Murfreesboro's Most Haunted

(As featured in the October 2013 edition of the Murfreesboro Pulse)

Murfreesboro’s Most Haunted

I’m not a big fan of Halloween attractions like haunted houses.  Having spent a certain amount of time in the field researching real monsters and investigating actual paranormal phenomenon, it’s difficult to get excited about the fake stuff.  Don’t get me wrong. I like Halloween fun and have been known to disguise myself to play the occasional trick.  But for those curious about real paranormal activity, I have a special treat for you this October.

 The Murfreesboro’s Most Haunted list presented here was assembled based on the experiences of local paranormal investigators, reader submissions and my personal explorations in search of the unknown.   Here’s what made the list. 

Stones River Battlefield – It’s the site of more than 3000 deaths and one of the bloodiest  battles of the Civil War. Numerous sightings of ghastly apparitions have been reported for decades in and around this historic area. Entire troop formations have been seen here by witnesses here that disappear without a trace.  

 

Social (formerly Blue Rooster and Blues Boro) – I saw some pretty frightening things at this bar when I used to hang out there. But according to the Shadow Chasers of Middle Tennessee, a number of electronic voice phenomenon or EVPs (alleged ghost noises) have been recorded in the basement which sound people playing billiards in an area with no pool table.

Center for the Arts – Another submission from my friends at Shadow Chasers, the Center for the Arts is said to host more than just live performances. It seems the dead also perform their own kind of show at night and that the voices of children laughing have been captured by recorders.

Davis Market – Many know of the “curse of Davis Market”  and that it’s actually the center of the universe.  But there’s more to this place than these urban legends. Some employees have experienced strange happenings like objects moving, doors slamming and calculators running numbers with nobody around.

Black Fox Camp Springs – This general area is where some of the first settlers in Rutherford County made their homes.  It’s located along the Nickajack trace, an ancient Native American highway which ran all the way down to Spanish Florida. According to legend Chief Black Fox escaped an attack by diving into the spring and emerging three miles away at Murfree Springs.  I’ve heard drums beating here on more than one occasion and was unable to identify the source.   

 

The Black Cat Tavern – This abandoned underground speakeasy from the days of prohibition is not just a little spooky, but the first time I went inside the cave I heard voices and what sounded like music coming from somewhere deep underground. 

Smotherman’s Antiques   Melinda Blick of Stones River Paranormal considers this local antique store  to be a paranormal hotspot. It makes sense that it might manifest some activity. This business houses a collection of items belonging to dead people in a building that has its own lengthy history.

The old MTMC Hospital  – Although the lot where the old hospital stood is now empty, some vivid accounts were shared with me by former employees of the old hospital.  These included witnesses seeing floating objects as well as phantoms which appeared to comfort the dying.  

Big B Cleaners – The haunted drycleaners might not sound so spooky.  But Big B was once the site of a local taxi service back in 1920’s. It was during this period that a murder took place and it’s believed that the victim may still be lingering.  Investigators who have probed this location have witnessed mysterious lights and sounds coming from the building

 

 

Oaklands Plantation – Although it has never been formally investigated (to my knowledge), this stately home from the early 19^th century made the list by default. The location was home to a large number of slaves and was the site of an engagement between Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. Perhaps the Oaklands Association will someday allow an investigation of the house that will validate its place on this prestigious list of haunted places in Murfreesboro.

More Pictures coming soon! 

Wine and Spirits: Wine-tasting and ghost chasing in Tennessee

Hidden within the highlands of the Upper-Cumberland region of Tennessee, Red Boiling Springs is a retromantic and mysterious destination for anyone seeking some Victorian era nostalgia, delicious wine and perhaps even an encounter with the unexplained.


Looking for an escape from the mundane, Angela and I booked a suite at the Thomas House, one of three bed-and breakfast style hotels in the small town. Before arriving at our intended destination we first stopped in for a visit at the Red Barn Winery a few miles away. The narrow lane which leads to the quaint vineyard epitomizes the rural Tennessee landscape that many who live in the urbanized areas surrounding Nashville forget exists.

The Red Bard Winery

Inside the Red Barn we found a welcoming atmosphere for tasting and a wide selection of wines that are made on site. This isn’t Napa Valley of course, nor is it trying to be. Tennessee wines have their own unique history and distinct taste. In fact, winemaking in Tennessee was purely a bootlegging industry after prohibition laws were in place after commercial wine production ceased. Not until recent decades have wineries begun to produce native varieties again for commercial sale. After my second time coming to Red Barn, I can confirm that it offers some of the best in Tennessee.


Leaving the picturesque vineyard, we then ventured to our final destination. The history of the Thomas House is interlaced with that of Red Boiling Springs which began as a resort town during the Victorian era. The location owed its popularity to the belief that local mineral springs had curative properties and restorative health benefits. Once boasting more than a dozen hotels, dance halls and an amusement park, it's popularity continued to roar through the 20's and 30's as a get-away for the well-to-do of society. However, the postwar era brought its decline as transportation to other places became easier with the new interstate system. Except for a small resurgence in the 1950’s its decay was steady until a flood all but destroyed the town in 1969.

Thomas House

The Thomas House is intriguing to say the least. It’s widely known for its paranormal activity, making it a frequent destination for researchers of the paranormal. It was even the location for an investigation which was featured in an episode of Sy Fi Channel’s Paranormal State. The building itself dates to 1890 and exists on the site of a previous hotel. An all brick structure, it has two floors and countless rooms to explore, mostly decorated in the flamboyant style of the Victorian era. Several rooms are also dedicated to various themes like ‘Gone with the Wind’, one full of antique Christmas decorations, still another one is full of children’s toys.

Gone with the Wind Room

We made reservations on a night when they were hosting a group of swing dancers which contributed to the timeless atmosphere of the hotel. After dancing we sat and talked with the Cole family who has owned the hotel since 1993. They relayed to us a number of strange encounters with apparitions that appeared to be living people only to disappear from sight. Unfortunately we had no experiences ourselves that could be characterized as paranormal.






This sort of destination isn’t for everyone. If you are too easily freaked out, require five star accommodations or enjoy the music of Ke$ha and Lil’ Wayne then you probably won’t get the beauty of this place. But the adventurer, the wine connoisseur or the artist will all find something here that captivates and refreshes them, much as it did for those who were looking for an escape more than a century ago.

Room at the Thomas House

Creepy Swimming pool

Donaho Hotel

Spring House behind Donaho Hotel

Vinyard