Haunted Inn at 835 in Springfield

Built in the early 1900s, the Inn at 835 in Springfield, Illinois first housed luxury apartments. The dream of Bell Miller, a turn of the century businesswoman, it was designed during the Arts and Crafts movement by architect, George Helmle.

While still in her 20’s, Bell Miller began a floral business in the early 1890s, catering to Springfield’s high society. Before long, she expanded her small business into a number of greenhouses, encompassing a city block.

In December 1909 her dream home was completed, including airy verandahs, massive fireplaces and exquisite oak detailing in a neighborhood once termed “Aristocracy Hill.” In no time, the dignified building attracted an array of aristocratic tenants who graced the luxury apartments over the years..

In 1994, the building was completely renovated and the apartments were converted into seven luxurious guest rooms, each offering private baths and amenities such as double Jacuzzis and airy verandas. In 1995, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

But according to the legend, Bell Miller became so fond of her dream home, that she refuses to leave. From guests and staff come the stories of a warm friendly voice that seemingly comes out of nowhere. On other occasions, a ghostly figure has been seen drifting through doorways. One report included a book taken from a tightly packed shelf and placed in the middle of the room multiple times. On another occasion, when the wallpaper began to peel away from the wall, it was found to be perfectly repaired the next morning. Apparently, Miss Miller continues to care for her luxurious home.

InnAt835-Interior
Foyer inside the Inn at 835 in Springfield, Illinois courtesy The Inn at 835

She also seems to have a penchant for candy as the sound of the lid from a crystal candy dish is often heard being removed and replaced when no one is around. Most often reported are the strange events occurring in the elevator. Guests often report that regardless of the button they push, they wind up on a different floor. Though the elevator and been serviced and inspected on multiple occasions with reports that it is in perfect working order, the events continue to occur.

In any event, Miss Miller is seemingly a benign and friendly spirit at the Inn, which today provides every modern convenience without detracting from the sense of gracious luxury which Bell Miller created almost a century ago.

Today the historic inn provides gourmet breakfasts and evening wine and cheese in its luxurious surroundings. Meeting and banquet facilities are also available for up to 150 guests.

Contact Information:

The Inn at 835
835 South Second Street
Springfield, Illinois

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Ghosts of Historic Springfield

Like many historic cities, and especially one that was called home to Abraham Lincoln for years, Springfield, Illinois continues to play host to a number of unearthly spirits.

The Ghost of Abraham Lincoln

While there are a number of spirits who are said to haunt this historic town, the most famous is that of Abraham Lincoln himself. According to over a century of legends, Abraham Lincoln continues to lurk around his tomb, now a state historic site in Springfield.

Sightings of the former president have been told almost since the day his body arrived in Springfield in on May 3, 1865. After lying in state at the capitol for a night, the body was placed in a receiving vault at Oak Ridge Cemetery. In December Lincoln’s remains were removed to a temporary vault not far from a new proposed memorial site. In 1871, three years after laborers had begun constructing the permanent tomb, the body of Lincoln and those of the three youngest of his sons were placed in crypts in the unfinished structure.

The construction of the permanent tomb lasted for years and it was at this time that the first sightings of a spectral Abraham Lincoln were reported as he wandered near the crypt. Others would report hearing the sounds of crying and footsteps near the site.

Lincoln Monument at the Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois.
Lincoln Monument at the Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois.

In 1874, upon completion of the memorial, Lincoln’s remains were interred in a marble sarcophagus in the center of a chamber known as the “catacombs,” or burial room. In 1876, however, after several Chicago criminals broke into the tomb, intending to kidnap the corpse and hold it for ransom. However, the attempt failed as one of the men in the gang was a spy for the Secret Service.

Over the years, the legends have persisted as tourists and staff members report uncomfortable feelings, phantom footsteps, whispers, muffled voices, and weeping. Along with our former president, Oakridge Cemetery also has reported that the apparitions of a small boy and a mysterious woman in a flowing red cape have been seen on the property.

Lincoln has also been reported to have been seen walking the streets surrounding Springfield‘s original courthouse, as well as the hallways of his former home. Others have reported seeing the ghost of Mary Lincoln at their old home located at 413 South Eighth Street. Having a long-standing reputation as being haunted, reports range from apparitions of a woman to toys moving of their own accord. Most people believe that the house is haunted by Mary. Maintained by the National Park Service today, the staff denies any reports of paranormal activity. Today the Lincoln home is the centerpiece of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Restored to its 1860s appearance, it stands in the midst of a four-block historic neighborhood in which the National Park Service also restored.

The most interesting haunting surrounding Lincoln is the phantom funeral train. Said to be seen during the month of April on the anniversary of Lincoln’s death, the ghostly train is said to ride those very same tracks that bore his body to Springfield in 1865. Reports indicate that this ghostly funeral procession is actually two trains, with the first steam engine pulling several cars draped in black, adorned with black streamers, and playing the sounds of mournful music. The second train is said to pull a flatcar that carries Lincoln’s coffin. Unfortunately, the train is said to never reach its final destination.

Dana House

Dana House, Springfield, Illinois courtesy the Illinois Times.
Dana House, Springfield, Illinois courtesy the Illinois Times.

Designed and constructed by renowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902, this house is reported to still play host to its original owner. Designed for Springfield socialite, Susan Lawrence Dana, she was said to have thrown lavish parties in her home as well as being a major contributor and volunteer to charitable causes in the city.

Shortly after the home was finished, several family deaths caused Dana to turn to metaphysical and mystical religious groups for comfort. Before long, she became one of the city’s leaders in the Spiritualist movement that swept across American around the turn of the century. Her parties took a different turn with her involvement in the movement and soon her home became a Spiritualist center where séances were common and large parties of occultists gathered.

Finally, when a cousin who had lived with her for many years died, Susan was left alone in her Wright-designed house. A short time later, about 1928, Susan moved to more modest, less costly quarters. Declared incompetent by the courts in 1942, she was admitted to a local hospital, where she died in 1946. Her personal effects were inventoried in 1942 and auctioned at a public sale in July 1943. Her Frank Lloyd Wright House was sold the following year.

Maintained today by the State of Illinois, management denies any paranormal activity. However, there have been dozens of reports by other staff and visitors of objects which move of their own accord and the sounds of unseen people speaking in different parts of the house.

The Dana House is located at 301 East Lawrence in Springfield, Illinois.

Illinois Executive Mansion

Governors Mansion in Springfield, Illinois.
Governors Mansion in Springfield, Illinois.

Seven Presidents, including Lincoln, have been received here. Three levels are open to the public including four formal parlors; a state dining room; ballroom; four bedrooms, including the Lincoln bedroom; and a library handcrafted from Native American Black Walnut.

Built in 1855, this is the third oldest continuously occupied Governor’s Mansion in the country, having served as the official residence of Illinois‘ Governors and their families since Governor Joel Matteson first took up residence. Over the years, the magnificent home has been witness to many of the major events in the state’s history, none so trying perhaps as the Civil War.

During the Civil War, the mansion was called home to Governor Richard Yates and his family. Today, the mansion is said to continue to play host to Yates’ wife, Catherine. Mrs. Yates makes allegedly makes her presence known in a variety of ways, including tampering with electronics and smoke alarms. The upstairs bedroom where her portrait hangs is said to be the most active room in the house. On one occasion Mrs. Yates was credited with trapping an Illinois State Trooper in an elevator for four hours.

The Illinois Executive Mansion is open to the public during certain hours and days of the week. Three levels can be viewed which include four formal parlors, a state dining room, ballroom, the library, and four bedrooms, including the Lincoln bedroom. The mansion is located at 5th and Jackson.

Springfield Theatre Center

Built in 1951, the Springfield Theatre Center hosted performances at 101 East Lawrence through 2004 when they relocated to the Hoogland Center for the Arts in downtown Springfield. In addition to numerous wonderful performances throughout the years, the place is said to have been haunted for most of its existence.

On May 13, 1955, an actor Named Joe Neville left the theater after a dress rehearsal then committed suicide once he returned home. Apparently, during an audit at the company where he worked, it was found that substantial funds had been misappropriated and a fellow employee fingered Joe.

Said to have been an eccentric and unfriendly fellow, he loved the theater and at the time he killed himself, he was scheduled to play his first lead role. After his death, the theater group simply replaced him and the show went on.

But, apparently, that wasn’t the end of Joe. Returning to the theater after his death, his disposition evidently was as nasty as ever. Almost immediately strange and inexplicable events began to occur. While some of these are seemingly harmless, such as lights turning on and off on their own, doors opened by unseen hands, and several who have reportedly seen Joe’s filmy apparition; other antics of Joe’s are downright dangerous. On one occasion when two men were building a set, one of the men voiced his skepticism about the ghost. The next thing they knew, the saw started up by itself, several sheets of plywood fell to the floor, and a standing ladder was seemingly pushed over by unseen hands.

Illinois Capitol Building, Kathy Weiser-Alexander. 
Illinois Capitol Building, Kathy Weiser-Alexander.

The tampering with stage sets is the most often occurrence, but other smaller happenings occur such as items moving of their own accord, missing costumes, and the permeating smell of Noxzema wafting through the air, despite the fact that the cream was long ago banned in the theater. On one occasion a girl reported having her hand held by an invisible escort while she was crossing a room.

The Springfield Theatre Center continues performances at their new home in the Hoogland Center for the Arts after leaving the building on East Lawrence.

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Legends of Fort Mountain

Part of the Cohutta Mountains, a small mountain range at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains, Fort Mountain takes its name from the remnants of a stone formation located on the peak.

This ancient 885 feet-long zigzagging rock wall was built from stones that are from the local area around the summit. It is up to 12 feet thick and up to seven feet high, but generally rises to a height of two or three feet. The wall, which is scattered with 29 pits, cairns, small cylinders, stone rings, and ruins of a gateway, is said by some sources to have been built around 400-500 AD, while other sources say that the date has not been determined.

There are several theories as to who might have built this wall. Early visitors referred to the formation as a fort, speculating that it was built by Hernando de Soto to defend against the Creek Indians around 1540. However, this theory was contradicted as early as 1917, when a historian pointed out that de Soto was in the area for less than two weeks.

Two other legends say that the wall was built either by the Moon-eyed people according to Cherokee lore or is contributed to a Welsh prince who was said to have made his way to America in 1170.

According to Cherokee tradition, the moon-eyed people lived in the lower Appalachia region before the Cherokee came to the area during the late 1700s. The people were said to be called “moon-eyed” because they saw poorly during the day and could see very well at night. They were also described as being small in stature, the men bearded, light-eyed, and having pale white skin. One early historian described them as albinos who were possibly the ancestors of the Kuna people of Panama, who have a high incidence of albinism.

Cherokee Indian
Cherokee Indian

The Cherokee, who drove them out of the region, say that these people built the ancient structures in the area. Supposedly, a temple had once stood inside the fortification which contained a giant stone snake with ruby eyes.

The moon-eyed people were first mentioned in a 1797 book by Benjamin Smith Barton. Later documentation tells of similar accounts, such as an 1823 book, The Natural and Aboriginal History of Tennessee, which tells of a band of white people who were killed or driven out of Kentucky and West Tennessee.

Who were these moon-eyed people? Some say they might be of Welsh descent. This story tells of a prince named Madoc (or Madog) ab Owain Gwynedd, who fled his homeland after the death of his father, which had created a Civil War among his seven sons. The sons were to fight to determine who would rule their father’s lands.

To avoid the bloodshed, Madoc set sail with his brother Rhirid and a few followers in 1170 and was said to have landed somewhere around Mobile Bay, Alabama. Sometime later, Madoc returned to his native country and recruited more followers who returned on ten ships to settle in America. After setting sail, they were never heard from in Wales again. Some speculate it was these colonists that built the fortress wall. Allegedly, the Fort Mountain stonework wasn’t the only one they built. Legend also attributes one near DeSoto Falls, Alabama, which is said to be nearly identical to the setting, layout, and method of construction of Dolwyddelan Castle in Wales, the birthplace of Madoc.  Minor fortifications in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area are also attributed to these Welsh people.

In an 1810 letter, former Tennessee governor John Sevier wrote that the Cherokee leader Oconostota told him in 1783 that local mounds had been built by white people who were pushed from the area by the Cherokee. According to Sevier, Oconostota confirmed that these were Welsh from across the ocean. Madoc’s travels, first told in print about 1584, had also been told in Welsh songs and stories since the twelfth century.

Fort Mountain Wall
Fort Mountain Wall

Were these descendants of Madoc’s colonists the Moon-eyed people?

Many generations of explorers, archaeologists, geologists, and historians have wondered about the identity of the unknown builders and the purpose of their handiwork. Some believe that the wall had a ceremonial function since it lacks certain characteristics necessary for defensive purposes, such as its relatively low height and the lack of water within the wall.

However, nobody knows which of the many legends and theories is true and which are false. The true answer still lies buried somewhere in antiquity and may never be unearthed

Current legends tell that the sounds of distant drums, flickering lights, and the images of men wearing bearskins have been encountered along the collapsed wall.

Today, the mysterious peak is part of the Fort Mountain State Park, which is also known for its unique scenery, a mixture of both hardwood and pine forests and several blueberry thickets. In addition, the park contains a 17-acre mountain lake.

It is located which is seven miles east of Chatsworth, Georgia off GA 52.

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Haunted Historic Sites in Savannah, Georgia You Must Visit

Of all the places in the United States, Savannah, GA has long been considered to be one of the most haunted, but also to have some of the best must-see historic attractions in the land. If you are interested in historic attractions and love a good, old-fashioned ghost story, then haunted Savannah is just the place you may want to visit. You already know there are different types of ghosts out there, from the apparitions to anniversary ghosts, but did you know it’s possible that they haunt many of the historic sites of Savannah? Savannah has long been referred to as a “Southern belle” who features a tragic, haunted past. From the cobblestone sidewalks to the moss ridden trees, the streets of Savannah are gorgeous and reported to be haunted by visitors from the afterlife. Read on for a few of the most haunted historic sites in Savannah and listen in on the stories they have to tell.

The Kehoe House

The beauty of the 1892 Kehoe House is only marred by the tragic incident that occurred there. The house was originally built for William Kehoe, his wife, and their 10 children. The house rang with laughter, until the tragic day, the Kehoe twins were killed while playing in the fireplace of the home. Cherubs that grace the fireplaces now are said to be a monument to the young twins. Guests report hearing children laughing when no children are present and guests in rooms 201 and 203 of the house report someone sitting on the beds, leaving warm indentations behind. While, still not as haunted as some of the other locations in Savannah, guests love to visit the Kehoe House for the gorgeous atmosphere and helpful staff there. If you’re an avid photographer, looking to enter a photo contest, you might just be able to catch a shot of the twins playing in the hallway, to secure the win of your entry.


Photo from Bonaventure Historical Society.

Bonaventure Cemetery

You can’t be an avid ghost lover or enjoy visiting historic sites without visiting a historic cemetery or two. One such graveyard is the Bonaventure Cemetery. While not the oldest cemetery in Savannah, this is one of the oldest and has its fair share of restless spirits. One of the saddest stories to come out of this historic cemetery is the tale of six-year-old Gracie Watson, who was laid to rest there in 1889. Gracie was loved by all, but sadly died of pneumonia, two days before Easter Sunday. Her father had a huge statue built of the child. It’s that same statue that visitors to the cemetery have reported walking around the graveyard. There have also been reports of visitors seeing Gracie playing in the streets in front of her home. When touring the cemetery during your trip, make sure to watch out for Little Gracie and any other spirits who might be wandering the grounds.

The Gribble House

The Gribble House is said to be one of the most haunted houses in Savannah, maybe even in all of Georgia. The house was the scene of a tragic murder, involving three young women in 1909. The killer of the women was never found, and it is said that the spirits of the victims roam the grounds to this day, seeking justice for their brutal murders. Lovers of the paranormal can view the site of the murders with a tour through the warehouse that stands there today, though the house was torn down long ago. Reported occurrences there include shadowy figures running through the building, strange lights, and your classic woman in a white apparition.

17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant


Oglethorpe Avenue in Savannah, Georgia, 1900, by the Detroit Photographic Co.

In the heart of downtown Savannah rests the 17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant. Having been in business for over 100 years, it comes as no surprise that the inn is haunted and has many tales to tell. The inn is so haunted in fact, the owners have decided to publish some of the guests’ experiences on their own website for the viewing pleasure of all the paranormal buffs out there. The inn was built in the year 1820 and tragedy occurred rather quickly, after all, yellow fever was rampant in Savannah at the time and fires were breaking out everywhere. Perhaps, the worst, and the saddest story was that of Anne Powell, who after being seduced by the charms of a sailor on leave, jumped to her death from the window of room 204. Anne is said to rub the cheeks of male guests, layout nightclothes for the women, and take small trinkets as her own. If you want to see if you can photograph Anne in room 204, do it now because guests book this room months ahead because it is so popular!

The Hamilton-Turner Inn

Perhaps you have already heard of the Hamilton-Turner Inn, as it was made famous by Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Staying here, guests have heard billiard balls bouncing along the upper floors, seen a man smoking a cigar on the roof, and heard the sounds of children running through the inn playing and laughing when there were no children known to be visiting there.

The Moon River Brewing Company


Depiction of General William T. Sherman and his troops enter Savannah,
Georgia in the Civil War.

Perhaps the most haunted and saddest historic site in all of Savannah is The Moon River Brewing Company. It is indeed billed as one of the most haunted locations in the area by many. This famous site has been visited by the team from the popular TV shows; Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. Built in 1821, the building was originally the city hotel. It played host to many famous people and was the popular place for Savannah’s high society to gather.

After the Civil War, the building was also used as a hospital and treated many, many residents of Savannah who were struck down by yellow fever. There are many, many ghosts that haunt the halls and rooms of The Moon River Brewing Company, some of them friendly and some of them, not so much. The most frequent spirits seen are those of the children that possibly died there during the yellow fever outbreak. Also, seen is Toby, a not-so-friendly ghost who taunts and haunts anyone who ventures into the downstairs part of the building, and a woman in old-fashioned attire, who will stand at the top of stairs and glare down at the guests below. Not only are spirits seen here, but they are also felt by some people when they are bumped or prodded by something that isn’t there.

These are just a few of the most haunted historic sites in Savannah, GA that you will want to see on a trip to this Southern city. Whether it’s the spirits at The Moon River Brewing Company or the ghosts that haunt the halls of The Kehoe House, if you love history and ghosts alike, Savannah, GA is the place you can visit to find both.

©Anna Hicks, October 2018

About the Author: Anna Hicks is the blogger behind paidtwice.com. While she once wanted to be a teacher, she now gets her history fix by writing on the subject. She also enjoys writing about DIY, personal finance, and her terrible cooking skills.

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