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The sleepy little town of Dunsmuir is as charming as can be. Tucked away in the Trinity Mountains on the upper Sacramento River, this town is home to just 1,600 people but it’s a lively hub for tourism and sight-seeing. The town’s prime location makes it a hot spot for fishing, climbing, skiing, and exploring in general. The town’s is chock full of historic buildings which are just bursting with charm. However, there’s one building that’s been haunting this quaint town for decades. It began as a mortuary but today it’s considered the most haunted spot in town. After reading about its history below you may just want to stay far, far away from it!
Located at 5957 Sacramento Ave in the lovely town of Dunsmuir is a large, four-story house that definitely looks like it has seen better days. Although it may look pretty unremarkable on the exterior, locals will tell you that this is considered one of the most haunted destinations in Northern California.
Over the years, the house has seen a variety of different owners, most of which will attest to the haunted reputation of the house (although some state they experienced nothing out of the ordinary). In 2010, the house was obtained by a couple who actually turned the ex-mortuary into a "Dead and Breakfast" so visitors could stay in the house and experience it for themselves. The couple began renovations on the house but it went back on the market just a few years later. It was still listed "For Sale" as recently as 2016 but it seems that the house may have been sold at some point last year.
But what exactly makes this place "haunted"? The house has a lot of creepy stories associated with it. The house was even used as inspiration for the best-selling novel "The Mortician's Wife".
However, it all started when the house was originally built back in the 1920s. A couple, the Youngs, moved into the house and opened a mortuary in the basement. According to legend, Mr. Young died at the kitchen table and his wife, distraught with grief, left him to decompose there for weeks while locking herself away in her room.
Remnants of the old mortuary still existed as recently as just a few years ago, when the "Dead and Breakfast" was open for visitors. Located in the basement, bolts from the embalming table were still in the walls and faucets used to wash the lifeless corpses still worked.
The stories about the unnatural occurrences in this house are enough to send shivers down your spine. Back when the house was bought in 2010, the owner stated that "unforeseen forces came to life" such as slamming doors, power being turned on and off, and even the random extinguishing of the fireplace. He even claimed that the remains of a 17-year-old girl were left in a casket in the basement.
Although it's unclear what state the old mortuary is in currently and who exactly has ownership (the Dead and Breakfast website is still live), you can bet that this historic house will always make for a good ghost story. The next time you find yourself in Dunsmuir, you may want to stay away. Or go check it out, if that's your thing!
Keep in mind that the house may not be open to the public for viewing at this time. We do not recommend visiting the house without the owner's permission. The photos and information in this article are meant for entertainment purposes only. After all, everybody loves a good scare!
Did you know about this haunted mortuary and house? This place is definitely creepy! Take a look at our list of 15 Terrifying Haunted Places In Northern California for more creeptastic destinations like this one.
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