphia history". We're not sure which part of the city's history the listing agent had in mind, but it may have something to do with a botched robbery  in 1965 that led to a man's untimely death.

Back then, this property was owned by a 63-year-old Latvian immigrant, August Ausmanis, who operated a grocery store on the first floor and lived upstairs with his wife, Maria. Ausmanis was a tiny man with thick spectacles, and this made him a frequent target of thugs and hoodlums. Yet, beneath the Coke bottle lenses lurked a man with the courage of a lion. As a result, it was usually Ausmanis who had the last laugh.

After two armed robbery attempts and a burglary in a matter of days, the beloved, sort-spoken Latvian immigrant decided that he had had enough. He went out and bought a .32-caliber revolver, which he kept in his pocket at all times. He didn't have to wait long to put it to good use. On May 21, George Smith entered the store and ordered boiled ham and a quart of milk. While August and Maria had their backs turned, Smith pulled a gun and jumped over the counter. Maria, seeing that Smith was lunging for the the cash register, tried to stop him. Smith punched her in the face, and the storekeeper wasted no time drawing his revolver and firing four shots at the attacker, with one of the bullets piercing his left temple. Smith fell dead without ever knowing what hit him. It was later learned that Smith had a long rap sheet who had once been sentenced to 20 years in prison for assault and armed robbery.

After he dropped Smith, Ausmanis, ever the good citizen, called the police and turned himself in, but no charges were ever filed. Not sure if this story makes his former home and grocery store less desirable or more desirable, as Ausmanis became something of a neighborhood legend after the incident.

227 Linden St., Minersville

227 Linden Street, Minersville (Schuylkill County). Listing Price: $159,900

With 1600 square feet of living space, partially-finished basement and attached garage, this move-in ready 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom single family home is a solid deal at under $160k. Though nothing horrendous occurred within its walls, this property is noteworthy because it was once home to a pair of brothers involved in one of the most uncanny coincidences in Schuylkill County history.

In 1936, this was the home of Joseph and Albert Petravich. On July 23 of that year, Albert was driving along the Pottsville-Llewellyn highway with two passengers, Frances Gavalis and Stephanie Kaplan, when a dog ran out in front of Joseph's roadster. As Joseph swerved, the rear tire blew out and the car overturned. The two passengers were pinned beneath the vehicle. Frances was killed while the other sustained serious injuries. Albert, however, was uninjured.

On July 28, his brother, Joseph, was driving toward Tremont with five passengers when his car collided with another vehicle head-on and careened into a bridge. One of the passengers, Mary Matalitis, who was riding in the rumble seat, was killed instantly, while other passengers suffered injuries ranging from a broken back to broken ribs. Joseph, however, escaped injury. How strange that two brothers, living at the same address, were involved in deadly car accidents just 6 days apart in which female passengers were killed, while they themselves escaped unharmed!

 

1129 Markley St., Norristown

 

1129 Markley Street, Norristown (Montgomery County). Listing Price: $200,000

A three bedroom, 1640 square foot home in the Philadelphia suburbs for $200,000 seems like a total steal, especially one as well cared for as this example on Markley Street. With a new gas boiler, hot water heater heater, sewer line, chimney liner and a recently resealed roof, this baby is move-in ready and priced to sell. So, what's the catch?

 

While nothing terribly terrible happened inside the house, this property was once the home of a schoolteacher named Evelyn Custer. In early 1933, Evelyn suffered a nervous breakdown. On November 18, while visiting her parents near Lansdale, the 40-year-old teacher said that she was going for a walk. When she failed to return, her family went out searching for her, and found her in the nearby woods-- hanging from a tree with one of her stockings knotted around her neck. Evelyn formerly taught school at Swedeland, about four miles south of Norristown.

 

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