A century-old downtown Chillicothe pub with a resident named Harold
19 East Main Street, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Research updated June 2026
Age
21+ after 9 PM
Cost
$$
Standard pub menu and bar pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Ground-floor downtown storefront with paved sidewalks.
Equipment
Photos OK
Downtown Chillicothe · Ross County
The Crosskeys Tavern operates from a building well over a century old at 19 East Main Street, in the heart of Chillicothe, Ohio's first state capital and a city whose downtown core retains substantial 19th- and early-20th-century commercial architecture. Earlier tenants of the building included the Chillicothe Baking Co., the Wissler Electric Co., and Stones Grill Restaurant. The current Irish-style tavern opened in the early 1970s.
Downtown Chillicothe is associated with a documented system of underground tunnels and basements connecting older commercial structures, used historically for storage and utility access. Local researchers have linked Crosskeys's basement to that network, and the tunnels appear in several of the legends attached to the building.
The tavern operates as a working bar and live music venue six nights a week, closing only on Sundays.
Sources
The name Harold predates the more elaborate stories. According to local accounts, an early owner's friend was sitting at the bar when a door opened on its own and a light kept going out. The friend, a man named Bill, called out, 'Harold! You cut that out!' When asked why Harold, he shrugged and said it seemed like a good idea at the time. The name stuck, and Harold became the standing reference for whoever or whatever continued to behave that way.
The activity reported by staff and customers tends toward the small and mischievous. Glasses come off the rack and shatter on the bar without anyone touching the rack. Light switches cycle on and off. In the basement, employees have described footsteps when they are alone, and whispered voices that resolve into nothing identifiable.
Two origin stories circulate. In one, Harold is a man murdered in the alley behind the building in the early 20th century, possibly connected to the underground tunnels beneath downtown Chillicothe. In the other, he is identified as Tom, the former owner of Club 19, who was reportedly a heavy gambler killed in the back alley over a bet gone wrong. Neither account has been verified through court records or named contemporaneous sources, and both belong to the folklore category rather than the documented one.
Notable Entities
Drink at the Irish-style downtown tavern where, according to staff, a spirit named Harold turns lights on and off, breaks glasses behind the bar, and produces footsteps and whispers in the basement. The current building dates to over a century ago and has housed a baking company, an electric company, and a grill restaurant in earlier eras.
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