Real Haunted House
Sally Carter, Cedarhurst Mansion
Huntsville, Alabama
By Shannon Reinbold-Gee
Huntsville, Alabama has many distinctions. It is the home of impressive companies such as Boeing, NASA, and Raytheon; has more Ph D’s per square mile than any other city in the south; and also happens to be the most haunted city in Alabama.
One of the more famous hauntings is of the Cedarhurst Mansion located at what is now the clubhouse of a town home community. The mansion was established by Stephen Ewing in 1823. Sally Carter, visiting her sister Mary Ewing at the mansion, was struck by a quick and fatal illness and died on November 28, 1837, just three weeks short of her 16th birthday. Young Sally had loved the estate, and that is why, some say, you can still feel her presence there today.
Sightings of Sally go back to 1919, when a 17 year-old boy from Dothan, Alabama slept outside Sally’s bedroom. That stormy night, he had a dream that Sally visited him, asking him to prop up her tombstone. When he awoke the next morning, he explained the strange dream and told his family that he was going to Sally’s grave. They laughed at him, but when he arrived, her stone had, indeed, fallen over in the storm. This popular local legend ends with the boy going back to his home town of Dothan, never to return to Huntsville again.
Previous to 1982, Sally’s grave was in the family plot on the estate. She had so many visitors, there was a well-worn path from the road. She did, unfortunately, also have many teenagers vandalize her grave. That is why, in December of 1982, Sally, her sister, and her sister’s three children were relocated to an undisclosed location in the Maple Hill Cemetery. That is… Her casket was relocated. Some claim that when her grave was excavated, the casket Sally was supposed to spend eternity in was empty.
Besides tombstones falling over and caskets being empty of mortal remains, Sally has also stirred up local folks, being sighted walking the grounds of the estate she loved so much. A past guard at Cedarhurst heard Sally walking upstairs while working one night. After the woman’s shift ended, she realized she had lost some money while doing rounds. After searching the grounds, hearing footsteps following her and the unnerving flickering of her flashlight as if its batteries were ready to die, the guard gave up the money for lost. But once she returned to the guard shack, her flashlight flickered brightly, shining directly on the cash she had given up for gone. It was then she chose to thank Sally, and claims to have heard a young woman’s laugh in return.
Someone who knew both the Thorton and the Grace families who lived in the house, had a friend who slept in Sally’s room. When asked what it was like, the friend told him about doors opening and closing by themselves, covers getting snatched off the bed and light switches being tripped. The girl thought it was all rather annoying, but after awhile got used to it and ignored the strange goings-on.
Many woman claim that their jewelry has been broken in the area, beads on beaded necklaces scattering everywhere.
Because Cedarhurst is now a gated community, visiting the clubhouse is not all that likely. Some locals have been able to see the place where Sally died, but visitors are strongly discouraged. Even so, Sally’s bedroom in the mansion has been preserved. If you really want to experience the ghostly Sally, there are always a few condominiums in the local gated community up for sale.
104 comments on this haunted house. Share your story »
104 Comments |
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angel says: |
August 15, 2006, 12:31 pm |
why are you taking the mick out of british people?
Can u stop it please!I am british. U lot are so harsh about british people. I used to like americans but i know now most of them are ignorant,harsh,stupid and use the most rubbish slang ever. Did u know the real reason for americans having BIG cars? Its because they eat so much they cant fit into small cars. I am sorry but u cant critisize people like that and not exspect people to be nice to u! Its not on!
angel says: |
August 15, 2006, 12:40 pm |
y i bet u all wish u didnt av 2 say dis all da time.”i pladge alleigents to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god!” Seriously y do u bother! we britains
just say morning! All u british people here dont u think we deserve sum respect 2? I dont like ur attitude u americans all u british people here i hope u aggree we dont care wat u think! U HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE DONT CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
angel says: |
August 15, 2006, 12:45 pm |
americans are dumb thats y they shorten stuff! They cant spell either. b happy u have 1 brain cell. HA HA HA! THINK YA CN DO BETTER? FIRE AWAY!
angel says: |
August 15, 2006, 12:47 pm |
SNELL SMELL WAT AMERICANS R NICE
angel says: |
August 15, 2006, 1:21 pm |
c u cant
LADYTIGERETTE says: |
August 20, 2006, 3:26 pm |
LISTEN HERE YEW BRITISH PEPS THAT R TALKIN **** BOUT US AMERICANS, I WAS NOT TALKIN MICK BOUT Y’ALL AS Y’ALL SAY IT……!!!!!!! LOOK THIS IS PROB. HOW WARS GET STARTED WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST FREAKIN GET ALONG!!!!!!! NOW Y’ALL DID START IT BOUT SAYING WERE STUPID AND FAT!!!!!……TRUST ME THERE R FAT AMERICANS BUT WE R NOT ALL FREAKIN FAT MY GOSH!!!!!! IM SURE SOME BRITISH PEOPLE R FAT 2 SO Y’ALL CAN’T SAY US AMERICANS R….!!!!! AND BY THA WAY I LUV THA WAY BRITISH TALK AND IM SURE Y’ALL WOULD NOT BE TALKIN BOUT THA WAY WE TALKED IF Y’ALL LIVED HERE,WE CAN’T HELP THAT THIS IS THA WAY WE WERE RAISED…….LOOK IM FROM ALABAMA…YUP THA COUNTRY SO WHY DON’T Y’ALL ALL JUST CALM DONE A SEC.!!!!!
G2G T2UL ~TOOTLES~
*LUV ME*
ROBIN MARIE
LADYTIGERETTE says: |
August 20, 2006, 3:30 pm |
HEY THIS IS ME AGAIN YEW KNO ROBIN THOSE STARS ON WHAT I JUST WROTE DON’T SAY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT SAYS I GUESS IT DID THAT BY ITSELF OR SOMETHING…..IM GONNA SEE IF IT DOES IT AGAIN……****……IS WAT I SAID…LOL.
LADYTIGERETTE says: |
August 20, 2006, 3:31 pm |
IT DID IT AGAIN…..SORRY
angel says: |
August 22, 2006, 6:06 am |
wat the hell u on about?
angel says: |
August 22, 2006, 6:09 am |
well at least we can remember and pronounce words propely and say: i pladge alligents to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god. everyday. ha ha ha we say morning.
eva golden says: |
August 26, 2006, 6:11 pm |
And how, pray tell, are many of these posts relevant to the legends surrounding the Carter sightings? Where is the editor of this site?
LADYTIGERETTE says: |
September 3, 2006, 3:53 pm |
OK I DON’T CARE WHAT YEW SAY YEW, NOT AS A BRITISH BUT JUST AS YEW, ARE STUPID!!!!!!!I’M JUST TALKIN TO ANGEL……!!!!!! SORRY I KNO THIS IS NOT RELEVANT TO THIS LEGAND SO I’LL SHUT UP BOUT WHAT WE WERE ARGUIN BOUT……….
*TOOTLES*
J-Priest says: |
September 9, 2006, 8:56 am |
Listen you brits, this haunt is in Huntsville, Alabama. If you british could tell the difference between maps and dental floss, then I’m sure you would know that this haunt is located in the United States of America! So snell and angel, GO LOOK UP THE BORLEY RECTORY!!! We americans kicked your *** before, and we’ll do it again! So I say, get off of our web-site!
*I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America! And to the republic, for which it stands, one nation, and justice for ALL!!!*
angel says: |
September 10, 2006, 9:02 am |
wat da hell u on bout i am not dumb u just stupid.
u dont get it ur mean 2 everyone ladytigerette. U r just so evil. I HATE THE WAY UR SO HARSH 2 EVERYONE.
bye.
angel says: |
September 10, 2006, 9:05 am |
WAIT UP 1 SEC MY BOYFRIEND IS AMERICAN I AM NOT SLAGGIN AMERICA I AM NOT BEING DAM HARSH BOUT DA USA JUST U. U DONT DESERVE TO BE ON THIS SITE.
J-Priest says: |
September 10, 2006, 8:07 pm |
Maybe we should all just drop the subject before we start an international controversey. We’re here for the haunts aren’t we? I’d like to hear more about that girl’s grave being relocated if you ask me.
Super Dave says: |
September 11, 2006, 11:08 am |
I live in Cedar Hurst Community aka “The Golden Ghetto”
I’ve heard the guards tell stories about strange things that happen around the house but I’ve lived here for 13 years and I’ve never seen a bush catch on fire or lights turn on and off by them selves although I thought I saw her walk away from me down the alley way behind my house but maybe it was just all the drugs I was on at the time.
Natasha says: |
September 12, 2006, 3:50 pm |
I live in Huntsville, and I just want to say first of all get your facts straight. My mother and her sister met the parents of Sally Carter and she was not murdered. She died of Whoping Cough when she was younger. Secondly, the grounds are haunted by the caretaker, which has been spotted as guarding her grave. But she did not die violently nor did she get murdered. Sorry! BTW Sally Carter’s home is now a country club.
J-Priest says: |
September 16, 2006, 1:17 pm |
Whatever? Whateve, what, angel?
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LADYTIGERETTE says:
July 24, 2006, 4:09 pm
AWWW…So Lassie just cause we Americans shorten words, now means were stupid????!!!! British pep…..dont get me wrong i luv em’.