Haunted Kentucky: The C.C. Cohen Building in Paducah, KY

 

The C.C. Cohen Building in Paducah, KY - Photo from The City of Paducah

The C.C. Cohen Building is one of the most famous and infamous buildings in this Kentucky city. Ike Cohen moved to Paducah with his wife, Anna, in 1884. They constructed the building that bares their name and turned it into their home. While they used the bottom floor to see apparel, they raised their children on the upper floors.

Though the couple had four children, tragedy struck when young Ruben died. Stella, their oldest daughter, was the first to leave Kentucky. After marrying Ben Peine, they returned to his hometown of Houston, Texas where they ran a successful jewelry store. Following Ike's death and their retirement, Stella and Ben moved into the CC Cohen Building. Anna and her daughter Goldie made their home on the second floor and let the couple have the third floor.

A series of sad events hit the family within just a few years. First, Anna passed away in 1958. Ben became sick not long after and succumbed to his illness in 1961 on Christmas Eve. Carl, the only sibling Stella had left, made a living running a liquor store that operated out of the family business. When he tried to fight back against a robber in 1968 around Halloween, the man beat him nearly to death and ran away. Carl would die of his injuries a few days later.

No one would blame Stella for becoming something of a recluse in her later years. She preferred to spend time alone and was rarely seen around town. When others realized they had not seen her in some time, they sent the police for a wellness check. Officers found her dead in the CC Cohen Building on July 16, 1980. While the official cause of death was a heart attack, many who knew her believed she died of a broken heart with malnutrition as a contributing factor. It seems Stella was too sad and lonely to take care of herself or even eat.

Stella is the main ghost found in the CC Cohen Building. Following her husband's death, Stella could no longer keep the family business running, even with help from her sister, Goldie. The two ran one final sale, closed up shop, and moved to the safety of the second floor, which didn't have as many reminders of her departed husband. Perhaps it's the years she spent here both before and after Goldie's death in 1974 that caused Stella to stick around.

For many years, locals knew the building as the CC Cohen Restaurant. Named in honor of the former owners, the bar and restaurant had a classic menu that included potato skins, soups, salads, and sandwiches. Many of its entrees used the Cohen name. It later closed and reopened as Shandies and later Stella's but the ghost never left.

Many people who worked in the restaurant – as well as those just passing by – spotted an older woman standing in one of the second-floor windows and staring down at the street. It's said that electronics often do not work inside the building and those that do will often fail. Workers often closed down the restaurant at night and put things away only to find the chairs no longer stacked or salt and pepper shakers moved across the bar in the morning. When owners tried to use electronic signs, they often found the signs unplugged.

A few employees had negative encounters with Stella, too. One woman put down a pair of scissors when working at night. The scissors suddenly flew across the room just behind her back. No one else was in the restaurant at the time and the scissors moved several feet on their own. She believes it was Stella.

Another employee was in the storage room on the third floor, working alone. She closed the door and started down the steps when something slipped under her foot. The worker just barely managed to catch herself before potentially falling down the stairs.

Some workers also believe they smelled Stella. They often pick up a heavy floral odor, like the perfumes older women wear. Her white dogs may haunt the old restaurant, too. In her later years, Stella surrounded herself with several cats and two white dogs. Guests have asked employees if they allow dogs inside after seeing one roam through the dining room. Other guests saw and felt a white dog brush by them.

The CC Cohen Building is still open to the public and is now home to Stella's. Not only does it bare her name, but the owners even set up Goldie's Events, an event space located on the second floor. Check out their hours of operation and find more info here before your visit. The building is at 202 Broadway in Paducah, KY.