Old Craggy State Prison in Asheville, North Carolina, was built in 1924 as a medium-security facility. Conditions inside were rough, but most inmates were assigned labor-intensive jobs, such as laundry detail. The air inside was stale, with no air conditioning, and the heat was limited during the harsh winters of Western North Carolina. It wouldn’t…
The Siren of the French Broad
The French Broad River in Western North Carolina is rich in history and mystery. The beautiful waters that sweep through the mountains are full of not only water, but also legend. The story of the “Siren of the French Broad” dates back to the mid-1850s, when author William Gilmore Simms published a poem about it….
The Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill
The former philosophy department chair, Horace Williams, owned the home at 610 E. Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, until he died in 1940. People have since reported hearing Williams’ ghost move about the house, flushing toilets on their own, and rocking chairs rocking with no one in them from this world. Written By:…
The “Peg-Legged Ghost” of The White-Holman House
The White-Holman House, located at 206 New Bern Place in Raleigh, North Carolina, is believed to have been constructed around 1798 or 1799 for Secretary of State William White. Through the years, people have reported hearing a “thud-clack” sound near the back staircase of the home. While the ghost’s identity is unknown, it is believed…
The Gray Lady at the Mordecai House
The Mordecai House was built around 1785, making it older than Raleigh, North Carolina, by seven years. Five generations of the Mordecai family lived in the home, and in the 1960s, the house was sold to the city. Legend has it that the grounds are home to more than one ghost. A piano from the…
The Spinning Angel of Oakwood Cemetery
Etta Ratcliffe was born in 1880 and died in 1918, at the age of 38. She was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina. Today, she’s known as the “Spinning Angel of Oakwood”, and also known as the “Ratcliffe Angel.” Legend says the eyes of the life-like Angel in the cemetery follow people as…
Ghosts of the Eno River
There is an abandoned cemetery about 200 yards off the Cabelands Trail on the Eno River, near Durham, North Carolina. This historic cemetery is the final resting place of the Cabe family’s ancestors for over 200 years. Many hikers in this area have reported hearing whispering voices, screams from deep within the woods, and even…
The Pine State Creamery Ghost
Serial killer John Williams Jr. terrorized downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, in the mid-1990s. Williams was a homeless drifter who was responsible for at least four deaths, and possibly more. I will cover Mr. Williams in a future True Crime article at a later date, but it’s noteworthy to add that one building in the same…
The Phantom Horse of Cary
The ghostly horse has reportedly been seen around the Page-Walker Arts & History Center at 119 Ambassador Loop in Cary, North Carolina. Peggy Van Scoyoc wrote it in her book Just a Horse-Stopping Place. Reportedly, the Page homestead was a stopping point for Union soldiers during the Civil War. One of the soldiers passed away…
The ghostly legend of the abandoned “High House” Part 2
Sometime around 1822, Jones Left North Carolina and William’s ancestors moved into the High House, where they began having dreams about a hidden treasure. One night, a voice appeared to Leander Williams in a dream, revealing a secret treasure hidden in the fireplace. Reportedly, the same voice also visited William’s mother. During the 1700s and…