During my occasional free evening, I research the history of our storefront at 837 Willard St. in Covington. While I’ve learned a lot by digging through official records, I’ve learned more by talking to the neighbors – many of whom have lived on our street for 60 or 70 years.
The juiciest story? There were a couple murders in our bar, and neighbors and former employees say the place is definitely haunted.
I haven’t been able to confirm the murders, despite several evenings of looking through newspaper archives. But I am half-convinced the place is haunted.
Recently we had a scrub brush disappear from the slop sink. And I really mean disappear. One moment it was there, and shortly after it was gone gone gone. We looked for it for weeks. Last week I bought an identical replacement, which is shown above.
Last week, Megan Fitzpatrick reported that her favorite paint brush had similarly disappeared. She’d had this brush for 15 years (yes, I know that’s odd). She brought it to the shop to paint a tool chest for a customer and put it in the chest. The next day it was gone.
What kind of ghost steals brushes? I hope I catch them cleaning things up or painting the gutters. Otherwise, I’m going to pay a visit to exorcism.com.
— Christopher Schwarz
“What kind of ghost steals brushes?”
The same kind that will make a box of pencils disappear one by one in less than a week. They seem to be quite common in every place I work.
Oh, you mean Brendan. I brought about 50 old pencils from my kids for him to move about the shop at will.
I’ve never met Brendan, but now I’m blaming him for my missing pocket knife too.
Picasso has been spotted around the neighbourhood, I’d say he’s the culprit.
Raccoons
Ghosts are fun and can keep you company on those long evenings (nights?) When finishing up a project.
I know I’m not the only one who clicked on the exorcism link.
Maybe leave out some shellac and an unfinished piece overnight and see if you’re surprised in the morning? They obviously want to work.
Leave out a bit of shellac and an unfinished piece overnight. You might be surprised in the morning.
Hmmm. Shellac is a spirit varnish…
I miss that paint brush.
Thanks Chris. I needed to brush up on my reading.
Not ghosts; patrons of LAP looking for memorabilia.
Perhaps your ghost committed the reputed local murders and is using your brushes to scrub away the evidence.
Have you noticed the similarities between your building and the one at Main and 9th across 9th from Kimmy’s? Same builder perhaps? Maybe they are haunted too…
The marketing possibilities are endless! “This Halloween, come take a ghost tour AND learn to build your own coffin at the Lost Art Press storefront! It’ll be a… scream!” *sinister Vincent Price laugh*
All I can think of is Lady Macbeth’s line “Out, damned spot!”
Or mommie dearest, Scrub Christina! Scrub!
My guess is you have a nest builder (rodent) on the premises that sees the bristles as perfect nest material.
Check the attic
We had the ghost of a polygamist’s wife in a southern Utah 1893 Edwardian home I was restoring. My wife called her Linda. We heard lots creaking stairs and rustling boxes, but she never did a single load of laundry or lifted a finger to help. Annoying.
I have a nice scrub brush and a wonderful old paint brush for sale.
I don’t understand why you people aren’t taking this seriously. I personally have struggle for long years dealing with our sock ghost.
Brings a new meaning to spirit varnish…
a few years ago I did some work in an old lighthouse that’s now a museum. The ghost of the first keeper was said to still be around and had a fondness for cigars. If cigars were left out, they’d disappear or be moved. While not superstitious, I did bring a cheap cigar as an offering since my job requires me to go into every nook and cranny of a building and it seemed like the respectful thing to do in his house.
There were two attic sections. The first one was a filthy mess that had hosted a large mouse colony for so long that just the act of putting my head through the hatch was enough to burn my mucous membranes with ammonia. The second was spotless, not even a cobweb. It also smelled heavily of cigar smoke. I had my partner go up to double check. He confirmed, and he’d just gotten back from sharing a job trailer with a heavy cigar smoker for the last three months.
Now, maybe it was a set up, but access required opening a ceiling hatch and using a ladder until you hoisted yourself up. There was no floor, so being up there required joist walking. The museum director was an older, rotund lady that didn’t smoke cigars. I’m both open-minded and skeptical but that was pretty weird.
better call “ghost-Brusters”
I have a set of three brushes that are over 25 years old. Back when the Sears Weatherbeater brush had a 20 year warranty.
Oh, I would totally cross streams on a ghost that dared to take my paint brushes!
I’m half tempted to send a box of dollar store brushes to your address, c/o The Brush Ghost.
Got any new old stock Purdys?
Sadly, no. I’m sure someone somewhere is still making a quality affordable paint brush.
nope, but there is a brush in the USA on sale at $ 110 – see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fcldzy6KP8&t=531s
I suspect you have something that needs those fibers for a nest
Who you gonna call?
Ghost Brush-sters!
Marvelous story!
Wood rat?
Time to burn some sage.
Any cherished item would normally contain a lot of energy and attention of the owner this could potentially attract entities to the object, these entities may just be mischievous, attempts to contacting you or attempting to intimidate you… provided there isn’t a logical solution of course… but if there isn’t I would recommend burning some white sage or rosemary, getting a singing bowl or bell, sometimes just confidently and regularly demanding it to leave can work and also certain gems like Smoky Quartz and Black Tourmaline can aid with protection against these entities.