Est. 1884 · Built by son of Kent city founder Marvin Kent · 20-room Victorian mansion reflecting late 19th-century prosperity · Converted to Masonic lodge in 1923 · Site of 1886 fatal kerosene fire death of Kittie North Kent
Marvin Kent founded the city that bears his name in the mid-19th century, and his son Franklin T. Marvin Kent undertook construction of the family's primary residence between 1880 and 1884. The resulting 20-room Victorian mansion on West Main Street reflected the prosperity of the Kent family at the height of their regional influence. The house featured a large third-floor ballroom used for social functions, formal parlors, and extensive grounds.
In 1886, Kittie North Kent—wife of Marvin Kent's son—died in the mansion after a kerosene heater exploded in the third-floor ballroom. The fire caused burns that proved fatal, and Kittie North Kent's death was recorded in county records of the period. The incident was documented in historical accounts of the Kent family, including those referenced in the regional paranormal press.
The Kent Masons acquired the property in 1923 and have operated a Masonic lodge in the building since that time. Lodge records and local historical sources confirm the transition from residential to fraternal use. The building has remained on West Main Street through more than a century of change in downtown Kent, including the dramatic changes brought by Kent State University's growth and the events of May 4, 1970. A second alleged spirit at the location is attributed to Nellie Dingley, described in local accounts as a WWI-era nurse and one of Kent's first librarians.
Sources
- http://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2015/10/kents-haunted-masonic-lodge.html
- https://supernaturalohio.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/the-kent-masonic-temple/
- https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-places/kent-masonic-temple/
Full-body apparition in white dressUnexplained footstepsCold spotsShadow figuresSecond apparition attributed to Nellie Dingley
Reports of Kittie North Kent's apparition have persisted in the building since the years following her 1886 death. Witnesses describe a woman in a white dress—consistent with late-Victorian formal wear—observed in the ballroom, on the staircase, and in the main hallway. The figure is reported as solid-looking before it fades, rather than the diffuse impression associated with some apparition accounts. The third-floor ballroom, where the kerosene heater exploded, is cited most frequently as the point of initial sighting.
The second figure documented at the Kent Masonic Temple is attributed to Nellie Dingley, identified in local historical accounts as a nurse during World War I and one of Kent's earliest librarians. Dingley's reported presence is described differently from Kittie's—less visually distinct, more frequently noted as an environmental impression or unexplained sound in the administrative sections of the building. Paranormal investigators from Supernatural Ohio conducted sessions in the building and documented both claimed spirits in their public write-up.
US Ghost Adventures lists the temple as a featured stop on its Kent ghost tour, citing the same two identities. The building's Masonic occupants have not publicly commented on the reported activity.
Notable Entities
Kittie North KentNellie Dingley
