Letter
This time of year, tricks and treats abound. Haunted houses pop up, monster movies play on television, it’s hard to go shopping without running into a barrage of Halloween costumes and candy, and seemingly every time you turn around, you are running into something pumpkin spice. With so much history ingrained in the Mon Valley, we felt it made sense to look on the darker side of the past for this issue.
Our cover story on page 12 is by Brad Hundt, who spoke to Chris Pirt, owner of the Demon House on Coyle Curtain Road in Carroll Township. It’s both a real and campy haunted house. Legend has it that a number of graves were uncovered during the stone home’s construction in the late 1800s, and that set the tone for the macabre events to come. Pirt himself doesn’t go upstairs alone at night, and when it is open to the public as a house of horrors attraction, visitors must contend with not only costumed actors, but, if they’re (un)lucky, real spirits.
Over in Monongahela, Ghostwalks for the Monongahela Area Historical Society bring a variety of people to the town around this time of year. If you take the walking tour in October, you’ll be treated to a dose of local history, as well as sinister stories of the past. Spirits reportedly have been caught on camera, and folks have even run out of some locations. Regardless, it’s all for a good cause – events like this one, and the Captain’s Last Descent Murder Mystery Dinner, keep the doors to the organization open. You can read my story and find out how to make reservations for the tours on page 16.
And, if a good ghost story makes you hungry, turn to page 20 for the lowdown on the new V & V Scratch Kitchen in Finleyville. Staff writer Barb Miller spoke with owner Martin Lamarche about his background, his menu that incorporates fresh and local ingredients and their amazing dessert menu.
Personally, I’ve always reveled in this time of year, and all of the spooks that come with it. I read Stephen King’s “It” in fifth grade, and starting watching horror movies way earlier than I should have. As the years have gone on, it’s become more difficult to scare me. But, that makes this time of year and stories like the ones in this issue even more exciting.
Happy Halloween,