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Heavily Investigated

The basement well is where it all starts — a damp, dark pit that locals have long called a portal to hell. Down there, people say the air goes cold without warning, and something in the dark has been known to grab, shove, and hiss "get out" at those who linger. Johanna, a lovelorn spirit said to haunt the honky-tonk with the scent of roses, is reportedly the gentler presence — her caretaker once claimed she spoke to him daily, until the conversations turned violent. The building was demolished in 2024, but those who spent nights inside swear whatever lived there had no intention of leaving with the wrecking crew.

The site at 44 Licking Pike traces to an 1850s slaughterhouse and meatpacking plant — perfectly mundane, as far as the county record is concerned. The building later cycled through owners and names before country singer Bobby Mackey bought it in 1978 and turned it into a honky-tonk. The lore connecting it to the 1896 murder of Pearl Bryan — whose headless body was found in Campbell County — has never been substantiated by property records, court files, or newspapers. No documented link between the site and Pearl Bryan exists. The building was demolished December 10, 2024; a new facility is planned for the same lot by 2026.