HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
1850 Newport commercial building where workers refuse to enter the second floor due to a child's ghost
511 York Street, Newport, KY 41071
Research updated August 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Ghost tours that include this stop charge separately; building itself is a private business
Access
Wheelchair OK
Exterior viewable from York Street sidewalk; interior is a private commercial printing operation
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1850 · One of Newport's earlier surviving 1850 commercial buildings · Otto Printing continuous occupant since 1918
The building at 511 York Street dates to 1850, placing it among the earlier surviving commercial structures in Newport, Kentucky. Newport developed as a river town in the early 19th century, with York Street serving as a central commercial artery.
Otto Printing has operated out of the building since 1918, a tenure of over a century. The company's longevity at the address has made its employees the primary witnesses to whatever is reported in the building — staff who have worked in the space for years, rather than casual visitors, are the source of the paranormal accounts.
No specific historical incident — fire, accident, death — is documented in available sources as the origin of the building's paranormal reputation. The child ghost lore appears to have developed through employee testimony rather than being attached to a known event.
Sources
The paranormal accounts at Otto Printing come primarily from the building's own employees — people with extended familiarity with the space rather than one-time visitors. A tour guide quoted in a 2023 Spectrum News report described the situation directly: workers 'will literally not go into the second level room because there's a small child there, and occasionally balls will bounce down the stairs.'
A 2014 dedicated article from Creepy Cincinnati documented the phenomenon in more detail: footsteps consistent with a small child crossing the upper floor, an unexplained whistling sound in the same area, and shadow figures observed by multiple workers at separate times. The consistency across independent accounts spanning nearly a decade is one reason the building is included on Newport's ghost tour circuit.
No specific child death on the property has been identified in available sources. The identity of the presence and the origin of the haunting remain undocumented. Tour guides typically present the employee testimony without attribution to a specific event.
Notable Entities
Some links on this page may earn HauntBound a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial picks are independent. Full disclosure
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Free Guide
11 verified stops, rated for families, mapped in order. Free.
One email to confirm, then the guide link. Unsubscribe anytime.
Newport, KY
On March 20, 1897, Scott Jackson and Alonzo Walling were hanged behind the Newport courthouse for the 1896 murder of Pearl Bryan, a 22-year-old woman from Greencastle, Indiana. Both men were convicted of decapitating Bryan; her head was never recovered. The executions were the last public hangings in Newport.
Owensboro, KY
The Daviess County Courthouse grounds carry documented history of racial violence. Historical records confirm lynchings of Black men on trees adjacent to the courthouse between Reconstruction and WWII. On August 14, 1936, Rainey Bethea was publicly executed by hanging at a scaffold erected in a nearby lot — an event that drew an estimated 20,000 spectators and is recorded as the last public execution in United States history.
Pikeville, KY
On February 18, 1890, Ellison 'Cotton Top' Mounts was hanged on Kentucky Avenue in Pikeville before an estimated five to six thousand spectators—the only Hatfield family member executed in connection with the Hatfield-McCoy Feud, despite Kentucky law prohibiting public executions at the time.