Haunted Hendersonville
Hendersonville, North Carolina is a small town in Western North Carolina that is about 45 minutes south of Asheville & filled to the brim with a grizzly history and strange happenings.
The mountain town has the perfect combination of a temperate climate, charm, culture, and sheer terror.
The first stop on my (self guided) Haunted Hendersonville tour was a drive by the *very* haunted Mansouri Mansion. The Mansouri Mansion was built in 1850 as the ‘Farmer Hotel’ & is said to be haunted by the ghost of BT Morris, a confederate soldier who was stationed at the Inn for some time during the civil war.
There is some speculation that the Inn may have also been used as a hospital during this time.
Some fear the frights of the haunted mansion so much, they won’t step foot on the property in fear of possession - while others depict their accounts of hearing children running up and down the 3rd floor hallway (in a *gasp* - otherwise empty building).
One former guest recounts the time his wife took a picture of him, and in the photo it looked as though the entire side of his body was on fire.
Visit there only if you dare...
My next stop was to Sky Top Orchard. I’m not really sure if it’s haunted or not - but they have really delicious apple cider smoothies.
On the way back into Hendersonville, I stopped by the St. John In the Wilderness Cemetery in Flat Rock - also established circa mid 1800’s.
Fun fact; cemeteries *usually* aren’t haunted - as one would think.
Traditionally, phantoms prefer to hang out where they died, or at places that meant the most (or sigh - the least) to them before the afterlife. However, this cemetery is said to be haunted by the apparition of a a civil war soldier (not BT Morris - another guy).
This super historic cemetery has uber eerie vibes for sure. I definitely had chills the entire time I was there and left before I had finished touring the entire cemetery.
Next I was off to the Henderson County Jail. Unfortunately, the jail doesn’t do tours (unless you’re arrested) - so I just drove by.
Anyway, according to Fodors.com the Jail was built in the 1990’s - but on the site of a ‘livery stable’. What’s a livery stable? - one might ask... A livery stable is pretty much a place where horses were kept in the olden days.
Anyway - It has been said angry ghosts haunt the jail. A figure of a young woman in an old fashioned dress was once caught on the surveillance cameras, vanishing into the floor.
*google earth image of jail. It was too scary to drive by.
The ‘Skyland Hotel’ which is no longer a hotel, but houses businesses and a cinema & what not, is a short drive from the Jail, and right off Main Street - in downtown Hendersonville. According to Blue Ridge Now the Skyland Hotel was the establishment which once housed famed author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It also doubled as a cathouse.
In modern times a ghastly figure of a former madame can be seen in the lobby of the Cinema.
I mean yeah, like cool story and all - but if it was once a cat house... wouldn’t you think it would be haunted by cats, not ladies?
Well whatever. Anyway... oddly enough, in the photograph that I captured - there is a green orb (gasp) that (if you look close enough) resembles the face of a ghostly woman.
Or, actually - at second glance - it could be the ghost of Nemo.
It kind of also resembles a fish.
After a few stops on my self guided tour, I was completely famished - so met up with a friend (who is not a ghost) for dinner at Harvey’s restaurant at the (also Haunted) Henderson Inn.
The Inn was established between the years of 1919-1921 and has reported & repeated hauntings on the 3rd floor, as well as the basement level Kitchen. Our server said that just the other day the cooler door (that had been shut tight) was rattling as if someone (or something) was haphazardly attempting to open it...
Oh - the food was really good too.
You should totally go eat there.
Next I was off to the Courthouse for an exterior pic. According to wlos.com “People frequently report seeing faces in the windows of the old courthouse.”
They did not say whether they were human like, phantom like, or Nemo like, faces - so that one’s questionable.
Tip; unlike the jail - the old courthouse *does* do tours (sans arrest), and is home to the Henderson County Heritage Museum - it’s definitely worth a visit.
My last stop of my super spooky day was to Laurel Park. The Town of Laurel Park tells the 'Legend of Jump off Rock'.
This popular tourist attraction is afterlife home to a young Cherokee woman, who (300yrs ago) jumped to her death after finding out that bae was killed in battle. It is said that on moonlit nights you can see her ghost looking for her long long, very long time ago - lost lover.
Some other haunted locales that I didn’t have time for on my self guided tour (but that you should totally check out are); The Echo Mountain Inn, The Mill House Lodge & The Poe House - to name a few.
Happy Hauntings in Hendersonville!
Click here to check out my new book on Amazon ~ 'The Crystal Inn: A Southern Haunting'
