1902 industrialist mansion on the USF campus where the ghost of John Henry Bass allegedly throws books at visitors
2701 Spring St, Fort Wayne, IN 46808
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Campus grounds are publicly accessible; no admission fee
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved campus paths; historic building with stairs
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1902 · National Register of Historic Places · Fort Wayne Industrial Heritage · Late-Victorian Residential Architecture
John Henry Bass built Brookside in 1902 at a time when Fort Wayne's industrial economy was producing considerable private wealth. Bass had made his fortune in brass and bronze manufacturing, and the Shingle-style mansion reflected the prosperity of the era. The property stood as a private family residence until 1944, when the Bass family's tenure ended and the estate began its transition to institutional use.
The University of Saint Francis eventually acquired Brookside, incorporating it into its Spring Street campus. The mansion's architectural significance earned it a listing on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its place in Fort Wayne's late-Victorian residential heritage.
The building now serves university functions while retaining much of its original character. The library, in particular, is associated in local legend with John Henry Bass himself, whose ghost is said to remain among the stacks he once presided over in life.
Sources
The ghost story attached to Brookside centers on John Henry Bass himself — not a servant or forgotten resident, but the mansion's original owner. According to the legend, Bass never really left the property, and his presence is most strongly felt in the library.
The animating detail of the legend is specific: Bass allegedly throws books at visitors who come looking for them. The act has a territorial quality, as if Bass remains possessive of the collection. Regional paranormal sources documenting haunted Indiana sites have repeated this account across multiple write-ups, giving it some circulation in the northern Indiana ghost tradition.
The building's continued use as a university facility adds an element of ongoing friction to the legend — students and faculty regularly occupy a space the ghost is said to consider his own.
Notable Entities
The Bass Mansion sits on the University of Saint Francis campus and can be viewed from campus grounds. The exterior of the 1902 Shingle-style mansion is accessible to campus visitors. Interior access is subject to university functions.
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