Inside El Paso’s Haunted Mansion Where Spirits Still Linger

Scare-Tober officially kicks off on “Iris & Grizz in the Morning” Wednesday, October 13, but we decided we couldn't wait that long to start getting spooky.

We brought in one of our favorite ghost story tellers, Heather Shade from Lost El Paso Paranormal, to share one of the creepiest, and most fascinating, stories in El Paso.

Shade hosts ghost tours and paranormal events around the city and knows plenty of stories surrounding El Paso's historic, and reportedly haunted, locations. But this story comes with a wild twist: you could actually own the haunted house she's talking about.

Courtesy: Lost El Paso Paranormal/ Heather Shade

An El Paso Mansion With History and Maybe Some Spirits

Sitting on top of a hill in El Paso's historic Sunset Heights neighborhood is the Kohlberg Mansion, also known as the Bittersweet Mansion.

According to Heather, The beautiful home has a long history tied to one of El Paso's most influential couples, Ernst and Olga Kohlberg.

Ernst Kohlberg was an immigrant from Prussia who came to El Paso when he was just 18 years old. In a letter to his parents, he reportedly described arriving at what he thought was the "end of the world," after seeing that Texas seemed to be little more than dirt compared to his home in Prussia.

But Kohlberg was quick to get to work as soon as he could. He became a businessman, helped establish factories, served as postmaster and eventually opened a cigar company that became the first of its kind in the Southwest. He also employed women at a time when that was far from the norm.

According to Shade, at one point Kohlberg was even known as the "Father of El Paso.” He and Olga were deeply involved in the community and were known for their philanthropy and contributions to the city. But Ernst's story ended tragically. He was murdered in downtown El Paso by a man who reportedly owed him rent.

Olga continued living in the mansion for many years. The home has also served other purposes throughout its history, including a stint as the Mexican Consulate.

And now, according to Lost El Paso Paranormal, the mansion may have a few longtime residents who never left.

Lost El Paso Paranormal Investigates The Kohlberg Mansion

Lost El Paso Paranormal was invited to investigate the mansion with realtor Michael Bray, who is currently representing the property.

During their investigation, one of the first things the team experienced was a response through a paranormal communication device that they believed could have been a female spirit.

There were only two women associated with the investigation who were on the third floor, so the team began asking questions about the home's décor and other details.

That's when things reportedly got interesting. The activity on the upper floor seemed to increase, particularly when the women asked questions about the interior design and even a few beauty questions. Shade believes one possible explanation could be Olga herself.

Olga Kohlberg was considered an early feminist, pioneer and philanthropist. She was an influential woman in a time when women had very few opportunities to hold that kind of influence.

The Estes Method Uncovers An El Paso Connection

The team also conducted what's known as the Estes Method, a paranormal investigation technique where one investigator is blindfolded and unable to hear the questions being asked. They can only hear sounds or words coming through the spirit communication device and say whatever they hear out loud.

During the session, an investigator asked a simple question about the beautiful home:

"Did you have people over to socialize?"

The response?

"Neighbor. Henry Trost."

That name immediately caught the team's attention because Henry Trost, of course, was another major figure in El Paso history and a famous architect whose work can still be seen throughout the city.

Two Historic El Paso Properties In One Neighborhood

The mansion's location adds another fascinating layer to the story because The Kohlberg Mansion sits directly across the street from Turtle House, another historic El Paso property.

That has led to speculation about whether the two properties could have once been connected by a tunnel. There's no confirmed evidence that such a tunnel existed, but the possibility certainly adds another mystery to an already fascinating piece of El Paso history.

And the stories don't stop there. People have reported hearing music inside the mansion and seeing the figure of a woman. (Cool, now I’m not gonna be able to sleep tonight.)

But the most fascinating of all, pieces of Olga's life are still inside the house. One of her aprons reportedly remains upstairs in a closet, alongside one of Ernst Kohlberg's shoes.

Your Chance to Own a Piece of El Paso History

Here's the craziest part of the story: The mansion is for sale.

If you've ever dreamed of owning a gorgeous historic El Paso mansion with a fascinating past (and potentially a few paranormal roommates) this might be your chance.

The 6-thousand square feet house was built back in 1909 and was for sale at a listing price of $1,200,000 but the price has since dropped to $631,050, according to the Zillow website. The historic house has 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.

Just remember: you wouldn't simply be buying a house. You'd be buying a piece of El Paso history... with a few extra house guests.

Step Inside El Paso’s Haunted Kohlberg Mansion

You can actually buy one of El Paso’s most historic haunted mansions. Explore the Kohlberg Mansion and discover what paranormal investigators found inside.

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Lost El Paso Paranormal