zoar

Village of Zoar

The Village of Zoar, located in Ohio, was settled in
October 1817 by a group of German Separatists. With a
loan from the Quakers, the Zoarites purchased this land
along the Tuscarawas River. The Zoarites were rather
strict Christians who believed in a communal society where
everyone shared what they had and money was not
needed. Their spiritual and worldly leader was Joseph
Baumeler (Bimeler). Many of the original buildings still
exist today, including Bimelers house, the Inn and Tavern,
the Zoar Hotel, the store, the meeting house, and the
greenhouse in the Zoar Garden.

Some of the unverified accounts of paranormal activity in
this Village include the ghost of a man dressed as a janitor
showing up seated at a table in one of the houses, a
female body with a goat's head showing up in a deserted
area outside of Zoar, and the ghost of a young woman
covered in blood showing up standing in the middle of the
road outside Zoar. There has also been a ghost of a man
dressed in a military uniform observed hitchhiking along a
dark road outside Zoar, and a partially decomposed
human body has been spotted looking at people in a Zoar
home through an air vent.

When we heard the place we had to make the trip to get
all the information we could about the area. Two
investigators and two guests made the trip for the
preliminary investigation, scouting for possible future sites
of interest. We found that Zoar means "sanctuary from
evil" and that there are currently at least two operating
"haunted" bed and breakfasts in the village. Zoar became
the most successful communal settlement in the country,
and continued to prosper and grow until 1898, when the
communal society came to an end. The Boys Dorm is
considered to be one of the most haunted places in Zoar.

We found this preliminary visit to be worthwhile. There are
a number of buildings and areas we would love to further
investigate. Keep checking back for updates.

Zoar historical Marker