History & local legend
Bob and Diane Karpulk encountered unexplained smells and troublesome appliances while running the Angel Rose Bed and Breakfast on West Market Street in Pottsville. Their experiences were collected by ghost researcher Tom Brobst and included in Jeff Belanger’s 2005 Encyclopedia of Haunted Places.
Bob recalled a strong, old-fashioned perfume in the basement. He knew it was not a fragrance Diane wore, and could not account for its presence there. On another occasion, the cellar had an entirely different smell: a powerful odor of unwashed skin.
Elsewhere in the house, electrical appliances repeatedly switched on when the couple had left them off. They called electricians and eventually began unplugging appliances they seldom needed. Diane’s impression was that another resident was assessing the newcomers.
Sources
- Tom Brobst, Eastern Pennsylvania Ghost Researchers, the Karpulks’ accounts in Jeff Belanger’s Encyclopedia of Haunted Places (2005), chapter reprinted here
- The Washington Post, November 21, 2007, identifies the Angel Rose at 616 West Market Street
- Berks County Paranormal Association, separate July 25, 2004 on-site report explicitly naming the address
- Esri, geocoded address in the West Market block
