Food, Spirits and More Spirits

PHOTO: Clay Haus, a German restaurant, located in the small town of Somerset, Ohio.

FOOD AND SPIRITS

Supernatural stories are on the Clay Haus menu

STORY BYMICKEY FATH // PHOTO BYALIE SKOWRONSKI

It’s impossible to ignore the creaks and cracks of the Clay Haus wooden floors as owner Scott Snider and his employees hustle to prepare for the lunchtime rush. The sounds allude to the brick restaurant’s age, but also to the rich history of Somerset that lies inside.

Named after Snider’s grandfather, Irwin Clay Priest, the Clay Haus has served guests classic German dishes such as pan-fried chicken liver with apples and onions, and charbroiled bratwurst served with sauerkraut since opening in 1979. Snider, his five siblings and his father renovated the building and Snider’s mother, Betty, provided the old German recipes. “I would say we represent stability [in the community],” Snider says. “We’re sorta like the pillar that pulls it all together.”

The three-story restaurant’s interior is brimming with memorabilia from the community: black and white photographs, old posters and antiques — all of which illustrate the Snider family’s local links. “A lot of the pictures and things that I have were brought in from regulars,” Snider says.

But it may be more than just the classic dishes, distilled beverages and ambience that lead customers back for more. Different kinds of spirits — the ones that haunt — are known to lurk around the Clay Haus. Snider reflects on his first few experiences with paranormal activity in the restaurant began decades ago when he would catch glimpses out of the corner of his eye of things moving or hear noises late at night. But the owner is not the only one who has experienced strange happenings in the Clay Haus.

“When I worked here in high school...I used to sweep the floors on Thursdays when we weren’t open,” employee Kirstin Abram says. “In the middle of the day I heard all [of] the chairs moving as though we were slammed, like the whole restaurant was filling up. But, there wasn’t a single soul there.”

After a few more incidents, Snider turned to the professionals. “I’ve had several teams of ghost hunters in here,” Snider says. “I had them go into a room to take pictures and frankly, everything died. The cameras died, nothing worked and that is what they say about spirits, they can suck the energy away.”

Such mystery has cemented the Clay Haus’ haunted reputation and has even led to a feature in the book, Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Haunted Ohio (Kestrel Publication). Yet, contrary to what some might think, Snider says the reports of ghosts and spirits in the Clay Haus often drive people into the restaurant, rather than scare them away.

As for how the experiences impact his life, Snider is at peace. “I’m tied to this place,” he says. “It doesn’t affect me or what I do, but you know, it is now a part of who I am.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION (740) 743-1326 // 123 W Main St, Somerset 43783