This post is about This Old House – And The Crazy Story Behind It. Kieran and I bought a 1938 style Tudor home in the Spring of 2016. Soon after Kieran and I moved in, we began to meet people around the neighborhood. Anytime we’d tell someone we lived across the street from the bar, they would respond, oh that’s Frank’s old house.
The more we heard about Frank, the more intrigued we became by him and his story. Especially when one of our neighbors said, I’m the one who found him. I’m sorry but I’m the one who found him means ONE thing. Something happened to Frank in our house.
Most neighbors talked about Frank like he was a neighborhood legend. Frank was a dirty minded old man who loved to drink. Our neighbors often spotted him passed out in the front yard or milling about the neighborhood with his rob on. I thought, holy fuck, this guy is my kindred spirit! Everyone we met had a story about Frank yet we still didn’t know what happened to him.
One night we ran into a neighbor and sure enough, he had stories about Frank. He told us Frank was like a father figure to him, and Frank died exactly how he wanted to die. OMG, I thought, Frank, offed himself in our house!! Our neighbor took a call on his cell phone before we could ask him to elaborate. We had to find out what happened to Frank.
Kieran began to pour over old work permits for the house that he found online. It didn’t take long to find out Frank was Frank Rhodes. Kieran’s extensive research revealed Frank had a daughter named Kim Rhodes. We Googled her name and found actress Kim Rhodes, who plays Jodi Mills on the show Supernatural. We discovered Frank was Kim’s father. The plot thickens…
Years ago Kim wrote a blog called Rhodeside Attractions, which is still viewable online. She wrote about her life and her complicated relationship with her father. Glued to our seats, we clicked through post after post thirsty for information. And then we found it. On June 8, 2012, Kim wrote a blog post titled Heil Tweaker. And the craziness begins…
Frank was in emotional and physical pain. Unfortunately, before his death, Frank was taken advantage of by a suspected meth addict who moved in with him, posing as his caretaker. She drained Frank’s bank account and allowed other meth heads to crash upstairs. Frank’s physical condition prevented him from using the stairs, so he was clueless! They found 8 mattresses scattered upstairs in various states of disarray. A few times, the police called Kim saying they found Frank’s car at a felony and located one of his guns inside the trunk of a car owned by a gang member. Additionally, the addicts often fell asleep while cooking and almost burnt the house down! Somehow, someway, Frank found the strength to kick everyone out and change the locks. Note, I gave you the short version so follow the link above if you’re interested in the full story.
Coincidentally, several weeks after Kieran and I moved in, a woman let herself into our backyard. Kieran went outside thinking she was a neighbor who wanted to introduce herself. As Kim worded it, this woman had a remarkable physical and energetic resemblance to a methamphetamine user. I stood next to the window listening to their conversation. The woman, talking a mile a minute, kept asking Kieran who previously owned the house. It was at that moment I stepped outside to get involved. Holy shit, my presence set the woman off. I demanded to know who she was and why she helped herself to our backyard. She finally relented and left our yard after I threatened to call the cops. I wonder if she’s the same woman who took advantage of Frank.
Finally, Kim ended her post saying she supported her father’s decision to take his own life. She encouraged Frank to not attempt suicide while drunk because if he failed, it would leave him in worse pain. Evidently Frank followed her advice. Shortly thereafter Kim received a call from Frank’s neighbor saying he shot himself – the neighbor who told us she found him.
After we found out what happened to Frank, we contacted Jennifer, the woman who owned this house before us. She bought the house after Frank’s death. We asked Jennifer if she knew about Frank and she immediately chimed in with her own stories about him. Kim was very involved in the sale of the house because she was next of kin. Then Jennifer asked me a question that sent chills down my spine. She asked if Kieran or I had felt anything weird in the house yet. The answer is yes.
Kieran and I have both seen things out of the corners of our eye. I swear I felt someone tap the back of my head when I was home alone one night. Another time I was upstairs and I heard a loud knock on the wall – Kieran and Homie were chilling downstairs so it couldn’t have been them. Once I felt something brush against my leg, the cat and dog were nowhere near me. Jennifer told us while she lived in the house, her young daughter sat at the kitchen table looking more tired than usual. Jennifer asked why she didn’t sleep well. Are you ready for this? Her daughter said an old man was in her room and kept waking her up. Her daughter knew nothing about Frank. HOW FUCKING CREEPY IS THAT. Soooo, there’s a chance Frank is haunting our house.
Kieran and I often talk to Frank as we walk around our cute house, telling him we’re cool and want to do right by him. Anytime anything weird happens we throw up our fists and say, FRAAAAAANK, be cool buddy! We hope Frank likes us and he’s cool too. Real talk – I’m going to lose my shit if an old man wakes me up in the middle of the night! Fuck that noise!!!
Anyway, many old houses have stories behind them, some good, some bad, and some outright crazy. I hope you enjoyed reading about This Old House – And The Crazy Story Behind It.
Thanks for stopping by,
Christina
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