The Ghosts of the Stock Market Crash of 1929
The Jackson Building in Asheville, North Carolina, built in 1924 at 22 South Pack Square, has a reported dark history. The building held the title of the city’s tallest for 41 years, and during the Stock Market Crash of 1929, some people reportedly jumped to their deaths after hearing the news.
In front of the building, inlaid in the brick, it seems to be a target or a bullseye. Some believe the target is the dot where the men hit the mark, but this is considered a dark myth. I am unable to confirm the number who supposedly jumped to their deaths because of the Depression.
But we do know of one death that occurred in the building. A 66-year-old man, named F.M. Messler, took a self-inflicted gunshot to the head on April 4, 1930, while in a vacant office. The Messlers moved from New Jersey in 1889, and for several decades before his untimely death, were considered moguls in real estate. Messler got up that morning, put his suit and glasses on, kissed his wife goodbye, and rode the elevator to the sixth floor. He grabbed his revolver and pulled the trigger, leaving two alleged notes for the living to find.
Some believe that the Jackson Building, particularly the top floor, is haunted by at least one spirit.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
