. On Feb. 4, a fellow student spilled cleaning fluid onto the open stove and the kitchen caught fire. (Historic American Engineering Record/Library of Congress). After a sensational trial in Huntsville in 1884, two years after Jesse had been shot to death, Frank was acquitted of that crime. Folks say that when you stand outside the crypt, you can hear the rocking chair rocking. He may flush the toilet as well. The ghost of a woman who died after being hit by a truck is said to haunt this stretch of road. This abandoned home on Watts Mill Road was built in 1905 by Charles and William Hudson for their brother, John. Many people claim theyve seen a face behind the barred windows of the second floor but the building was empty. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. Listed below are eight creepy Alabama ghost towns worth a visit. However, that doesn't stop the tales from being told and retold. Legends surrounding this church are astounding in number and scope. (Sources: Alabama Department of Youth Services, left; Kelly Kazek, right). Abandoned Western Railway of Alabama shedin Montgomery is shown in the late 1960s. One truck driver said that he struck the bridge after a ghostly horse-drawn carriage crossed the interstate in front of him. A stretch of Highway 5 between Natural Bridge and Jasper is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a teenage girl who was killed while returning from prom. Some say it is haunted by a mother in search of her long-lost child. The buildings flank Alabama Avenue.. The firefighters felt that is simply wasn't worth the risk to aggressively try to stop the fire, and to let the fire burn itself. It was restored but is once again in need of repairs. It produced plating for Civil War-era ironclad vessels, as well as pig iron for munitions and other wartime materials. Don't Edit Vernon Hospital for the Colored Insane. Fort Crawford was built on a bluff in 1816. Winter Place at 454 Goldthwaite Street is one of the most iconic properties in Montgomery and in the state, both because of its Second Empire-style beauty and its history, which includes acting as offices for the Confederate Army and, according to legend, being the place where F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre met, setting off one of the most fiery romances of the Jazz Age. The 1833 Old State Bank of Alabama in Decatur as it was getting a coat of paint in 1934 after it had been abandoned for decades. secret traditions. (Source: Historic Drish House Facebook page), This home was built by Dr. John R. Drish in 1837. Click here to see Robinson Switch Road on Google Maps. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, USA. Kids and adults will enjoy exploring various hands-on exhibits, including a gallery of bees, turtles, alligators and snakes, a recreated Alabama cave, insect galleries, a 15,000-gallon aquarium, and more. Others have claimed to see odd sights while driving the road, from lights darting through the trees to ghostly figures. The oddest sighting is an apparition that appears to be half-wolf and half-man. An abandoned 1913 schoolhouse in rural Cherokee County was photographed in the 1930s. Rock Run is a residential community in Cherokee County where a small pocket of residents live in well-kept homes. The Haunted Decatur Tours are based on the bestselling book by Troy Taylor, HAUNTED DECATUR. Jacksons Military Road passed through the town. Either way, the photos are intriguing. This was the exact same year Alabama was admitted to the Union as a state. If. The tale was repeated in Kathryn Tucker Windham's"13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey." Legends of hauntings in the home include one about a screaming woman dressed in Victorian clothing. The Goode-Hall house in Town Creek, also known as Saunders Hall, was near collapse when this photo was taken in the 1930s. The abandoned Peerless Laundry building at Royal and Conti streets in Mobile. They are evidence of past lives and of the history we are in danger of losing. An elevator that runs by itself. Local residents have reported seeing a strange mist rise up in the area in front of the statue of boxing great Joe Louis, who was born in Chambers County. The remains were removed in 2015. The J.W. The penthouse is still up for sale, he said. Please follow the law and be safe. It was also a very thriving town. Her spirit reportedly haunts McCandless because she had told her audience she would return. Check out the 15 most haunted places in Decatur then learn more by visiting HauntedDecatur.com. Members of Steel City Urbex were allowed into the bank area and the basement that are being developed for a business such as a restaurant or wine cellar, he said. She never harmed them, other than perhaps causing some ringing in their ears. Soon, the family heard the sounds of Evelyn playing the piano down there and decided to send her body to Virginia to be buried in her familys cemetery. The bank is defunct but the building is still in use. Temple B'nai Shalom in Huntsville's Old Town Historic District, in Huntsville. The Jemison Center was built in the 1920s as part of Bryce Hospital, which opened in Tuscaloosa as the Alabama State Hospital for the Insane at the outset of the Civil War. The original portrait of Miss Kirtley hangs in the freshman dorm, Kirtley Hall, but often makes surprise appearances in elevators, closets, and beds! The image turned out to be a silhouette etched into the stone. Gen. John Brahan, a veteran of the War of 1812, began construction on Sweetwater Plantation in the 1830s. The property is still owned by the Department of Mental Health and is trespassing is illegal. Kelly Kazek |kkazek@al.com. In this 1934 photo, renovation work had begun on Spring Villa in Opelika. 4 bedrooms (42 homes) $317,230. In the 1830s, settlers continued to move into the area to use Arcola as a river landing. In 1861, Prairie Bluff was at its height. Home Size. Today, it is a historical landmark and is open for tours. 2. History and Hauntings Tours of Decatur's Spirits, Scandals & Sins, TOURS:The Haunted Decatur Tours run either 3 or 4 hours in length -- depending on the tour - and travel by bus to various locations throughout the city. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! But Decatur's dark origins can be traced back to the earliest days of the city, when the original settlers built over the top of Native American burial grounds that were scattered throughout the downtown area of what would become Decatur. 15. 10. All the locals know it as "Abbie's House," as it was built and lived in by Abbie Smith, who founded the United Methodist church in nearby Warrenton, AL. Inside a seven-story, Renaissance Revival-style building in downtown Birmingham, framed photos of unknown people linger on desks that haven't been used in three decades. Before the settlement of the original St. Stephens was abandoned, it sat atop a limestone bluff overlooking the Tombigbee River. Prairie Bluff is a ghost town in Wilcox County, Alabama that first appeared on maps in 1819. Eerie. Winter Place in Montgomery. Those people still haunt the road. The city was the capital after Huntsville was the temporary capital city in 1819 so a Constitutional Convention could be held to choose the first official capital, which was Cahawba. This building, constructed in 1856, has a rich and interesting history. Hall Hotel dates to 1895 and residents of Gurley hope to restore it. Local legend claims that a woman appears should a visitor kiss the tallest tombstone. The date of the photograph is unknown, but it was probably taken in the late 19th or early 20th century, after the building had been used as a grist mill. It is no longer standing. The Greek Revival and Italianate architecture is covered in stucco, making it one of the most unique homes in the state. The cemetery is said to be haunted by the ghost of Norman Staples, captain of a sternwheel steamer who killed himself with a shotgun in 1913 at the age of 44. In 2015, the church burned in a fire presumed to be caused by arson. Go north on AL-67 approximately 7 miles. See more onSteel City Urbex's Facebook page. Supposedly you can still hear what sounds like the body swaying on the second floor. The baby reportedly drowned and was buried not far from the bridge. The current owners of the Moody Brick claim that the old plantation is definitely not haunted. The site has two city cemeteries as well as a slave cemetery. Before that period, the canyon was used as a holding pen for Indians who were removed from their land. Childrens laughter has been heard by those working on the third floor, and even outside the bathroom down in the restaurant when there have been no children around. Perrins, Alfonso's, Josie's, and Let's Do Lunch are very casual. Abandoned Marshall Space Flight Center power plant test stand in the east test area in Huntsville shown in 1968. The canyon's proximity to the Natchez Trace, which was known as the Devil's Backbone, made it a choice hideout for many outlaws who robbed and murdered travelers along the Trace. The population in 2010 census was 55,683. (Picture: Wheeler Dam Village - 1937). It is said to be haunted by the men and women who died during the raid. She reportedly haunts her old room on the third floor. People who cross the bridge hear the sounds of a babys cries. Parts of the building have been renovated into living space but the penthouse, basement and old bank area remain abandoned and off-limits, awaiting restoration. This slideshow includes photos gathered from state archives and from two federal programs that helped document our history: The Historic American Buildings Survey taken in the 1930s, and the Historic American Engineering Record from the late 1960s. The chain purchased Sears. Farming towns on the eastern plains were often deserted due to rural depopulation. Each tour gets on and off the bus throughout the night at the most haunted places in town and includes indoor locations, where you might just have the chance to meet a deceased Decatur resident face-to-face! This research was done using searches of a variety of sites about local haunts. "Abandoned Alabama: Exploring The Heart of Dixie," by Leland Kent, (Arcadia Publishing), 2021, 96 pages, softcover. Flickr/Annie Chartrand. The hotel's location next to the Shelby Iron Works, built in 1842 for access to a spring on the property, made it a popular weekend destination for the public but it was also used by employees of the Iron Works. (Picture: Prairie Bluff, taken from the Alabama River in 1894), Blakeley, founded in 1813, is a ghost town in Baldwin County, Alabama and was a location of a major fort during the American Civil War. The Forks of Cypress Plantation in Florence was one of the most beautiful antebellum mansions in the state, built by the Jackson family who is buried on the plantation grounds. It is no longer standing. One version of the story claims Molly was the ghost of a woman who had lost an infant who dealt with the tragedy by hugging local children. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Sloss Furnaces (Birmingham, AL) 20 32nd St. N., Birmingham, AL 35222 (205) 254-2025 In the years following the Civil War, Birmingham's Sloss Furnaces became the mecca of pig iron needed for thousands of steel products around the country. While visiting the house, a relative, Sally Carter, died of a short illness at the mansion in 1837. Located at 112 Moulton Street E Decatur, AL 35601; Scares start Friday, October 22, from 7-11 p.m. . This isolated, one-lane bridge in rural Chilton County is said the be haunted by a malevolent spirit that chases people who cross it. Cook Museum. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. It is said that a mysterious fog covers this area day or night, and it surrounds the gravestones. 1890s commissary that served the mining families still stands but the vine-covered building is said the be the site of miners killed at the site. Other entities haunt the main staircase and the basement. Another legend says if an 18-wheeler travels down the road, her spirit can be seen hanging onto the side of the truck so she can look inside and see if it is being driven by the same person who killed her. In the small south Alabama town of Mount Vernon, one of the state's greatest historical treasures is slowly being consumed by kudzu, time and apathy. The northeast of Alabama is part of the TAG area (the region where Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia meet). If you'd like to see the "behind the scenes" drama of Decatur's haunted past, then this is the tour for you! Every community has a ghost tale that everyone has heard, often related to an old or abandoned house, a spooky cemetery or a dark and creepy road. A former slave plantation, it is believed to be haunted by slaves that lived and died here and also possibly by the ghosts of its former owners. At the heart of the Deep South, the state of Alabama offers a wealth of opportunities for urban explorers. Visitors to the inn and restaurant have reported hearing disembodied footsteps and eerie noises throughout the home. Shelby Iron Co. began operations in the 1840s. Late at night, people have reported hearing eerie footsteps echoing on the decks of the War World II-era battleship USS Alabama. Vice districts, gambling parlors and brothels sprang up in the wake of the railroads and the Civil War, bringing bloodshed and violence to the city. Legend says if someone says, We have your baby, she will attack. People claim the churchs pastor went mad one day and murdered his entire family and their spirits haunt the grounds. Penn's and Big Bob's have the greatest longevity and are synonymous with Decatur. Today, Jackson Lake Island is open to the public for camping and fishing. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The legend was recorded by author Kathryn Tucker Windham in 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey.. The historic courthouse is used for events and education art displays. 133 Fourth Avenue NE, Decatur, Alabama 35601, Phone: 256-351-4505. Some have heard footsteps from the second floor and the sound of the piano playing when no one is there. As the river trade continued to increase, the town continued to grow. 1830s to 1866. The training school, shown when it was in use at left, was abandoned after a tornado destroyed several buildings and a new facility was built in 2015. Share your experiences with us in the comments below! 30+ Abandoned Industrial Buildings In Alabama | Abandoned Alabama Archive - Industrial Western Railway of Alabama February 13, 2023 Add comment | City/Town: Montgomery The Montgomery Railroad, later known as the Western Railway of Alabama, was one of the earliest railroads in the South. In other cases, the buildings are lost to history. An abandoned property is usually a property whose original owner is no longer in possession of the home. Mary survived. People also love vintage photos that show what those past lives were like in Alabama. Reportedly haunted by the ghost of a woman who hanged herself back in the day when the Center was a teaching college. Some say the noises come from the ghosts of the original owners. The abandoned Hall Hotel building is among the loveliest - if spooky - structures in the Madison County town of Gurley. You may experience the presence of a Native American ghost named Mary who knocks things over, plays electrical pranks, alters the temperature, and whispers over the drive-through speakers. A curved staircase inside the 1850 Carpenter Gothic-style home called Spring Villa in Opelika. Scare-seekers with an appreciation for history will love this night-time walking tour of Gatlinburg's most "haunted" places. Remnants of the town remain, including the courthouse, shown above, two cemeteries and the grave of an unknown War of 1812 soldier. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. (Source: Karen Manasco via FindaGrave.com). People claim to hear knocking on the floors and walls. Find museums in Decatur, AL, Dead Children's Playground - Maple Hill Cemetery, Off Campus Book Store - University of North Alabama, University of North Alabama - Romeo and Juliet statues, Wesleyan Hall - University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium - University of North Alabama. Read more 0 Flickr/Jon Dickson. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Mt. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. People report hearing maniacal screaming among other reported paranormal activity. The Gaines Ridge Dinner Club is a restaurant inside a ca. Decatur Alabama Population And why? On October 27, Hood arranged his army as it arrived to encircle Decatur. All are on my list of favorites, but they are not listed in order of preference. Get more stories delivered right to your email. the interior, seen here from the doorway, is closed to the public because it is unsafe. Now, it's just old and long abandoned. These, shown in 1935, were demolished but the main house remains. Local lore says that this 1857 mansion built by cotton broker Foster Kirksey is haunted by the spirit of a woman who died on the property. It is now an event venue. When Memorial Mound opened on Dartmouth Avenue in Bessemerin 1993, it was billed as a new method of laying loved ones to rest. Alabama's 12 Most Haunted Places 1. Ive noted those of which I am aware. Some people say they've heard a baby cry or a dog panting or growling while on the. Many spooky tales surround Bear Creek Swamp. It is also home to numerous legends and ghost tales. Reportedly, visitors to the home can still hear the sounds of the piano Some have reported seeing the apparition of a woman walking around the home. 1888 as a private residence. It served as the Jackson County seat from 1821 to 1859. In Huntsville, the Maple Hill Cemetery is also known as the Dead Children's Playground. The woods off Hinds Road are said the be haunted by a witch who sold her soul to the devil. Inside Alabama's abandoned Ruffner Mountain mine, site of 1971 explosion, These abandoned Alabama bridges will make you wonder what's on the other side, Eerie abandoned campus of Alabama's girls reform school, Ghost boats: Abandoned Alabama watercraft, Inside the spooky skeleton of Bryce, Alabama's historic insane hospital, 15 riveting ruins that recount Alabama's past, Crumbling Shelby Hotel gives spooky glimpse into Alabama's resort era. (Source: Library of Congress/Historic American Buildings Survey). The property is for sale. Others may still have residents, but not as many as they once had, making them living ghost towns in Alabama. Some abandoned historic sites may even be classified as a ghost town, depending on the size of the site. Local writer and historian Lee Peacock said the 40-mile stretch of Interstate 65 between Evergreen and Greenville is known as "The Haunted Highway." After the main asylum became known as Bryce Hospitalin 1900, the Jemison Center was often called "Old Bryce Hospital," despite the fact that Bryce was built first. The family reportedly had the image sandblasted from the stone but it soon returned. Mining continued in Arbacoochee until the 1930s, but the town never recovered and became a ghost town by 1990. We can promise that you'll never look at the city of Decatur in the same way again! People are fascinated with abandoned sites. During the Civil War, her husband and oldest son were reportedly murdered by members of the Home Guard because the son refused to join the army. It was a stormy night and her carriage flipped, killing Burns. It is named for a woman who lived in the area in the late 1800s or early 1900s and was thought to be a witch. However, the house was saved and restored and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The chemical plant was built by the company in 1918 to make wood alcohol from charcoal for World War I. Some report that is you park on the bridge, your car will begin to rock. It was torn down in 1952. We have the list of places to check out! For tour information and fees, visit the ghost town's websitehere. If you go, drive by only. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. The grounds are maintained and the site is available to rent for photography and events from Dorothy Skipper Rental LLC. While visiting the house, a relative, Sally Carter, died of a short illness at the mansion in 1837. Cahawba, or Cahaba, was the state capital from 1820-1825 but was eventually abandoned because of flooding from the Alabama and Cahaba rivers. InsideEastern Bank of Alabama in Eufaula when it was abandoned. It was rebuilt and operated until 1923. Japeth Rawls. Some claim to see the orb today. Guests of the inn reported seeing apparitions on the porch and downstairs of a woman in Victorian dress and a little girl. Ashland Place Historic District in Mobile. After Old Main burned in 1887, the Chapel was used for classrooms until Samford Hall was built. Decatur's sordid reputation also added to the ghostly stories of the city through incidents of murder and death. It was designed in the Eastlake style of. Posted: (10 days ago) Decatur, AL: 1802 Central Pkwy SW Decatur, AL 35601-5808 1 520.30 Haywood County, NC: 2147 Asheville Rd Waynesville, NC 28786-3139 1 520.90 Rogers Water Utilities, AR: 601 S 2nd St Rogers, AR 72756-4608 3 521.10 Galax, VA: 111 E Grayson St Galax, VA 24333-2903 View Details Govdeals.com Fitness View More Pikeville was Marion Countys first county seat, serving from 1820-1882. Visitors here may see ghostly children coming out to play. The historic, two-story jail was built in ca. Water faucets that turn on and off. Winter Place is actually a complex with two huge homes; the second is that both homes are in dire need of renovation. It served as the Jackson County seat from 1821 to 1859. That might be a first. Thank you! Crime truly came to Decatur in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroads. His ghost has been sited several times by a lot of people. Currently, there are 14 new listings and 212 homes for sale in Decatur. Across fromSt. Clair's Bait & Tackle, Grocery and Hardware, a tiny catch-all store at the crossroads of Lowndes County Roads 29 and 40, is a narrow, shaded dirt lane that leads to one of Alabama's best-kept secrets. If you stop on the bridge and turn off your lights, the couple will enter your car and leave behind a wet stain on your car seat. According to legend, as Wells peered out of the north window, at a mob gathering below, lightning struck nearby, indelibly etching his image on the pane. Officials have marked the site with an arrow so visitors can spot the face.. It is said to be haunted by the inmates executed there, with the last one in 1949. Before long he was drunk and, in his anger, he dragged his wife to the bridge and hanged her from the railing before jumping to his death. It is privately owned and closed to the public. Allegedly there is a photo that shows a ghost in it. Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge 159 Nature & Wildlife Areas By 460LizF Outstanding location to view wintering Sandhill Cranes. Legend says the apparition of a woman named Nancy, for whom Nancys Mountain is named, haunts a path to the river on Haines Island, shown above. The able-bodied patients at Jemison worked on a hospital farm. The home was featured in the late Katherine Tucker Windham's book 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey., The skeletal facade ofan abandoned jail lurks in the woods in the community of Townley in Walker County, near Carbon Hill. This photo shows a casket on a top shelf that is rusted through the bottom. Sardis is home to a truly creepy rumor claiming that a man with fiery red eyes and the ghostly figure of a Confederate soldier has also been spotted wandering the property of the Adams Grove Presbyterian Church. It had no ballroom, no gold-leafed interior, no orchestra. (Picture: St. Stephens Gravesite), Riverton, located in Colbert County, Alabama, was an old trade town that was destroyed when the Pickwick Landing Dam was built during the 1930s. Another story says when people feel a sudden sense of dread, they will soon see the apparition of a soldier. It is located across fromShelby Iron Works Park, which has been preserved as an educational site. A local storyteller dressed in period clothing leads the one-mile tour of haunted hotels, infamous murder sites, cemeteries, and more. Fort Gaines, a historic fort on Dauphin Island, was established in 1821 and is well known for its role in the Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War.