St Killian's

Wisconsin · United States · Cemetery

The church at Lake Geneva burned down, and local story blamed a priest haunting it. The fire brigade burned it themselves, for training, because it was.

St Killian's off Townline Road at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is a graveyard with a church that is no longer there.

The story told for years was that the church burned down because a priest was haunting it.

A correction filed in March 2005 explains what happened. The building was condemned. The Lake Geneva fire department burned it down deliberately, and used the exercise for training, which is standard practice for a structure that has to come down anyway.

We keep the entry because that is a remarkably clean example of how these stories form. A church burns, the burning is unusual, and within a few years the reason has been replaced by something better.

The graveyard is still there and the reports attached to it continue: noises, shadows, footsteps following visitors, and a bell.

FAQ

Where is St Killian's located?

St Killian's is in Wisconsin, United States.