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! 

Inside the Black Cat Tavern

It’s an obscure landmark, but one that harkens back to an era that is both dark and fascinating all at once.   The Black Cat Tavern operated as a popular nightclub on the outskirts of Murfreesboro in the period during and after prohibition. It is best described as a cave to which a manmade entrance was added, creating an enclosed space. It consisted of three rooms which included a dance hall, a dining room and a kitchen in addition to the natural cave area with an underground stream.  Situated alongside a major highway but hidden by dense foliage, it remains virtually invisible to the average passerby.  

Little can be confirmed regarding details of this establishment’s history.  Although enough rumors and second hand stories exist that indicate it was a place that your mamma would have probably told you not to go. That didn’t discourage those back in the 20’s from hanging out at the underground jazz joint that some have  termed a “speakeasy”.  It’s even believed that Jean Faircloth MacArthur , the 2^nd wife  of American General Douglass MacArther  of WW2 fame partied  here on occasion. 

Overwhelmed with curiosity to learn more about the Black Cat, we decided to take a small expedition to this underground hideaway and see for ourselves.  Arriving at the location we cautiously slipped through the bars that block the entrance.  We then examined each room of the dank edifice with our flashlights, clearing away a jungle of cobwebs as we made our way through.   I’ll be the first to confess that the Black Cat is a little spooky.  It’s not a place that I recommend going for a night out.

 But the tavern wasn’t always such an eerie place. The walls were once covered in cedar planks and heat was provided by a set of fireplaces which surely provided a warm ambiance during its heyday.  It’s easy to imagine this place as a fun underground venue for nightlife.

We’ve all got romantic ideas about this era that are given to us by pop culture. But in reality it was still a relatively dark period in American history.  Poverty and disease were rampant.  At the local hospital women were often given scopolamine, tied to tables and left to hallucinate for days before giving birth. Sexy times eh? The Black Cat Tavern was nothing fancy. It was basically just a hole in the ground where people went to get drunk. But still it represents a part of American culture.  Even the darker elements of our past in my opinion should not be forgotten.

For all the paranormal researchers and ghost chasers that drop in to read this post,  I should add that the Black Cat is near the top of my list Murfreesboro's Most Haunted locations which is the subject for a later post in October. 

The property is currently managed by the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department and closed to the public. Safety and adequate funding are likely the reasons that Black Cat has remained a low priority for historic preservation.  The collapsed floors and broken beer bottles left by previous visitors make it a hazardous hangout.    

 Many fascinating monuments to American cultural history such as this are lost either through urban development or simply allowed to deteriorate.  Some remain hidden because they represent dark and uncomfortable periods in the past and others are simply hazardous and inaccessible.

 With enough encouragement from others who are aware of its historical significance, I think a gradual restoration of the Black Cat site might be feasible. It’s certainly worth a call to city officials at the Murfreesboro Department of Parks and Recreation to express your support for the idea of preserving this old-time venue. What you do you think?


Here are a few pics from a recent trip to Black Cat.