The Myrtles Plantation
St. Francisville, Louisiana
By Shannon Reinbold-Gee
A profound sense of longing and loss clings to the moss draped trees surrounding the Myrtles Plantation, thick as the heady azalea-laced air. Legends abound here and the Myrtles Plantation is one of the most recognized haunts in the South, known as “one of America’s most haunted homes.” A beautiful antebellum mansion founded in the late 1700s, the Myrtles Plantation of St. Francisville, Louisiana, has most recently been honored as one of the 150 best properties to stay at according to National Geographic Traveler’s April 2008 issue. But although the rooms are beautifully furnished and appointed, and the estate is rich in history, neither reason is why many visitors choose to spend a night in this dramatic setting.
The architecture and gentle landscaping of the Myrtles evoke a mood of old-fashioned comfort and relaxation; but there are things at the Myrtles that remain restless. Visitors have mentioned jewelry disappearing and waking to find themselves fully tucked into their beds. Strange noises on the staircase, furniture that moves, a grand piano that plays by itself, mysterious handprints on the mirrors, odd things appearing in photographs – There is no doubt that the Myrtles is haunted, but the debate rages even now as to who or what is doing the haunting.
Most of the stories regarding the Myrtles revolve around a string of unfortunate choices that brought disturbance and death. It begins with David Bradford who helped quell the Whiskey Rebellion, and bought the land with a special grant from the Spanish, building a humble eight-room main house. Unfortunately the land had previously been the burial ground for at least one Native American tribe and when his builders happened upon bones, Bradford supposedly ordered them burned.
Bradford’s daughter married Clark Woodruff, a main figure in the most popular tales about the Myrtles. According to popular lore, Woodruff married Sarah, but was quite the philanderer! Woodruff’s most damaging affair was with a household slave, Chloe. When his attentions turned to a new slave, Chloe began eavesdropping to figure out ways to prevent being sent out to harsh labor in the fields. Catching Chloe listening to a private conversation, Woodruff drew a sword and cut off one of her ears. As a result Chloe began wearing the turban that has become her ghost’s signature in photographs. Even more desperate than before to prove her worth as a household staff member, Chloe baked a birthday cake for one of Woodruff’s children. In the batter she included some oleander, thinking the amount would make them ill enough that she could show her value by nursing them back to health. Unfortunately she overestimated the amount she needed. Quickly Woodruff’s wife and children succumbed to the poison-laced birthday cake. Afraid they’d be found guilty of murder by association, Chloe’s fellow slaves lynched her. Rumor claims Chloe’s ghost still haunts the grounds and the eerie sounds of children playing where none can be seen suggests that the Woodruff children have remained as well.
As the property was passed through other owners, tragedies mounted. Children died young (a horribly common occurrence) and diseases like yellow fever ravaged families. William Winter was murdered on the front porch of the Myrtles following the Civil War, supposedly rallying long enough to drag himself inside and partway up the main staircase where he died in his wife’s arms. In 1886, the Myrtles passed out of the original family’s grip forever.
Although historical records do not support every story that has helped make the Myrtles Plantation so attractive to would-be ghost hunters, enough paranormal researchers and curious visitors have investigated and experienced creepy and unexplained things that it seems certain the plantation is haunted. Precisely who is haunting the grounds is up to speculation, and perhaps we will never know the full truth, but murder, tragic accident and deadly disease seem to be the causes of most of the ghostly activity at the Myrtles. Financial difficulties caused the plantation to change hands several more times before the present era. Beginning in the 1950s, people began to mention odd occurrences happening in the house.
Today the Myrtles Plantation is a welcoming respite from the hustle and bustle of modern living. Rooms and cottages are available for rent and public ghost tours run several times a day. The Myrtles Plantation has a connection to true tragedy that makes it worth a stay, whether you are a spirit or not!
194 comments on this haunted house. Share your story »
194 Comments |
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Leslie says: |
December 26, 2006, 4:37 pm |
My experiences with The Myrtles have occurred on several different visits. Most recently me and a couple of friends stayed on December 20, 2006. I have never been so terrified in my life. Several things happened including something “tugging” on my necklace on our Mystery tour. I almost told my friend Michelle to “Stop it.” Except she wasn’t doing anything. I felt something burning hot touch me when I went to peek in at the mirror from the back porch at night. Michelle saw the curtain move by itself. We heard footsteps on the stairs when every guest was accounted for on our tour.
The time before that, in October 2006, I got an a picture of the front door with a lady in black victorian clothes and a little girl’s face looking out. It’s not in the other pictures of the front door just minutes apart and I was inside and there was noone like that in there.
My boyfriend and soulmate, Rob, and I went the previous summer (2005) and while we were holding hands strolling on the grounds we heard two little girls playing. There were no little girls around. We checked.
We stayed this last time and at 3:00 pm me and another guest heard something that sounded like shutters getting ready to fall and a door trying to open (to the gift shop) and I was so scared I was shaking. I might have slept all of three hours.
Aimee says: |
January 3, 2007, 2:47 pm |
now i didnt go in, sleep, or take the tour. But i will after what i saw. I was taking a video and my mom was taking pictures of everything on the outside. We did not see any ghost with the naked eye. We talked to this woman who was on here way out and was a tour guide who told us the story of the myrtles and told us that the ghost’s are mostly seen on camera or video. When i heard that i went on. we videoed and took lots and loths of pictures. The first Ghosts we saw were unbeliveable. Not even close to any of these pictures There was a little girl about 12 or so and a little boy about 8 or 9 they werent flying and they werent glares, they were as clear as the sky but we could autimatically tell they were ghosts when we didnt see them with the naked eye. The next 2 we saw were in the middle window and the window to the right of it. on the left side of the house on the top story. The one in the middle was an old man the one next to it was a girl who looked like she was in a pink nightgown.We only saw these ghosts on the video but we did see the little girl in the pink gown in 1 picture. I am a 12 year old girl who is excited and determined to go back to the Murtles Plantation and find out more and see more of this family.
Aimee says: |
January 3, 2007, 2:47 pm |
now i didnt go in, sleep, ot take the tour. But i will after what i saw. I was taking a video and my mom was taking pictures of everything on the outside. We did not see any ghost with the naked eye. We talked to this woman who was on here way out and was a tour guide who told us the story of the myrtles and told us that the ghost’s are mostly seen on camera or video. When i heard that i went on. we videoed and took lots and loths of pictures. The first Ghosts we saw were unbeliveable. Not even close to any of these pictures There was a little girl about 12 or so and a little boy about 8 or 9 they werent flying and they werent glares, they were as clear as the sky but we could autimatically tell they were ghosts when we didnt see them with the naked eye. The next 2 we saw were in the middle window and the window to the right of it. on the left side of the house on the top story. The one in the middle was an old man the one next to it was a girl who looked like she was in a pink nightgown.We only saw these ghosts on the video but we did see the little girl in the pink gown in 1 picture. I am a 12 year old girl who is excited and determined to go back to the Murtles Plantation and find out more and see more of this family.
Aimee says: |
January 3, 2007, 2:52 pm |
Hey there, could anyone reply to my comment and tell me if you saw the same people i did!
please i wil keep in touch
Randol says: |
January 5, 2007, 1:44 am |
I have been to the myrtle’s and you have the story a little bit wrong chloe was caught at the double doors in the sitting room spying on woodruff so he cut her ear off and also when chloe was hanged for poisoning the cake woodruff had nothing to do with it chloe made the mistake of telling some other slaves about her plan and when the wife and children died the other slaves did not want to be punished for chloe’s doing so one night they got together drug her out of her shack and hanged her on a tree on the property then they cut her body down and threw her in the mississippi river then later on before woodruff sold the house he ordered his slaves to plant twelve myrtle trees lined with spanish moss planted beside the back porch and dedicated them to his wife and children and i had some experiences in that house when i walked in i felt something brush against me and as if a presence was in the room in the sitting room my leg went numb as i was standing inbetween the double doors as soon as i moved my body out from between the doors my leg got feeling back and when i walked into the second part of the sitting room i saw an indent in the couch as though someone was sitting there and a breeze of violet perfume passed by me into the other room
Taylor says: |
January 5, 2007, 4:43 pm |
I have been to the plantation before i do not belive in ghost so I did not feel or see anything.But it is very pretty and I recomend you to visit it.
Payge says: |
January 5, 2007, 4:48 pm |
I think that they are just making it all up about the ghosts
Emma says: |
February 6, 2007, 7:41 pm |
I’m pretty nervous and excited about this place. I’m acually going there this April on a huge field trip, so I want to be as ready as I can.
Tammy says: |
February 9, 2007, 11:09 am |
My daughters class is going to the Myrtles on a field trip on Monday 2/12. I love ghost stories but have never seen or experienced any ghostly activity. I’m hoping that something happens on our tour. I will take lots of photos and will let you all know if I get anything. Also, please if you have Myrtles photos I would love to see them. Please post and I will send you my e-mail.
Thanks!
Natasha says: |
February 12, 2007, 3:39 pm |
In all historical slave records for Myrtle’s Plantation that have been tracked down through time, there has been no Chloe or any other spelling close to this to. Not to disprove that the haunting are not real just the story of Chloe. The women in the green turban has said to be seen, but it is not the women that the plantation owners say it is or the town’s people. As for the one male owner who was shot at the plantation he did not crawl to the thirteenth step and die. He was killed on the spot on the front porch. As for the mirror with the reappearing figure there may be more to this story. I know the glass has been changed several times, but it may be that when the would was made someone messed up and touched it and the problem lays behind the mirror. I still believe the place has a good chance that its haunted, but not by whom they think.
Tammy says: |
February 13, 2007, 11:38 am |
Went to the Myrtles yesterday on a school field trip and have some new stories for you. I talked to some of the overnight guests and one couple had a ghost in their room. They said that the curtian pushed out like there was someone hiding behind it and when they got quiet and looked, it pushed back against the window then gathered the edge of the curtian and pulled it back like someone looking into the room from behind the curtian. They also heard children laughing and playing in the next room and footsteps. Another couple that stayed said they played their radio all night but that it kept changing stations and it even turned off once. I had a pretty good experience. While listening to the tour I was standing by myself with my back to an empty room and had all the hairs stand up on my neck. I looked around but saw nothing. I wore some cheap earrings since I had heard that earrings dissappear and when I left I still had both of them but the strangest thing happened after that. The earrings are the kind with a wire that you just hook through your ear and I had worn them for about 4 hours before the tour but after that they kept falling out of my ears. I couldn’t keep them in anymore and had to take them off. Pretty strange. We took a lot of pictures and video, so far all we see are a few orbs but I see orbs in a lot of my pictures so I have a hard time believing that these are spirits. I am going to review the video today and see if anything shows up. Overall the house was nice and I want to go back and spend the night.
Dah-Mairi says: |
February 13, 2007, 8:36 pm |
My class is going on a field to the Myrtles plantation on May 10 and i am terrified. It sound fun ,but about the ghost I don’t believe it until i see it. My teacher sas u better wear you an adult diaper because when you see that it is real then you are going t pee you pant and that’s what is so scary about it.
bunny says: |
March 8, 2007, 4:25 pm |
I think the story is very sad and I feel bad for the poor souls trapped in that house and on that property. They’re all slaves to the land like so many others in the south. I live in LA and I believe strongly in ghosts and spirits but I’m not scared…most of them don’t want to hurt you…most of them only want peace and to be able to get on with their after life :/….BTW its Marie Laveau…I used to live right by her old place…
_Bunny
Joe says: |
March 26, 2007, 10:59 am |
Hi Im Joe . I actualy slept overnight in that house like a few years ago. I was there, it was like 2 in the morning where I felt 2 people tickling my feet. I wasnt scared it was just funny. I never saw that ghost chloe though but I ill go back again sometime this year. Its fun.
MIchael says: |
March 27, 2007, 8:48 pm |
why is it called myrtles plantaiont shouldnt it be called chloes plantation
Ullee says: |
June 20, 2007, 11:46 pm |
http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/ the site seems to be the best ghosts and haunted website i have ever found updated daily too… check it out
joe says: |
June 27, 2007, 5:37 pm |
i have been there before…… i took a pic there and u see the ghost in the background it is very scary and there is a very eerie vibe ……. im SCARED … chloe took my earing while theere
Jarrett says: |
July 2, 2007, 2:00 am |
I have recently visited the Myrthles and stayed for two days. I stayed in the John Leeke room and it was about 11:30 P.M. and I was sitting on the bed looking at my laptop then I thought I saw something move right above the screen. The room is set up to where the bed faces the window which has a view of the court yard. Later, about 12:15, I was still on the laptop and when I looked up I saw the curtains swiftly move. I don’t know if it was my mind or ghost. I know the air conditioner isn’t strong enough to blow curtains 15 feet away.When I had the pictures developed, I saw orbs in the room and a mist-like formation by the window. I have no photos because Icouldn’t figure out how place them on the internet. Sorry
Holli says: |
July 15, 2007, 4:08 pm |
I stayed at the Myrtles in the upstairs bedroom. I recommend taking the haunted tour before you spend the night. It was extremely scary and creepy and I could not sleep all night. I didn’t see anything in particular, but there was a wierd-looking dog that started hanging out with me and my three friends. He was sweet enough, but odd-looking. I was pregnant at the time, and my daughter, who is now five, is sort of spooky, not scared of anything, hides in dark closets and jumps out at you, that sort of thing. Maybe she knows something I don’t. Go if you can, and stay the night.
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Susan says:
December 18, 2006, 7:23 pm
Do you realize “Myrtle” was in Harry Potter!! Sorry but I love Harry Potter and I couldn’t help realizing. I’m not saying its not true, but I just wanted to say it. Maybe J.K. Rowling copied it! It is kinda odd. Oh ya I have to read the article. I just saw the title!