Monticello Ghost Tour 2010

So, last night I went on ghost tour with some friends around the city of Monticello. The tour was hosted by the Big Bend Ghost Trackers. Monticello is said to be the south's most haunted town. I always thought that title went to St. Augustine, but for the purposes of this blog-it's Monticello. After each story I'll post the photos from that location.

One of the first stops on our tour was to the Jefferson County High School. The school was built in 1852, and was the first brick schoolhouse in Florida. The school is currently being renovated. The workers have reported hearing children laughing, and tools disappearing. The cloudy looking pictures were photos I took by placing my lens against the glass and shooting. The tour guide said that because of the type of glass it wouldn't be a problem. The last photo was the cleanest photo I was able to get. I don't understand though, because the people around me who were doing the same thing were getting clean pictures.

Next, we went to the John Denham house. It now serves as a bed and breakfast. There are reports of a woman in white walking throughout the yard. There have also been reports of seeing people walking around inside the tower in the center of the roof. There was a man there last night. I believe an actor. When he stood sideways he resembled Alfred Hitchcock. His movements were calculated, he would duck down, and then slowly pop up. Walk to a window and then duck down again.

Next on the tour we stopped at the Palmer House. The Palmer House is supposed to be the most haunted house in the south. It served as a funeral home from what I understand. The road next to the house was a cemetery. The graves were dug up before the road was put down. Our guide said that when they looked in the coffins there were scratch makes on the inside- meaning some people weren't actually dead when they were buried. As a way to make sure that the dead were actually dead they would tie a string around the buried persons finger that would connect to a bell above ground. Someone would sit in a chair next to the grave over night - where the term "graveyard shift" supposedly comes from. If the bell was heard ringing you were considered a "dead ringer" or "saved by the bell". Among the reports in this home are flying teddy bears, chairs rocking by themselves and a blood stain above the fireplace that refuses to go away even though the original wall that the stain was on has been replaced. The house is currently serving as an antiques shop. While we were listening to the stories outside the house, a woman came from around the side. She owns it now, and opened it up for us to walk through. Outside of the house is a statue. Apparently there have been reports of the statue moving. Not like "Night at the Museum" moving, more like, it shifts.

* That's not the moon.

Following the Palmer House we walked to the city's hanging tree. On our way we passed a group of people hanging out at the gas station (because that's where people go in Monticello for a good time) started making "ooooooOOOoooo" sounds as we walked by. It was pretty funny. The hanging tree sits outside the Courthouse. When it was used, hangings would take place at noon on Thursday. The shops would all close up at noon to go to the hanging tree to watch the days' hanging. To this day, the shops in the city still close at noon in keeping with the tradition. One of the stories about this tree has to with people driving by and seeing a soldier standing in front of the tree.

The Court House. At the bottom of the steps the concrete is slightly discolored. The tour guide told us that she believes it is from a gun fight that took place there, the stains left over from the blood. The following pictures of the Court House I included because of the orbs I caught. They seem to move, and don't appear in all my photos. I just thought it was neat that the one seemed to want to follow our tour guide. In the first photo, on the door is the brightest orb I've ever got on camera.

Next, we went The Wirick-Simmons House. This house was built in 1831 and survived the fires brought on by the Civil War. It currently acts as the Jefferson County Historical Society. A lady in pink and a lady in yellow are common sightings. Most people see the lady in pink looking out the windows, and the lady in yellow is reported to be seen in photographs. One of the ladies of the house used to make coffins in a building on the lot.

The Jefferson County Jail was the last stop on our hour and a half walking tour. No one knows for sure when the jail was built. The first mention of the jail was during a dedication of the Court House in 1908. This prison is actually 3 stories tall. The prisoners were held on the top floor and the bottom floors housed the officers and supplies. The back of the prison was where the women were held. Among the stories of this prison are hearing moaning, footsteps, and the sounds of cell doors being opened and closed.