Haunted Houses: Myrtles Plantation

In our series on haunted houses this month, we are focusing on a plantation. The Myrtles Plantation is located in St. Francisville, in the state of Louisiana near Baton Rouge in America. This plantation, which today serves as a Bed-and-Breakfast, is known as one of the busiest haunted houses in America.

The history of the plantation

The Myrtles Plantation was built in 1796 by General David Bradford, who lived there with his wife Elizabeth and five children. David died in 1808 and left the house to Elizabeth who continued to live there with her children. Sara Mathilde, one of her daughters, fell in love with one Clark Woodruff. They married and had three children together. They all continued to live on the plantation. In 1834, the plantation was sold to Ruffin Gray Stirling. Stirling and his wife Mary Cobb invested a lot of money in the plantation and it grew twice its size. They had nine children, but five of them died at a very young age.

Stirling’s daughter, Sarah, married William Drew Winter. They had six children, one of whom died at the age of three from typhoid fever. After that, the house changed many owners. In the 50’s it came into the hands of Marjorie Munson who first began to notice strange things. Then the house was resold again until it was finally purchased by James and Frances Kermeen Myers, the current owners, who have turned it into a Bed-and-Breakfast.

The legends

The earliest tragic legend known to the plantation is that of Chloe. The plantations of the time employed many slaves. Chloe was the slave of Sara Mathilde and Clark Woodruff. One day Chloe was caught eavesdropping on a private conversation of her owners. As punishment, her left ear was cut off and she was banished to the kitchen to work from then on. To hide the ugly scar, Chloe always wore a green turban. And she was angry, hinting at revenge.

She poisoned a birthday cake with oleander leaves and served it to the family. Clark refused the cake and put his youngest daughter to bed. Sara Mathilde and two of her three children did take cake and became seriously ill. So sick that they eventually died. Chloe was hung from a branch of an oak tree in the garden by the other slaves, who feared punishment. After her death, she was weighted down with stones and thrown into the Mississippi River. Her spirit is still seen in the garden and has even been captured in photographs. Also, guests sometimes wake up in the night and stare into her face. Brrrr…

William Winter’s death

In 1871, William Drew Winter was shot on his porch by an unknown man. No one knows what prompted his murder. According to legend, William crawled into the house with his last strength, stumbling up the stairs. He made it to the 17th step when he breathed his last. To this day, staff and guests hear trailing footsteps up the stairs that end abruptly at the 17th step.

Three dead soldiers

During the American Civil War from 1861 to 1864, the plantation was the scene of the murder of three Union soldiers who tried to hide in the house to escape the violence of war. At the entrance there is still a life-size blood stain that is impossible to remove with any means. It is also impossible to scrub the floor because anyone who goes over it with a broom encounters an invisible barrier. As if there were a body in the way…

Possessed objects

On the second floor is a piano that plays the same chords over and over again, by itself. When someone enters the room, the piano sound immediately stops. When the room is empty again, the song plays again. What is completely special is the large mirror in the house. In those days it was normal that when there was a death, all the mirrors in a house were covered with black cloths. This mirror was apparently forgotten when Sara Mathilde and her two children died by poisoning. It is said that their spirits were trapped in the mirror as a result. There are permanent children’s hands on the mirror that cannot be wiped away. Faces are also seen in the mirror with great regularity…

Other spirits on the plantation

An additional fact is that the plantation is built on an Indian cemetery. Since these cemeteries are sacred, of course this is asking for ghosts. For example, the ghost of a young Indian woman wanders the grounds. Also, the ghost of a girl who died in 1868 haunts the house. She was sick and was treated by a voodoo practitioner. Unfortunately, to no avail. She still haunts the room where she died and practices voodoo on sleeping, unsuspecting guests. Also, the many children who died in the house continue to haunt the house. Thus, children are often seen and heard playing outside on the porch and in the hall.

Film set

Over the years, the plantation has also been a popular film location for (historical) drama. For example, the 1958 film “The Long Hot Summer” was shot there. Before that, furniture was moved around in different rooms. When the crew then returned to the house the next day, all the furniture had been shifted back to its former state while no one was on the set at night. This happened on a daily basis. No wonder the crew was glad the filming was over!

The Myrtles Plantation today

The plantation is open to all. Although it has the reputation of being haunted, you can’t deny that it’s a beautiful, historic place. You can rent a room there, or you can rent the entire building. Would you dare?

There are many other places in the world that are haunted, even in the Netherlands! So also read our blog about real haunted houses in the Netherlands