Paranormal Portsmouth: Eerie tales haunt campus library

As autumn leaves begin to change colors and fall onto the historic streets of Portsmouth, a chill in the air heralds the arrival of autumn, which is synonymous with all things eerie and unexplained. In the heart of this riverfront city, nestled alongside the mighty Ohio River, a unique and spine-tingling Chronicle series is about to unfold – “Paranormal Portsmouth.”

These accounts of chilling encounters and investigations will shine a spotlight on the supernatural stories and mysteries that have long captivated the imaginations of residents and visitors alike. From campus to cemetery, holler to haunted hill, the series will explore the unexplained paranormal events that take place in this historic city.

The first stop on the tour of “Paranormal Portsmouth” might surprise readers. Found in the middle of the Shawnee State University campus, Clark Memorial Library was established in 1991, five years after Shawnee State gained university status. On the outside, Clark Memorial Library is an unassuming resource for students and staff, but there’s more to this library than meets the eye. Whispers of an eerie presence have been growing among students and staff for years.

“I’ve heard the sound of chairs scooting across the floor or doors closing when there’s no one else in the building, for sure,” library specialist Dan Smith said.

Smith added that although he doesn’t view himself as a religious or spiritual person, he has seen things he couldn’t quite explain.

“I would hear something upstairs as we were closing,” he said. “Sometimes it would be kind of real enough that we would question if we were alone.”

There might not be conclusive evidence of a paranormal presence in the library, but remember whenever you are silently reading in an upstairs corner by yourself, the ghost stories might not be pure fiction and you might not be truly alone.