By now, you're probably aware that Oregon has no shortage of haunted places. Perhaps one of the scariest of them all is the Flavel House in Astoria. Over the years, this mysterious mansion has played host to a number of eerie residents, both human and spectral. From hoarders to hatchets, this house has seen it all, and that's why it's known today as the most haunted house in Oregon. Let's go on a little ghost hunt, shall we?
Our story begins back in 1901 when this iconic home was first constructed for Captain George Conrad Flavel.
At one point in time, the Flavel family was one of the most prominent families in Astoria due to their charity work and contributions to the community.
Things took a turn for the worse after the captain’s son, Harry M. Flavel, and his family inherited the house from his father. Neighbors in the area considered Harry's son (Harry Sherman) to be a bit unbalanced.
In 1947, when Harry Sherman was 20 years old, neighbors reported hearing screams coming from the Flavel house. Fearing the possibility of danger, the neighbor burst into the house, where he found Harry's mother Florence screaming from inside a locked room. Harry, armed with a hatchet, attacked the neighbor and cut his arm. This event earned him the nickname "Hatchet Harry."
At the trial, Florence insisted she had been in no danger and claimed that the neighbor was drunk. Harry stated that he had merely been acting in self-defense when he attacked the neighbor. The charges against Harry would eventually be dropped.
This would not be the only incident involving Harry, however. In 1983, Harry was walking one of his dogs around the neighborhood when a car belonging to 22-year-old Alec Josephson sped past. Harry hit the car with the dog's chain as it went by.
Furious, the owner of the car chased Harry down on foot. Harry retaliated by violently stabbing him. Once again, Harry was charged with assault. This time, he ended up being sentenced to probation. After he lost, the family packed up and moved out of Astoria, abandoning their mansion in 1990.
Many people in the community claim that the decaying house, which sat abandoned for so long, was actually haunted.
For decades, the derelict house remained empty. It eventually fell into such a state of disrepair that the county was able to go in and do some minor work on the property.
Once inside the home, it was discovered that the Flavel family had been hoarding items for the past 100 years. Garbage and clutter were everywhere.
In 2015, after decades of being abandoned, Greg Newenhof bought the Flavel house and began the restoration process.
Today, the Flavel House once again stands proudly in Portland -- but that doesn't mean the ghost stories have gone away! Visit, and see what you think...
Have you visited the most haunted house in Oregon before? If so, we'd love to hear about your ghost hunting adventures! For more historic Oregon homes, check out our previous article: You'll Want To Visit These 13 Houses In Oregon For Their Incredible Pasts. Some of them are haunted; all of them are worth a visit!
Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest updates and news
Thank you for subscribing!