Site of H.H. Holmes' Murder Castle Now Home to Englewood Post Office
The bustling neighborhood of Englewood is home to a significant piece of macabre history. At the corner of 63rd and Wallace streets, a United States Postal Service building now stands where H.H. Holmes, one of America’s first serial killers, built his infamous “Murder Castle” in the late 19th century.
Holmes, born Herman Webster Mudgett, constructed a three-story building that housed shops and apartments — with a sinister twist. His labyrinthine design included secret passageways, soundproof rooms, and a basement fitted for grisly purposes. During the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Holmes lured unsuspecting victims, mostly young women, under the guise of offering lodging or employment.
Though Holmes was eventually captured and executed in 1896, the true number of his victims remains unknown. After the trial, his castle was set ablaze in a suspicious fire and later demolished. The site remained empty until the construction of the Englewood post office in the 1930s.
Today, little physical evidence remains of Holmes’ horrors. The post office, still in use, has become a point of curiosity for tourists and true crime enthusiasts alike, though no formal marker commemorates its grim past.
Holmes’ legacy has continued to captivate popular culture, including the best-selling book The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, and upcoming adaptations that revisit the dark tale of murder during Chicago’s historic fair.
For more Stories From The 78, follow @tombarnas78 on Instagram and @storiesfromthe78 on TikTok.