Ghosthunting North Carolina

by Kala Ambrose

  Also located in this area of Charlotte is the aptly named Spirit Square, which has its haunted history centered around the Loonis McGlohon Theatre. A few of the locals were happy to share ghost stories they had heard about the theater.

  Spirit Square was built in 1909 as the site of the First Baptist Church. In 1970, the church moved to a new building and the city created a community center here focusing on the arts and community theater, renaming the area Spirit Square. The original Baptist Church sanctuary is now the home of the McGlohon Theatre, named after the legendary Charlotte jazz pianist and composer Loonis McGlohon.

  The legends and lore state that workers frequently report hearing a young girl singing in the theatre when it is empty and they are inside cleaning and making repairs. It would be easy to discount this as someone practicing in a different part of the theater, but when the workers investigate, they find the place to be empty. The songs as well are not from the current performances but are old church hymns. It appears that the ghost has been there since the early days when the theater was the Baptist Church, and she is still here today singing in the choir. Employees have also reported that they hear people walking around the empty theater.

  As I continued on my walk, I headed toward my reason for this investigative visit. This time I had traveled to Charlotte to check out another historic site in the Fourth Ward, the Old Settler’s Cemetery. The Old Settler’s Cemetery is so well kept and peaceful that it feels like you’re in a park. You’ll often see people having their lunch in the cemetery, as well as walking their dogs or just hanging out and enjoying the day. The cemetery was the first municipal burying ground in Charlotte and was established in 1776. The cemetery continued to operate until 1867, when it was closed by the city. Several burials were conducted in the cemetery through 1884 with special permission.

  Reportedly, the Old Settler’s Cemetery is the burial ground for some of the most prominent citizens of the city of Charlotte and surrounding Mecklenburg County from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The oldest known grave is of Joel Baldwin, who was buried October 21, 1776. Some of the most notable residents of the city buried in the Old Settler’s Cemetery include Thomas Polk, who founded the town and served as a Revolutionary War officer; U.S. Congressman Greene Washington Caldwell; U.S. Congressman William Davidson; Maj. Gen. George Graham, best known for holding back General Cornwallis’s troops at McIntire’s Farm during the Revolutionary War; and Dr. Nathaniel Alexander, a former governor of North Carolina and a surgeon.

  There are many interesting stories about some of the people buried in the cemetery. The one that I enjoyed most was about Maj. Gen. George Graham. He was part of the Mecklenburg Patriots, who were considered by the British to be some of the most “hostile forces” in the army. In 1780, Graham and 12 other Mecklenburg Patriots fought off more than 400 British soldiers at McIntyre’s Farm. This battle became known as the Battle of the Hornets due to General Cornwallis remarking about the battle, “There’s a rebel behind every bush, it’s a veritable nest of hornets.” This amused Charlotte citizens to no end, and they decided to give Charlotte the nickname “The Hornet’s Nest.”

  There may be even more interesting people buried here, but the cemetery is so old that some of the markers are no longer legible and it’s unclear if there are records of every person who was buried here. I chatted with several people visiting the cemetery, and they shared stories they had heard of ghosts there. Some said that there are unmarked gravesites in the cemetery that hold some restless spirits that need a proper burial. Others reported seeing a war general walking on the grounds during sunset. I loved hanging out in the cemetery. It felt comfortable and even relaxing. Granted, I was there in the daytime, and a nighttime visit might prove to feel quite different, but I was not alone in my assessment of finding the cemetery to be a comfortable place to spend some time, as many local citizens were there with me doing just the same thing. As I enjoyed the day, the sunshine, and the beautiful natural setting among the trees, I chuckled at my thoughts. Basically, in a bustling city like Charlotte, we the living were haunting a cemetery in order to find some peace and quiet. How’s that for an ironic turn of events?

  I didn’t see a ghost during my time there in the cemetery, but I did feel the “spirit” of the place, and I think all the notable people buried there are quite content with being revered and visited by the generations of people who have come over the years. Perhaps they revel in the joy that Charlotte has thrived and grown into the city that she is, and they know that their sacrifices and service helped make her the queen she is today.

  The Sad Preacher in the Chapel of Rest, Lenoir

  Sometime in the early 1920s, the preacher of the Chapel of Rest reportedly caught his wife cheating on him. Overcome with grief, he allegedly committed suicide by slitting his wrists and then hanging himself from the rafters of the church on a Saturday evening. The next morning as parishioners entered the church for Sunday services, they found their preacher hanging from the rafters, his blood spilled all along the floor.

  The legend states that you can still see a bloodstain on the floor. Reportedly, it has been cleaned hundreds of times but never goes away. Witnesses claim that on certain Saturday nights, the ghostly image of the preacher can still be seen hanging from the rafters.

  The chapel is open during daylight hours and is visited often by tourists and paranormal investigators. A cemetery is located behind the chapel, and EVP recordings have been captured in both the church and cemetery. The cemetery is older than the chapel, with gravesites beginning in the 1800s. The original chapel was built in 1887 and burned down completely in 1916. A new chapel was constructed that still stands today. It was acquired by the Chapel of Rest Preservation Society in 1984 and fully restored in 2002 with a breezeway and bathroom added on the property. The chapel is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

  Most people who visit the chapel find it to be peaceful, well kept, and surrounded by a beautiful setting in the valley. Ghostly activity is found there, but most likely due to the suicide it is what is called a “residual haunting,” a time-loop recording of a traumatic or highly stressful event, where the energy is so strong that it creates an imprint in the area.

  The prayers of the parishioners over the years and the people who continue to visit have balanced this imprint by creating a peaceful, positive energy of their making, which appears to override any residual negative energy on the property and in the building. Having said that, I wouldn’t care to spend a Saturday night in the church with the unhappy ghost of the preacher.

  CHAPTER 24

  The Juxtaposition of Asheville, from Healing Resorts and Endless Views to the Mass Murderer of Asheville and the Haunted Gallows Trail

  ASHEVILLE

  Barley’s Tavern in Asheville

  “We enjoy warmth because we have been cold. We appreciate light because we have been in darkness. By the same token, we can experience joy because we have known sadness.”

  —David Weatherford

  THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE has a unique perspective on life; its slogan is “Altitude Affects Attitude.” I can’t argue with this logic, as every time I travel to the Blue Ridge Mountains, I start oohing and aahing as soon as I catch my first glimpse of the mountains. I dare anyone to say they are not touched by the beauty of the area while driving to Asheville through the Pisgah Forest.

  The Cherokee were the first recorded people to live on this land. They called it The Land of the Blue Smoke, giving us the modern names of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains; the “smoke” is a blue haze that hangs over the mountain range.

  Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett both spent time in Asheville, though at the time, it was a quiet place to pass through. Beginning in the 1880s, two events brought a surge of energy to the area. The first was the railroad, which allowed settlers and visitors to arrive comfortably in the city, and the second was Asheville’s growing reputation as a healing place.

  As
heville’s popularity grew with its reputation for fresh mountain air and restorative properties. As a result, George Vanderbilt purchased more than 120,000 acres of land on which to build his famous Biltmore.

  But Asheville has not always been a recuperative, peaceful place. In the late 1700s, the Cherokee people were driven from this land in the infamous Trail of Tears. Asheville was also touched by the Civil War; it served as a gathering place for Confederate troops to regroup, heal, and gather supplies and reinforcements. The local regiment, known as the Buncombe Rifles, carried a flag made from silk dresses donated by the society women of Asheville.

  The city struggled during the Great Depression, having one of the highest debt levels for a city of its size at the time when the stock market crashed. One of the reasons that residents and visitors can enjoy the beautiful architecture in downtown Asheville is that the city made a commitment to pay its debt on buildings rather than allowing them to be foreclosed during the Great Depression. This determination saved many of these buildings that might otherwise have been closed and left to fall into a state of disrepair.

  Most everyone who has visited the Asheville area has also reaped the benefits of a project that began during the Depression in order to stimulate the economy. Created by Franklin Roosevelt, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established, and a road was built connecting North Carolina and Tennessee. We’ve driven this spectacular drive many times through the mountains, arriving on the other side in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. If you have the opportunity to do so, it’s a drive that you and your family will never forget. The views are showstopping, and if you like driving on curving, winding roads, you’ll enjoy the experience.

  Asheville is a place of exploration for the body, mind, and spirit. Cradled by mountains and rivers, the powerful energy radiating from the mountains creates a unique space in which to spend some time. For some, this turns into a lifetime. Just when I think I can’t see anything more striking than the mountains and sky, the city then delights me with a dazzling array of Art Deco–style buildings downtown.

  Asheville has its share of haunted history, a part of that history being a haunted street and taproom near the site of the largest mass murder in the city. The taproom is called Barley’s Tavern and it is located near where the old town gallows once stood. From the early 1900s, people have reported paranormal activity in this part of the city. One sighting is of a man dressed all in black that walks along the street and then, as he attempts to enter through the front door of the tavern, disappears into thin air. Locals believe that he may be the ghost of the former town executioner. Strange screams and moaning sounds are often heard around this area at night. When helpful people passing by the area hear the screams and investigate, they find no one there, only the haunting sound of a scream dissipating into the night.

  Inside Barley’s where the woman ghost has often been seen

  It’s very possible that the man in black and the screams are imprints recorded from previous events. The long history of deaths on the gallows creates an atmosphere of traumatic energy that can be felt and heard by some to this day. Whatever trauma was experienced in this area with the gallows, the energy has only intensified due to the killing of five people viciously gunned down in cold blood on one dark night in the city. I must warn you that this story is the most graphic and violent of all of the ghost stories presented here in this book, so fair warning.

  In 1906, the patrons of the various taverns in this area witnessed the most horrific mass murder ever seen in the city of Asheville. According to the local legend and reports, the murderer was William Harris, a convict who had escaped from a correctional center and arrived in Asheville looking for a woman named Molly whom he called his girlfriend. He found Molly’s sister Pearl in a local café and asked her where he could find Molly. Molly had never liked Will and certainly didn’t think of him as her boyfriend, and she had told Pearl that if he ever came looking for her to tell him that she had moved away. Pearl told Will that Molly had moved away, and he left the café in a bitter mood. While Pearl continued dining with friends, Will Harris went on a dark and angry shopping spree. He reportedly bought a bottle of whiskey, a new suit, and a rifle from a local pawnshop owned by a man named Harry. It’s unclear how Will had the money to purchase these items. Given that he had just escaped from jail, it’s easy to assume he undertook some type of criminal activity along his way to Asheville to have money on him.

  Dressed in his new suit, Will waited near the café and followed Pearl as she made her way back to her home near Eagle Street. After she entered her home, there was a knock on the door and Pearl, thinking it was her boyfriend, opened the door to find Will Harris standing there. He pushed his way inside, showed Pearl the gun, and demanded to know where Molly was. A few moments later, Pearl’s boyfriend opened the front door and, seeing Will sitting there with a gun on Pearl, shut the door and took off running for help. Pearl’s boyfriend returned shortly with two police officers. One of the police officers knocked on the door and announced, “Police!” Harris responded by aiming his rifle and shooting through Pearl’s front door, killing the officer. Harris then kicked through the door and shot the other police officer, wounding him in the arm.

  Furious, Harris headed out into the street on an alcohol- and rage-fueled rampage in the city. Will began shooting at people in the streets of downtown Asheville, and some reports state that he was screaming at the time that he was the devil and at other times shouting that he was from hell and was going back and taking as many people as he could with him.

  Hearing the gunshots and shouting in the street, the legends state that a man named Benjamin stepped out of his shop on Eagle Street to investigate. Benjamin had just enough time to see Harris before Harris took aim and shot Benjamin in the head.

  Harris moved on toward the area that is now known as Biltmore Avenue. A man walking in the area stepped out from the alleyway to cross the street, and without hesitation, Harris shot and killed him on the spot.

  Near the corner of Eagle Street, a group of men stood chatting close to the road. The men saw Harris coming up the street with the rifle, and they took off running, all except for one man named Tom, who thought the group was playing a practical joke on him. Tom stood and faced Harris, and Harris shot Tom, making him victim number four. Harris could not find the other men who had been standing there with Tom; it was later reported that they were hiding under a nearby porch and witnessed the altercation.

  Meanwhile, the wounded police officer gathered reinforcements, including Officer Bailey, who used a wooden telephone pole as cover while shooting at Harris. The officer missed, and Harris shot through the telephone pole. The bullet entered and passed through the mouth of the officer, killing him instantly. The bullet then continued across the street, breaking a window in a store and lodging in the wall of the shop.

  At this point in his rampage, Harris had shot at many people and killed five people and a dog. Harris took off at this point to hide. The town of Asheville was in an uproar, and police and a town posse gathered to search for the gunman. A reward was set for his capture. Reportedly Harry, the pawnshop owner, was so upset that he had sold this rifle to Will Harris that he opened up his pawnshop and loaned guns to the posse to go hunt for Harris.

  Harris was found by the posse two days later hiding under some bushes in the nearby town of Fletcher. The group of men called out for Harris to give himself up, and Harris shot into the crowd. At this point the posse opened fire, and it is reported that Will Harris was shot more than 100 times by the men who found him.

  As horrible as this story is, here’s where the tale becomes even more eerie. The group of men threw his body on a wagon and delivered the corpse of Will Harris to the undertakers in Asheville. As was the custom in many places back at this time, Will Harris’s body was put on display for the public to view. So many people wanted to see the body that it was reportedly moved outside so that the public could easily view the corpse without waiting in long lines. Repor
tedly thousands of people from miles around came to view his corpse. The public display ended when people began to express their rage by walking up and shooting the corpse. At this point, police had to intervene and stop the display. Interestingly, no one knows what happened to the body of Will Harris at this point. There appears to be no burial record filed. Some people surmise that his body was sold to a traveling carnival, as this was popular during this time, to display the body of criminals who had done particularly vicious crimes.

  The town of Asheville suffered tremendously during this time, grieving for their lost citizens and the fear that had overtaken the town on that night. For months afterward, people would report seeing and hearing the dead in this area, saying they would see the bodies writhing in pain in the street as the men died and blood poured out from them into the street. Others would hear gunshots and shouts and screams that sounded as real as the night they occurred.

  This area had already been witness to many deaths and negative energy with the old town gallows nearby. Spirits were often seen walking along the streets late at night. These stories were often discounted, as this area of the city had a large number of taverns and other drinking establishments and it was shrugged off as another type of spirit having an affect on the person who shared an experience.

  After the event with Will Harris, the sightings began to grow in number, and dark forms were seen standing near the area where the apparition would appear as if they were watching the event as well. These dark forms would then hover around the area, as if they were soaking up the residual negative energy from the event. Some people began describing them as shadow people. Many people also report that when they are in this area late at night, they see the ghost of an undertaker carrying a body away into the night.