Barnesville Native’s New Book Explores Dark History of Church Street House
Barnesville native Guy McCort released his second book, The Darkness on Church Street 2: The Haunting of Billy Gibbs, in September.
The story explores the haunted history of a house on West Church Street in Barnesville, where McCort himself lives, featuring a man named Billy Gibbs, known as “Billy the Ax Man,” who is also believed to have lived in the house. McCort suggests Gibbs’ real name was William H. Perkins and that he may have been a serial killer. His findings include the discovery of a letter linking Perkins to a railroad company, as well as other research that connects Gibbs to unsolved murders.
McCort emphasizes there is no way to prove his claims.
His first book, The Darkness on Church Street: True Story of a Haunting in Ohio, released in 2014, documented his childhood growing up in the house and the tragedies that took place within it. After several family deaths, McCort began researching the home’s history and discovered other families who lived there also faced unexplained tragedies.
During renovations, he uncovered a 1909 letter from the Northwestern Railroad Company addressed to W.H. Gibbs, who lived in the home at the time. As he researched Gibbs, McCort found records of a Bill Gibbs from Missouri who was wanted for questioning in the ax murder of a family. McCort knew that Perkins owned a property in Barnesville at that time.
Between 1909 and 1911, about 30 families across the Midwest were murdered by an ax killer believed to travel by railroad. McCort believes Gibbs never got caught because he was living under his real name, William H. Perkins.
After his first book was released, a descendant of Perkins, who McCort later connected to the name Billy Gibbs, reached out to share a family secret. His great grandfather, W. H. Perkins would send a postcard home from every place he was in. After Perkins died, his family began researching and discovered that each postcard coincided with a murder on that date.
McCort believes the book will interest Barnesville readers because of his family ties, the town’s hidden history, and the possibility of a serial killer connected to the house.”
Readers may find this book on Amazon. McCort plans to open the house for tours and paranormal investigations in the future.
“Barnesville has a hidden history that a lot of people have no idea about,” McCort said, “and there is a history of Church Street.”
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