Large Haunted Plantation Home in St. Louis MO

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History of Bissell Mansion

The house is a two story brick, Old Colonial type with portico which was added at the beginning of the Twentieth Century. The portico is built with California Redwood.

At least 13 people are confirmed to have died in the house, and it is reportedly now haunted.

In 1953, there was a plan to knock it down to make room for an expressway, but the Landmarks Association of St. Louis saved it from demolition in 1957. It then briefly became a restaurant before it was turned into a murder mystery dinner theater, where Hercule Poirot style comedic shows were performed along with a meal.

Before that, it was a fruit-growing plantation with six slaves and two Irish indentured servants. Because of the many mulberry trees in the surrounding area which used to be part of the 16,000 acre plantation, Wheeler thinks they probably grew the fruit.

The Bissell farm was part of an original grant by the Spanish government when "On August 17^th, 1798, Governor General Manual Gayosa de Lemos granted 448 arpens plus or minus to Don Gabriel Cerre."

Cerre's executors sold the land to Joseph Brown, and on October 8^th, 1807, Brown transferred ownership to Clement B. Penrose. He, in turn, sold to John McKnight and Thomas Brady, on December 20^th, 1816. On February 14^th, 1824, Lewis Bissell bought Brady's estate containing 677 acres and 2 roods plus or minus, bounded on the east by the Mississippi River.

Born in Connecticut, Ensign Lewis Bissell was, in 1808, ordered to join his company at Fort Osage, about 350 miles up the Missouri River. He was stationed at various places during the war of 1812: Block house at Portage de Sioux, and Niagara Falls. Finally, as a Captain, he was in command of Fort Clark, now Peoria, Illinois. Resigning here in 1816, he engaged in the sutling business with Col. O'Fallon until 1822. Married in Connecticut in 1824, he moved to St. Louis in 1830 and engaged in farming.

When the house was built, it was 2 miles from the city of St. Louis. When Cornelia B. Provines, a daughter, was allotted the homestead in January 1873 (Capt. Bissell died 1868), the city limits had been moved, bringing the house within the city at Bellefontaine Road near Grand Avenue.

On June 29^th, 1882, Frederick Kraft acquired the property, and Dr. Randall came into possession of the property on March 11^th, 1925.

The historic home, one of the oldest in the city, is now a subject of the HGTV show Scariest House in America, which aims to find the spookiest residence in the country.

Inside 'America's scariest house' where THIRTEEN people have died and 'ghosts haunt the halls'

One of America's Scariest Houses is in St. Louis