Flickr/Annie Chartrand. Aunt Jenny Brooks Johnson, shown above, was a real mountain woman whose sons became outlaws. A massive oak at the junction of the Pea and Choctahatchee rivers is known as the Constitution Oak and is one of the largest in the state. But by far the creepiest spot is the 200+-year-old Bass Cemetery in Irondale. Abandoned Western Railway of Alabama building in Montgomery is shown in the late 1960s. Tales of Huggin' Molly also can be found in Louisiana and Florida, with variations. Furthermore, it is not allowed for any person to excavate . With its troubling past of murder, manslaughter and illegal activity, it isn't that hard to believe either. Hall Hotel dates to 1895 and residents of Gurley hope to restore it. Some people say theyve heard a baby cry or a dog panting or growling while on the property. Because the ground was frozen at the time, she was placed in a coffin in the cellar. 1830s to 1866. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. According to legend, Jenny and her remaining sons set out to get revenge. The home of a former Alabama governor, it is reportedly haunted. More history, more hauntings, and more off-the-bus locations, this 4-hour tour delves into the most ghost-infested people and places in Decatur's history. After a sensational trial in Huntsville in 1884, two years after Jesse had been shot to death, Frank was acquitted of that crime. (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. Trespassing is punishable by law. Folks say that when you stand outside the crypt, you can hear the rocking chair rocking. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The Canabiss House in Huntsville today. For this feature, Ive combined those two loves. Located in Decatur, Alabama, the Ardent Mills Decatur facility is a pneumatic mill and one of the most automated mills in the United States. (Source: Library of Congress/Historic American Buildings Survey). 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. Legend says a girl named Sally hung herself in a stairwell on the third floor of the building. Stories of figures haunting cemeteries, ghostly marching soldiers, and mysterious music playing in empty abandoned buildings are told in every corner of our state. Eerie screams have been heard and ghostly apparitions have been seen haunting the Moncrief cemetery. It is said to be haunted by former patients. When Hood arrived at Decatur on October 26, he found a Federal infantry force of 3,000 to 5,000 men defending an entrenched line that included two forts and 1,600 yards of rifle pits; a much heavier force than Roddey had believed. 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. 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. Here is a look at 21 of the most photographed abandoned sites in Alabama. The bank is defunct but the building is still in use. At the site of Mount Vernon Arsenal, founded in 1828, more than 30 historic buildings are rotting where they stand, including those that housed, at differing times, Geronimo, a Civil War militia,Dr. Walter Reedand African American mental patients when it was the Mount Vernon Asylum for the Colored Insane, later known as Searcy Hospital. Alabamas many historic cemetery sites can be bone-chilling, especially those with an eerie legend associated with it. Currently, there are 14 new listings and 212 homes for sale in Decatur. The site has two city cemeteries as well as a slave cemetery. St. Stephens is located nearly 70 miles north of Mobile and served as the capital of Alabama between the years 1817-1819, until Cahawba became the capital. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Following her death in 1962, people claimed to see a kneeling figure at the grave, according to "Haunted Places: The National Directory." From it's earliest days, the city of Decatur gained a reputation as a place where ghost stories were common -- from tales told by the settlers to haunted houses and hotels. According to the Library of Congress, The brick warehouses had 12 -inch firewalls and fire doors. Local writer and historian Lee Peacock said the 40-mile stretch of Interstate 65 between Evergreen and Greenville is known as "The Haunted Highway." Local Online Auctions in Alabama. Click here to see Robinson Switch Road on Google Maps. It is named for war veteran and politician Joseph Wheeler, as is nearby Wheeler Lake. People claim to see Marys spirit on the bridge, searching for her lost child. Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge 159 Nature & Wildlife Areas By 460LizF Outstanding location to view wintering Sandhill Cranes. Prairie Bluff disappeared from maps around 1900. Some say the noises come from the ghosts of the original owners. The hole disappeared in the past couple of years when the area was flooded but people continue to visit. According to legend, people have heard the sounds of muffled explosions, screams and voices. These, shown in 1935, were demolished but the main house remains. On Feb. 4, a fellow student spilled cleaning fluid onto the open stove and the kitchen caught fire. (Source: Rivers Langley via Wikimedia Commons). Legend says she fought with her boyfriend and decided to walk home. Apparently the entire length of Main Street is haunted by the ghosts of tornado victims. the interior, seen here from the doorway, is closed to the public because it is unsafe. 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. Abandoned Storage Unit Auctions. Click hereto see more photos. TheMcNab Bank Buildingin Eufaula, formerly Eastern Bank of Alabama. It is now an event venue. People claim that her ghost still haunts her Bankhead Forest property, angry at anyone who trespasses. Many spooky tales surround Bear Creek Swamp. Take I-65 to Decatur, Exit 334. It is said that in one of the crypts stands an antique rocking chair, a favorite possession of a lady who was buried in her family crypt. Decatur's sordid reputation also added to the ghostly stories of the city through incidents of murder and death. The hotel closed in the 1970s. It was used during the Civil War as a hospital. Are the former owners of this home-turned-library angry at the intrusion into their afterlives or just trying to say hello? This is not just a collection of ghost stories, but a true history of how the city became so haunted -- which means we also include local sites of death, unsolved murders, strange crimes, gambling parlors, vice districts and more plagued the city in days gone by. When the Gold Rush began in California, residents headed west. 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. It is located on a street bordering Montgomery's quaint Cottage Hill district, which is filled with refurbished cottages. Residents hear screaming and footsteps and other ghostly sounds. The house has been restored and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Updated at 1 p.m. after the owner of the home previously mentioned said the details were incorrect and there are no legends surrounding his home. (Picture: The Boyaux fortification at the Blakeley battleground). Alabama's 12 Most Haunted Places 1. . The third floor of this historic courthouse formerly housed a row of cells, dating back to the early twentieth century. The Victoria Inn was built ca. Others have reported seeing large, panther-like cats cross the highway in this area.". Before the settlement of the original St. Stephens was abandoned, it sat atop a limestone bluff overlooking the Tombigbee River. The cotton press in the Dallas Compress Co. in Selma. Others claim to have seen the apparition of a man in a top hat in the parlor. During the Civil War it was occupied by both Confederate and Union troops at different times. The reason there are all these caves . Our "history tour with ghosts" reveals not only the highlights of the city's history, but also reveals the history "that no one wants you to know" -- from crime scenes, to scandals, unsolved murders, and more. The courthouse burned in 1866 and was rebuilt. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. In the 1930s, this beautiful 1842 home known as the Bethea-Strother House, located on Alabama Highway 28 in Camden, was abandoned and deteriorating. Flatwoods was a settlement of freed slaves during Reconstruction but it was later burned. This was the exact same year Alabama was admitted to the Union as a state. (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. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, USA. It was restored but is once again in need of repairs. A local storyteller dressed in period clothing leads the one-mile tour of haunted hotels, infamous murder sites, cemeteries, and more. This research was done using searches of a variety of sites about local haunts. Tales extend to the adjoining cemetery and even the churchs outhouse. 15. It is now a concert venue. CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY! While visiting the house, a relative, Sally Carter, died of a short illness at the mansion in 1837. The historic rock building is said to be haunted by two ghosts: one of an older man whose spirit reportedly sets things on fire and slams doors, and one of a little boy whose laughter is heard throughout the theater. Coal towns were abandoned when the coal (or the need for it) ran out. InsideEastern Bank of Alabama in Eufaula. By the end of 1888, the R&D had built 51 miles of track from Rome, GA to Attalla (west of Gadsden), AL. From vacant factories and industrial sites to long-shuttered schoolhouses, our list of the 10 most amazing abandoned places in Alabama has a little bit of everything. Prairie Bluff is a ghost town in Wilcox County, Alabama that first appeared on maps in 1819. Have you visited any before? Japeth Rawls. Fort Crawford was built on a bluff in 1816. 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. 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 baby reportedly drowned and was buried not far from the bridge. Sadly, nature has reclaimed much of Old Cahawba. It was destroyed by Union forces in 1865. The northeast of Alabama is part of the TAG area (the region where Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia meet). NOTE: These homes and buildings are located on private property. (Source: Karen Manasco via FindaGrave.com). People also love vintage photos that show what those past lives were like in Alabama. A baby is said to have died there, either from murder, a car accident, a wagon accident from pioneer days, or variations on the theme. Properly called Jackson Ford Bridge, there are currently plans to demolish the bridge due to vandalism and decay making for a safety hazard. Trespassing is illegal. The once flourishing Eastern Bank of Alabama at 201 Broad Street in Eufaula, was abandoned and in bad shape when this photo was taken in 1935. Jennifer is the Alabama staff writer for Only In Your State and has nearly 15 years of professional writing experience. But in the 1800s, it was a town that grew around the Rock Run Mine and Furnace. Boshells Mill was built in 1902 beside Lost Creek on Alabama Route 124 in Townley, Ala. 10. Love Alabama? In a little-known cemetery deep in the woods of Clarke County are tombstones created by a man who was ahead of his time. The penthouse is still up for sale, he said. According to the Chamber of Commerce website, a scarecrow apparition moves from room to room on this floor. She would squeeze them tightly, then scream in their ears. Copper Center - Tonseno Lodge - A man was killed in the hotel, and now he's haunting it. Legends of hauntings in the home include one about a screaming woman dressed in Victorian clothing. Remember, the majority of homes are occupied, private residences and those that are abandoned are marked "No Trespassing" and are a hazard. The Grace Evans house in Cahaba, the states first capital city, in the 1930s, decades after the town was abandoned due to flooding. For 50 years, the woman brought flowers and kneeled to pray at the foot of his 8-foot obelisk marker. He may flush the toilet as well. NOTE:This site was visited with permission and under supervision of the State Department of Mental Health. This building now houses a geriatric treatment facility but when it was a hospital, employees claimed it was haunted by a ghost named Homer. Homer would roam the halls as a dark shape. The historic Josephine Hotel, built in 1880 in downtown Union Springs, now houses a cafe, art studio and gift shop. William J. Samford Hall in the Auburn University Historic District. A shadow, a moan, a creak lead visitors to wonder if the five crew members who died in a 1944 turret explosion are still on duty, refusing to let even death end their watch. The building has been abandoned since the 1980s. 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. That makes sense, because the fort was in use during the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. This photo shows the Crocheron Columns, the only things remaining from a mansion built in Cahaba in 1843 by Richard Crocheron. Deaths include several from a cholera outbreak in 1900 and one from murder. 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. You are reading "15 Best Things to Do in Decatur, Alabama " Back to Top. The building was constructed in Northport on what was once called Cherokee Plantation, owned by Robert Jemison. According to legend, a female student was killed while she was trying to sneak out after curfew. If you go, drive by only. He was buried in Bladon Springs Cemetery alongside the graves of his three children who died before the age of six, including Bertha Jaquetta, Mabel Clare, and James Alfred. Click herefor more photos. Before that period, the canyon was used as a holding pen for Indians who were removed from their land. This home dates back to 1909 and is registered by the local historical society. In other cases, the buildings are lost to history. The rare folk-art stones, declared historic sites by the National Park Service, have unfortunately been all but destroyed by vandals. Huggin Mollys restaurant in downtown Abbeville is named for the legend. There were a couple of towns that were flooded during the creation of the Norris Dam in 1936. This abandoned town is reportedly haunted by spirits if former residents. Rock Run is a residential community in Cherokee County where a small pocket of residents live in well-kept homes. 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. Go north on AL-67 approximately 7 miles. The chemical plant was built by the company in 1918 to make wood alcohol from charcoal for World War I. The story was told by author Kathryn Tucker Windham in 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey.. Home Size. 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.. Visitors have claimed to have a feeling of being watched and cold chills even on the hottest days. 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. Although the spot where the Dallas Mill was is now open field, legend has it was once haunted by a man who died while working there. In the 1830s, settlers continued to move into the area to use Arcola as a river landing. It was also once the site of Castle Morgan, used to house prisoners of war during the Civil War. 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. The grounds are maintained and the site is available to rent for photography and events from Dorothy Skipper Rental LLC. An old well house at the Chalkville Training School for Girls. Home Value*. Sometimes its because they bring back memories of places they once loved. Buildings in Downtown Decatur have a long and . However, the legend tied to one of the most haunted sights in Alabama, the Drish House in Tuscaloosa, is absolutely chilling. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Simp McGhee's 16) You Can Search for Gold in Several Public Places Gold mining and treasure hunting locations in Alabama start in Chilton County and continue northeast to the Georgia State line. While visiting the house, a relative, Sally Carter, died of a short illness at the mansion in 1837. As the Drish mansion lore goes, the ghost of Sarah was furious about this and occasionally locals will see the third-story tower lit in flames. 9 Best . Each year, unclaimed or abandoned assets are turned over to Alabama Unclaimed Property by financial institutions and businesses that lose contact with the owners. We only offer a very limited number of these tours each season and it's one not to miss! Apparitions have been seen, and captured on film by paranormal society investigations; orbs have been reported as well. On the third floor, people report doors opening and closing and furniture moving of its own accord. What are the most haunted places in Alabama? The Goode-Hall house in Town Creek, also known as Saunders Hall, was near collapse when this photo was taken in the 1930s. This floor is allegedly haunted by an inmate who hanged himself in one of the cells, where visitors have reported feeling a sad presence. Since it was erected in 1922, the Masonicbuilding has a public library for black residents and home to offices for prominent black doctors and lawyers, as well as the local NAACP. People claim to hear disembodied laughter. HAUNTED HISTORY TOUR: Our longest-running tour is a spirited bus tour that takes guests on a 3-hour excursion to Decatur's most haunted locations. A marker on Court Square North in Carrollton tells of the Pickens County portrait: "A freedman, Henry Wells, was accused of burning the second on November 16, 1876. There are several websites out there that state something to the effect of "Aunt Johnson would hang anyone who trespassed on her property and the rope can still be seen to this day." Click hereto see more photos. Vernon/Searcy Hospital site, shown here in 1935, with photo galleries. The son of former Alabama governor, Robert Patton is said to be one of many ghosts to haunt the Sweetwater Mansion in Florence. 100+ Abandoned Places In Alabama | Explore Alabama 2023 Recent Locations Judge A. E. Singleton House February 27, 2023 | City/Town: Union Springs Judge Singleton House This home located on North Prairie Street in Union Springs, Alabama was built by Judge A. E. Singleton sometime between 1900 and 1903.

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