Haunted Pittsburgh - Green Man's Intro & Corvette Tunnel

One of my honors projects for my Haunted America course is focused on "haunted" locations here in Pittsburgh. I chose to visit Green Man's Tunnel which is relatively close to places I have become acquainted with over these past few years.

According to Popular Pittsburgh, the legend of Green Man's Tunnel is as follows: 

"The Green Man was a laborer who was either struck by lighting or electrocuted while working on the railroad in the South Park area. Some versions of the legend say he died, and his ghost haunts the area at night. Others say he was horribly disfigured and only comes out at night. Most versions agree that he glows green.

There is a railroad tunnel along Piney Fork Road in South Park Township known to the locals as “Green Man Tunnel." Since legend says Green Man was an electrocuted railroad worker, many believe that his spirit haunts the former train tunnel."

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When I first visited Green Man's Tunnel in March, I did not realize that the tunnel we drove through was not actually the tunnel in the legend. My boyfriend and I drove through a one-lane, two-way tunnel that requires drivers to hold down their horn as they go through in order to avoid a collision with anyone coming in the opposite direction. I took pictures of that tunnel as shown below:

What I found out in follow-up research is that this tunnel also is associated with a local urban legend. The tunnel is known as Corvette Tunnel and according to Popular Pittsburgh,: "A girl was killed drag racing in her Corvette down Piney Fork Road. They say at night you can hear screeching tires and screams. There is also a legend that a man drowned his wife in the creek that runs parallel to the road. It is said that if you walk into the tunnel the ghost of the woman will grab your legs and beg for help."

There is no documentation of either of those incidents. 

It was weird to watch the fluidity of this tunnel, considering the strange placement on the curve in the road and the inability to see who is coming towards you. People stopped and drove through with caution, as though every movement they made had been practiced time and time again. There was no disruption of traffic until we drove up, not quite understanding the way in which this tunnel works.

In fact, as we drove back to my boyfriend's house in Jefferson Hills (which is nearby), we realized that many tunnels in South Park are like this. With an eery one-lane, two-way tunnel that only brings a slight hint of fear and uncertainty to drivers unfamiliar with the culture of these tunnels.

As we drove back, I thought a lot about the construction of these tunnels and how the "locals" might respond to drivers who do not understand the way in which these tunnels work. 

I also began to draw parallels between these tunnels and the way in which our own culture works in terms of "hauntings." The tunnel holds so much unknown in this area; without honking, you would not receive warning of head-on collisions. You cannot know what is coming without someone taking the initiative to make noise. The eerie silence leads you to believe that there is safety, but even then, you must make noise to make yourself known. 

I also took note of the juxtaposition of nature in that area alongside the tunnel. It had snowed that week and it was clear on the bare branches of the surrounding trees. The creek that also goes through the tunnel continued to flow, much like the traffic, through the tunnel.

The tunnel opened my mind to a new portion of Pittsburgh, one in terms of driving culture but the second being in relation to why this tunnel might hold a haunted reputation. There is a certain level of fear associated with tunnels like these, where you do not know what could be coming silently around the bend. You cannot tell until it's already upon you, and if there is a "Green Man" haunting this area.  

However, this legend has been proven not to be true. The Green Man that people believe they see was actually a man known as Raymond Robinson or Charlie No Face.

According to Popular Pittsburgh, he "was severely disfigured at the age of eight years old after being injured by an electrical line on the Morado Bridge outside of Beaver Falls, PA."

"Robinson lived in Koppel with his relatives and spent the day making doormats, wallets, and belts for money. He avoided going out in the day due to his disturbing appearance, but enjoyed walking along Route 351 at night."

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I will make a follow-up post regarding the Green Man's Tunnel which will contain updated photos of the "real" Green Man's Tunnel, which is located on the other side of the hill featured above. It will also contain my brief memoir which will accompany the new photos.