Boerne Library Is a Favorite Haunt
boerne public library, culture, haunted,
Book it: Boerne Public Library is haunted.
At least, that’s what local legend says. Many feel the presence of a ghost when they enter the North Main Street building, and witnesses have sworn that they’ve seen lights in the building going on and off when occasionally driving by the library late at night.
A man named Joseph Dienger is reported to be haunting the building, because he owned it in the late 1800s when it was a grocery store – with the Dienger family’s quarters situated upstairs. Dienger was known to be a heavy drinker and always acted up when there was alcohol served, so many believers think it is Dienger himself who makes noises in the library at various times.
However, some folks aren’t convinced that the phantom is Dienger. Instead, they maintain that the voices and sounds are from a woman – probably his wife. They suggest she laments his drinking and that the building was also once a full-fledged saloon.
The building has had other uses throughout its long existence, and the Boerne Public Library occupied the facility in 1991. The long-standing structure is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
As for verifying the ghosts, a group called Everyday Paranormal came to the library a few years ago to test and see if there were any paranormal activities in the building.
Officials did indeed find evidence of a man’s voice as well as haunting banjo music, and the group awarded the building with an official Certificate of Everyday Paranormal Activity.
Besides the ghosts, there are also rumors of underground tunnels connecting the library to Ye Kendall Inn in Boerne. The inn is also on the National Register of Historic Places and has become legendary for supernatural activity. Guests at the inn have reported seeing doors occasionally swing open and slam shut – with no humans in the vicinity.
Story by Kevin Litwin
