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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colton says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:13 pm |
New sale at wal-mart all ball point ink pens are now 79 CENTS!!!!!!!!!
- POKE-MON MASTER , COLTONNNNNNNNN !
pokemon 666 says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:16 pm |
hey you cheetah ant licking son of a pooch what are you doing you nub ? i will throw a rock at you and pee on this website!!!
babycakes. says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:16 pm |
i want some flamin H0TT CHEE-OES !
pokemon 666 says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:18 pm |
would you like a cup of tea and some FLAMIN hott chee oes? and if not you could eat some of my oreyyy OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS
babycakes. says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:19 pm |
YES I WOULD LOVE SOME FLAMIN HOTTT CHEE-OES AND A CUP OF TEA !
COLTON LOOKS LIKE POO .
bahahahahhahahahaha
i like CHEEESE !
pokemon 666 says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:20 pm |
YOU LITTLE NIGGA YOU i might just have to throw a peice of pigeon at you!!!
babycakes. says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:22 pm |
this is betttter than cheese though.
PEOPLE THE MYRTLES ARENT SCARY ![]()
JUST GO HOME AND OPEN A BAG OF CHEEE-OES
INSTEAD !
– HAHAHA I CAN MAKE SMILEYS!
the guy beside you says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:23 pm |
:(:(:(:( you ohhhh sooo mean to me….. you little blonde girl im in back hand distance from you idiom.
that one chick. says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:24 pm |
spiders can fly ask colton.
colton says: |
April 29, 2008, 1:25 pm |
why yes … yes they can! you black HOE
Derinda says: |
April 29, 2008, 6:22 pm |
I would certainly like to believe this. And some day maybe I’ll be able to afford to go to the plantation but giving that I live in New Mexico I seriously doubt that will be anytime soon. However, I was researching this and came across this article published in a book called “So there I was” and said that there was never a ghost named Chloe that was ever recorded to have worked on the plantation. Also that the wife and two daughters was more like the wife, one son and a daughter who all three died from Yellow fever an epedimic that swept the south and plagued numerous families. Though it is facinating and I am very confident that there spirits that dwell there I don’t believe that one of them is a slave girl who out of jealousy or anger murdered three household members. According to family records and the records of the houses occupants there was only one actual murder that took place there. But who really knows right all we have to go on is what’s been passed down through generations…speaking of which according to this article the story of Chloe actually originated by the family it says that one of the girls remembers hearing stories of an elderly lady that wore a green bonnet. Supposedly she had been spotted several times but they never named her…more questions I suppose.
kari says: |
April 30, 2008, 9:42 pm |
I made a trip to the myrtles the year of my 8th grade field trip . i never seen any thing 4 myself but i have been told many scary stories in a few days ( jun 9th ) i am going spend the night 4 my 17th birthday … i will report back later on what happens .thanks kari
Dee says: |
May 2, 2008, 10:08 am |
Derinda, That’s right about the Chloe deal, at least thats what I read also. There’s no record of her or what happened documented anywhere and Judge Clark Woodruff had 3 children-2 girls and 1 boy. His wife, 1 daughter, and 1 son all died of yellow fever. One daughter survived, Mary Octavia. I think the Chloe thing got started when one of the previous owners kept seeing a woman in a green turban in the house and I think they jokingly gave her a name (Chloe), then it grew from there. Also, William Winters is the one that was murdered. He was shot on the front porch by an unknown man on horseback. The tour guides at the Myrtles say that he drug himself back into the house up to the 17th step of the staircase and died in his wife’s arms, but again according to historical documentation, he died on the porch. Supposedly, at night, you can hear him on the staircase. The people that stayed in the room at the top of the stairs when we were there left before midnight because they said they heard things falling on the floor and a music box playing right outside their door. Also, the Myrtles is built on top of a Tunica Indian burial ground. The first owner of the Myrtles, Whiskey Dave, would see a naked Indian girl on the grounds. I think there’s a lot of made up things, but it’s still haunted. A murder doesn’t have to take place for spirits to be there. I saw the little boy with my own eyes. Also, going back in June. I’ll report back….
Dee says: |
May 2, 2008, 10:25 am |
Derinda, You’re right about the Chloe thing, at least from what I’ve read. There was no Chloe or oleander cake. Judge Clark Woodruff had 2 daughters and one son. His wife, 1 daughter and 1 son died of yellow fever. One daughter survived. Mary Octavia. Also, the man murdered there was William Winters. He was shot on the front porch by an unknown man on horseback. The tour guides at the Myrtles say that he drug himself back inside, up the staircase and died in his wife’s arms on the 17th step. According to historical documentation, he died on the porch. Supposedly at night, he’s heard climbing the stairs. The people that stayed in the room at the top of the stairs when we were there left before midnight because they said they heard things falling on the floor and a music box playing outside of their door. The house is built on top of a Tunica Indian burial ground. The first owner, Whiskey Dave, claims to have seen the ghost of a naked Indian girl on the grounds. I think there are a lot of made up stories, but a lot of tragedy and loss has taken place there also and that is why spirits remain. Also, I read that the Chloe thing could have started when one of the past owners kept seeing a woman in a green turban around and they jokingly named her Chloe. We’re going back in June. I’ll be back to post…
Dee says: |
May 2, 2008, 10:28 am |
oops, I didn’t think the first post went thru
the doo doo ghost says: |
May 2, 2008, 12:37 pm |
hello, i am a ghost and i need to go take a huge doo doo at the Myrtles plantation. soo i will get back to you. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! O_o
foogle. says: |
May 2, 2008, 12:38 pm |
BOOOOOOOOO ![]()
ima ghostie ![]()
BHAHAHAH
AN EVIL GHOSTIE !
NEHEHEHEHE.
no life. says: |
May 2, 2008, 12:40 pm |
You people need to get a life and get on myspace and chat it up on there
the black man . says: |
May 2, 2008, 12:42 pm |
i am a black man
that has no life .
and all i do is read fake ghost stories all day.
because yeah im gay. like colton
i think i should just go shoot myself
and become a ghost.
![]()
oh yeah
& CHEEEE-OESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !
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Dee says:
April 7, 2008, 11:37 am
My sister and I and our two sons spent the night at the Myrtles in November 2007. It was awesome. We’re going back in June. My sister and I saw a little blond boy playing in the yard about 20 minutes after we got there. We were hauling our luggage to the caretaker’s cottage. A tour group had just gone into the house and no one was outside the house but us. I was talking when I looked across the yard. He was standing behind the fence by the caretaker’s cottage. When he saw me looking, he walked quickly across the yard with his head down. I leaned back to see if he was walking between the house and the gift shop and would show up in the courtyard (I didn’t realize he was a ghost yet. He was not transparent. It just seemed a bit odd. It also looked like the sun was shining brightly on him). When I turned my head, my sister gasped and said, “Did you see that?” I said, “What, the little boy?” She said he peaked out from around the corner of the back of the gift shop and jumped back when she saw him. We looked around, but no one was there. Also, our sons saw a man in overalls by a lamp post that night. Another couple left early because of hearing things drop on the floor and a music box playing outside their door. A couple that was there has posted a recording on youtube. In the background, a woman is distressed and trying to wake someone up named John. If anyone has seen the ghost of the little boy, I’d sure like to know. Please post here. Thanks