History & local legend
The Strongman mansion on Noble Lane in Bethany became the home of Hortense and Byron Miller in 1923. Hortense was the daughter of John Strongman, whose family had established the estate. The Millers enlarged the house, adding a third floor with rooms for her parents.
Later caretakers and employees described footsteps moving through the mansion and shadows glimpsed inside. The presence was commonly identified as Hortense, continuing to walk through the family home.
Allison Mowatt’s February 2012 account in Connections recalled a visit by a team of psychics in the early 1980s. They brought recording equipment, and their playback reportedly contained knocks, footsteps and the sound of doors swinging.
Sources
- Allison Mowatt, “Do You Love the Chills?”, Connections, February 2012, printed page 7, interviews and local accounts of the former caretakers and psychic team
- Wayne County Historical Society, Strongman–Miller Mansion, ownership and expansion
- The Mansion at Noble Lane, the family story, including rooms added for Hortense’s parents
