Examining The Florence Hauntings Ghost Stories English Literature Essay

Ever wondered if a ghost is in the house? There are many stories that are told about people talking about ghost stories or haunted places they have seen and witnesses with their own eyes. Some people don’t even believe in ghost or haunted places, its just one of those things people have to experience to believe. That is the case with the town of Florence, Alabama. Living in this town there is always something to do or get into. Florence has a very Haunted past. Most of them are located in downtown, Florence. Such as Pricilla located in O’Neal Hall, Molly in the UNA off-campus bookstore, Ghost Bridge and The Forks of Cypress, Charles Daniel Stewart in Trowbridges, and George in the Norton Auditorium.

Pricilla was attending Florence State Teachers College. She stayed in O’Neal Hall a dormitory for girls. Late one night after everyone had gone to bed, the only girl in the dorms still up was Pricilla. As the tears rolled down her face she cried in torment. She felt she had no choice, for there was something she kept inside that nobody knew. She had a secret that haunted her so bad that she knew there was only one was that her family would never know her secret. As she climbs the stairs to the top floor of O’Neal Hall, wearing a white night gown, finding the rope that she had hidden just a few days before she came up with a plan to make all the torment and fear go away she knew that this was the only way, it had to be done. She did not do this to disappoint her family, but she knew they could never find out her secret. She quietly walked toward the attic floor to the elevator shaft, she then secured one end of the rope. Her heart was beating so fast and tears rolling down her face as she tied the opposite end of the rope around her neck. Taking the few steps toward the dark elevator shaft, she knew it would soon be over. As she muttered a little prayer she stepped into the dark elevator shaft. All of Pricilla’s worries where gone she no longer had to hide her secret that nobody will ever know. One story heard about Pricilla is one night after a fraternity meeting a young man named Robert Loften was locking up the building. As he went to close the door he heard a noise upstairs that sounded like a girl crying. He thought there might be someone up there so he went to check it out. As he made it to the second floor he saw her standing in front of the elevator shaft in a long white night gown.

Molly was a young girl that lived in the house that is now UNA’s off-campus book store. She lived in this house with her parents. Sometime around her eleventh birthday she received a puppy. She loved this dog so much. But it is believed that one day she opened the door to all her dog, and he was not acting the same she tried to calm him by saying, “It’s me. It’s Molly.” (Glass). He then snapped at young Molly his teeth shredding the skin off Molly’s little hands. One much known time Molly was seen was during a UNA homecoming parade, as the college float went down the road they all waved at a young little girl waving at them from the top of the balcony. After the parade they all talked about how cute she was. But they soon realized no children lived in the house. That is when they knew it was Molly. Also one day a little girl named Kyla Weir is now convinced that she played with Molly for a whole day, looking for Molly’s dog. “Molly remains as vivacious and playful as she had been in life.”(Glass).

Ghost Bridge and The Forks of Cypress was built in 1830 it is know for the columns that surround the mansion. This mansion had twenty- four columns. On 6-6-66 the house was struck by lightning, the only thing that still remains are the twenty-four columns. There is a replica in downtown, Florence of the mansion that is now a bank. It is said the columns stayed because they are made of horse hair which are flame resistant. Ghost Bridge is known for the slave hangings in the late nineteenth century. Although both properties are private property the bridge and columns can be seen from the road. There is also a family cemetery just east of the house. The cemetery has a wall built around it. On the outside of this wall there were some slaves buried there.

Charles Daniel Stewart is the ghost that lives in Trowbridges. Charles family owned a gorgeous two story home with huge white columns in the locations that is now known as Trowbridges. His family ran a transfer business. They became very wealthy moving and hauling gravel when Florence city started paving its streets. One day he was spotted he was wearing a blue and white checkered shirt. The next day a woman named Betty that worked there that saw him just the day before, as she walked to the back of the restaurant she saw a blue and white checkered shirt, the same shirt that was on ghost Charles. Charles was in the Battle of Bull Run. He was later wounded, that’s how he died.

George the ghost of Norton Auditorium is believed to have been a construction worker who was lending his services while it was under construction or restoration. “He fell from the scaffold he was working from and met his death.”(Spencer.) He has never been seen but he makes noises and turns lights on. The Norton auditorium is used for musical and drama productions. George is mostly known for acting in the plays and doing strange haunting things around the building.

There are haunting stories all over the world. Some of the ghost that do not even appear or make noises. But Florence, Alabama has defiantly got some haunting stories and legends. And mostly likely there are many more to come.