History & local legend
The former State Street Tavern at 1013 State Street in Erie was investigated by Strange Happenings Ghost and Hauntings Research Society on April 24, 2005. Co-owner Robin Powell told the visiting team about a figure she had seen in the rear hallway.
Powell described a man wearing a hat and a long trench coat. He emerged from one wall, floated across the hall and passed into the opposite wall. Other accounts collected at the tavern included catlike meowing that seemed to follow people along the bar, although no cat could be found, and pounding felt underfoot from the basement.
The investigators aimed a camera along the hallway associated with Powell’s sighting. Their first hour of footage showed nothing unusual.
Sources
- Strange Happenings Ghost and Hauntings Research Society, interview with Robin Powell and April 24, 2005 investigation at 1013 State Street
- City of Erie, historic designation nomination for the Forman Block, facade and parcel identification
- Erie Reader, interview with the later Crooked I operator identifies the former State Street Tavern and its address
