| The Myrtles Plantation - St. Francisville, La. |
History:
Declared to be one of the most haunted houses in America, the Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, La., located
near Baton Rouge, has a deep history dating back to the 1700's - the walls holding secrets from historical figures,
those who held prominent positions in the community and caretakers of the property.
After obtaining a Spanish Land Grant, the modest home was built in 1796 by General David Bradford, a wealthy
attorney and businessman from Pennsylvania who had fled George Washington's army in 1794 because of his
leadership role in the unsuccessful Whisky Rebellion. At that time, Bradford had given the home the name of,
"Laurel Grove" and lived there, alone until 1799. He then moved his wife, Elizabeth and their five children to the
home to join him. In time, one of Bradford's law students, a man by the name of Clark Woodruff married one of
Bradford's daughters, Sarah Mathilda. Sarah Mathilda and Woodruff had three children: Cornelia Gale, James, and
Mary Octavia. After Bradford's passing in 1808, the plantation was turned over to Bradford's widow, Elizabeth, who
allowed Clark Woodruff and wife, Sarah to manage it. Sarah died in July, 1823 after contracting yellow fever. The
following year, son James died from the same ailment and within two months daughter Cornelia Gale also
succumbed to the same disease. After the death of David Bradford, Clark Woodruff purchased the plantation from
his Elizabeth. Elizabeth was quite old at this time and Woodruff, Elizabeth and daughter Mary Octavia stayed on the
property together, caring for Elizabeth until her passing in 1830. After Elizabeth's death, Woodruff and daughter,
Mary Octavia moved to Covington, Louisiana, where he was appointed to a judge's position and in 1834, the
property was sold to Ruffin Gray Stirling and his wife, Mary Catherine Cobb. The Stirling family restored the
plantation home, nearly doubling its size. Being that the Stirlings were prominent figures in the community, they felt
it only fitting to give the home a new name and this is when the name, "Myrtles" was born. The Stirlings had nine
children; however, five had died at a young age. Stirling died in 1854 and he left the home to his wife. In 1865, Mary
Cobb's lawyer, William Drew Winter, was hired on to help manage the plantation. Winter eventually married Mary
Cobb's daughter, Sarah Mulford. They lived at the Myrtles and had six children; one of whom died of typhoid.
William and Sarah were eventually forced to sell the plantation but were able to purchase the home back in 1868.
In 1871 William Winter was shot, reportedly on the porch of the mansion by an unknown assailant. Some say he
was able to make it to the 17th step on one of the staircases in the home before dying. Others report that he
passed immediately on the porch; historical records also point to this fact.
Sarah remained with her children and mother until the time of her death in 1878. In 1880, when Mary Cobb died,
the plantation passed into the hands of Stephen, Mary Cobb's son. Stephen sold it in 1886 to Oran D. Brooks, who
then sold it in 1889. The house changed hands several times, until Harrison Milton Williams purchased it in 1891.
The Williams heirs split the land up over the next few decades. In the 1950's Marjorie Munson took over ownership
of the home. Munson was the first to notice strange occurrences in the mansion and began researching the
history of the property. The house again changed hands several more times and in the 1970's it was restored by
owners, Arlin Dease and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ward. James and Frances Kermeen Myers became the owners
soon after this and they believed the home to be haunted. At this point in time, the paranormal community began to
take notice in the property. The Myrtles is now a successfully run bed and breakfast owned by John and Teeta
Moss.
Declared to be one of the most haunted houses in America, the Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, La., located
near Baton Rouge, has a deep history dating back to the 1700's - the walls holding secrets from historical figures,
those who held prominent positions in the community and caretakers of the property.
After obtaining a Spanish Land Grant, the modest home was built in 1796 by General David Bradford, a wealthy
attorney and businessman from Pennsylvania who had fled George Washington's army in 1794 because of his
leadership role in the unsuccessful Whisky Rebellion. At that time, Bradford had given the home the name of,
"Laurel Grove" and lived there, alone until 1799. He then moved his wife, Elizabeth and their five children to the
home to join him. In time, one of Bradford's law students, a man by the name of Clark Woodruff married one of
Bradford's daughters, Sarah Mathilda. Sarah Mathilda and Woodruff had three children: Cornelia Gale, James, and
Mary Octavia. After Bradford's passing in 1808, the plantation was turned over to Bradford's widow, Elizabeth, who
allowed Clark Woodruff and wife, Sarah to manage it. Sarah died in July, 1823 after contracting yellow fever. The
following year, son James died from the same ailment and within two months daughter Cornelia Gale also
succumbed to the same disease. After the death of David Bradford, Clark Woodruff purchased the plantation from
his Elizabeth. Elizabeth was quite old at this time and Woodruff, Elizabeth and daughter Mary Octavia stayed on the
property together, caring for Elizabeth until her passing in 1830. After Elizabeth's death, Woodruff and daughter,
Mary Octavia moved to Covington, Louisiana, where he was appointed to a judge's position and in 1834, the
property was sold to Ruffin Gray Stirling and his wife, Mary Catherine Cobb. The Stirling family restored the
plantation home, nearly doubling its size. Being that the Stirlings were prominent figures in the community, they felt
it only fitting to give the home a new name and this is when the name, "Myrtles" was born. The Stirlings had nine
children; however, five had died at a young age. Stirling died in 1854 and he left the home to his wife. In 1865, Mary
Cobb's lawyer, William Drew Winter, was hired on to help manage the plantation. Winter eventually married Mary
Cobb's daughter, Sarah Mulford. They lived at the Myrtles and had six children; one of whom died of typhoid.
William and Sarah were eventually forced to sell the plantation but were able to purchase the home back in 1868.
In 1871 William Winter was shot, reportedly on the porch of the mansion by an unknown assailant. Some say he
was able to make it to the 17th step on one of the staircases in the home before dying. Others report that he
passed immediately on the porch; historical records also point to this fact.
Sarah remained with her children and mother until the time of her death in 1878. In 1880, when Mary Cobb died,
the plantation passed into the hands of Stephen, Mary Cobb's son. Stephen sold it in 1886 to Oran D. Brooks, who
then sold it in 1889. The house changed hands several times, until Harrison Milton Williams purchased it in 1891.
The Williams heirs split the land up over the next few decades. In the 1950's Marjorie Munson took over ownership
of the home. Munson was the first to notice strange occurrences in the mansion and began researching the
history of the property. The house again changed hands several more times and in the 1970's it was restored by
owners, Arlin Dease and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ward. James and Frances Kermeen Myers became the owners
soon after this and they believed the home to be haunted. At this point in time, the paranormal community began to
take notice in the property. The Myrtles is now a successfully run bed and breakfast owned by John and Teeta
Moss.
Investigation - September 25th, 2007
temperature - 76 F
dew pt. - 73 F
wind - NE at 3 mph. Calm.
sky conditions - overcast
humidity - 90%
Moon - 99% full
solar activity - normal
geo - quiet
temperature - 76 F
dew pt. - 73 F
wind - NE at 3 mph. Calm.
sky conditions - overcast
humidity - 90%
Moon - 99% full
solar activity - normal
geo - quiet
Reports:
Furniture moving about on its own, a piano playing on its own accord, strange voices, apparitions of children in
numerous different rooms throughout the home have been noted throughout the years and a woman in white
drifting about. These are only some of the most known activity. One must remember that The Myrtles is now a bed
and breakfast - visited by not only the typical tourist but also curiosity seekers, ghost hunters and history buffs.
Strange occurrences are often reported by guests. Of course the most famous of all of the stories known about the
home is that of the ghost of Chloe - a slave once owned by Clark and Sarah Woodruff. As this story goes, Chloe
was forced to be Clark Woodruff's mistress. At one point, Chloe was caught listening in on one of Woodruff's
conversations. He was so angry at her because of this that he cut off one of her ears. From then on, she wore a
green turban to cover up the horrible scar. Not long after this, Chloe baked a cake in celebration of the Woodruff's
eldest daughter's birthday. While preparing for the celebration, she slipped a small amount of oleander leaves into
the cake. This is where the story seems to splinter. Some say she did this to nurse the children back to health and
redeem her credibility in the home, others say it was for revenge. Either way, Clark Woodruff did not eat the
poisoned birthday cake and of course lived, however, wife Sarah and the two daughters consumed the cake and
died within hours. The other slaves living on the property learned of Chloe's actions, and possibly afraid of their
own punishment from their owner, dragged her out into the yard, and hanged her from a tree. She was later cut
down, her body weighted down with rocks and thrown into a river.
A perfect ghost story indeed, the only problem - it never happened. First, there were actually three Woodruff
children, not two: two daughters and a son. Second, Sarah Woodruff was not poisoned, but according to historical
records, died from yellow fever in 1823. Two of her children followed a year later from the same illness - son,
James in July, 1824 and daughter Cornelia Gale, two months later in September, 1824. Of course it is also well
known that daughter, Mary Octavia grew into adulthood, married and died at an old age.
Extensive searches have been made in to historical records regarding a woman fitting Chloe's story and
description, and none have been found whatsoever. How this story came to be is a mystery. Like many rumors,
this fable has worked its way through the grapevine and over time has grown to become the most notorious of all
of the Myrtle's ghostly tales.
It is often said that at least 10 murders took place at the plantation, in reality though, only one confirmed killing
could be found in historical records. The victim of that murder being, William Drew Winter. It is said that Winter was
lured outside onto the porch by an unknown assailant and mortally shot by this stranger. Winter, even though
fatally injured, was able to stagger back inside the home, through the central hallway and up the staircase, where
he died on the 17th step. Although this story is true, historical documents point to one discrepancy, and that is that
Winters died immediately; he did not trudge back into the home and up the staircase to die.
Another oddity of the home includes the "haunted mirror". This large mirror, some claim, holds the spirits of the
deceased who are trapped in the mansion and at times, these entities can be captured on film. The mirror has
been cleaned and replaced and yet the "images" still remain. Skeptics believe the images to be hand prints or
flaws in the mirror itself or even possibly, flaws highlighted from photo flashes from the woodwork behind.
Furniture moving about on its own, a piano playing on its own accord, strange voices, apparitions of children in
numerous different rooms throughout the home have been noted throughout the years and a woman in white
drifting about. These are only some of the most known activity. One must remember that The Myrtles is now a bed
and breakfast - visited by not only the typical tourist but also curiosity seekers, ghost hunters and history buffs.
Strange occurrences are often reported by guests. Of course the most famous of all of the stories known about the
home is that of the ghost of Chloe - a slave once owned by Clark and Sarah Woodruff. As this story goes, Chloe
was forced to be Clark Woodruff's mistress. At one point, Chloe was caught listening in on one of Woodruff's
conversations. He was so angry at her because of this that he cut off one of her ears. From then on, she wore a
green turban to cover up the horrible scar. Not long after this, Chloe baked a cake in celebration of the Woodruff's
eldest daughter's birthday. While preparing for the celebration, she slipped a small amount of oleander leaves into
the cake. This is where the story seems to splinter. Some say she did this to nurse the children back to health and
redeem her credibility in the home, others say it was for revenge. Either way, Clark Woodruff did not eat the
poisoned birthday cake and of course lived, however, wife Sarah and the two daughters consumed the cake and
died within hours. The other slaves living on the property learned of Chloe's actions, and possibly afraid of their
own punishment from their owner, dragged her out into the yard, and hanged her from a tree. She was later cut
down, her body weighted down with rocks and thrown into a river.
A perfect ghost story indeed, the only problem - it never happened. First, there were actually three Woodruff
children, not two: two daughters and a son. Second, Sarah Woodruff was not poisoned, but according to historical
records, died from yellow fever in 1823. Two of her children followed a year later from the same illness - son,
James in July, 1824 and daughter Cornelia Gale, two months later in September, 1824. Of course it is also well
known that daughter, Mary Octavia grew into adulthood, married and died at an old age.
Extensive searches have been made in to historical records regarding a woman fitting Chloe's story and
description, and none have been found whatsoever. How this story came to be is a mystery. Like many rumors,
this fable has worked its way through the grapevine and over time has grown to become the most notorious of all
of the Myrtle's ghostly tales.
It is often said that at least 10 murders took place at the plantation, in reality though, only one confirmed killing
could be found in historical records. The victim of that murder being, William Drew Winter. It is said that Winter was
lured outside onto the porch by an unknown assailant and mortally shot by this stranger. Winter, even though
fatally injured, was able to stagger back inside the home, through the central hallway and up the staircase, where
he died on the 17th step. Although this story is true, historical documents point to one discrepancy, and that is that
Winters died immediately; he did not trudge back into the home and up the staircase to die.
Another oddity of the home includes the "haunted mirror". This large mirror, some claim, holds the spirits of the
deceased who are trapped in the mansion and at times, these entities can be captured on film. The mirror has
been cleaned and replaced and yet the "images" still remain. Skeptics believe the images to be hand prints or
flaws in the mirror itself or even possibly, flaws highlighted from photo flashes from the woodwork behind.
The investigation:
Vicki and Ashley Turner conducted the investigation on Sept. 25th, 2007 from 8:30 p.m. - noon Sept. 26th, 2007.
EMF sweeps were conducted throughout. Digital recorders were placed accordingly and EVP sessions were
conducted according to protocol. Digital photos were taken and the team members were given a thorough tour of
the home. Vicki and Ashley's sleeping area included that of the purported, "17th death step"; the one in which
William Drew Winter allegedly died on. Of course this, as reported above, is a false statement. Vicki noted some
activity on the K2 meter in one of the bedrooms. She noted that the K2 indicated the presence of a female spirit in
the bedroom indicated, but attempts at other types of questioning with the K2 meter proved unsuccessful.
Regarding the "haunted mirror", Vicki photographed and examined this closely and noted that some of her photos
did show a "misty" appearance from different angles - much like photos from others have in the past. Again,
whether this is a flaw in the mirror, such as bowing, fingerprints or the woodwork from behind when a camera flash
occurs is anyone's guess. Vicki did not feel there to be anything paranormal in nature going on pertaining to the
mirror. (The photos can be seen at left, from different angles)
Upon meeting with other guests the next morning, the team members learned that one of the male guests who
had stayed in the guest house on the property the night before, had felt his toe "being pinched" while he was lying
in bed. Neither Vicki nor Ashley felt, saw or heard anything out of the ordinary on their visit and other than the K2
meter's possible indication of a presence in one of the bedrooms, all other meters stayed within their normal
ranges. Photos were negative. EVP was positive in the home and the captures can be heard below. Whether the
captures are relevant to the plantation, we are not sure of because of its extensive history. We are looking in to
correlating evidence between some of the captures and history at this time.
Vicki and Ashley Turner conducted the investigation on Sept. 25th, 2007 from 8:30 p.m. - noon Sept. 26th, 2007.
EMF sweeps were conducted throughout. Digital recorders were placed accordingly and EVP sessions were
conducted according to protocol. Digital photos were taken and the team members were given a thorough tour of
the home. Vicki and Ashley's sleeping area included that of the purported, "17th death step"; the one in which
William Drew Winter allegedly died on. Of course this, as reported above, is a false statement. Vicki noted some
activity on the K2 meter in one of the bedrooms. She noted that the K2 indicated the presence of a female spirit in
the bedroom indicated, but attempts at other types of questioning with the K2 meter proved unsuccessful.
Regarding the "haunted mirror", Vicki photographed and examined this closely and noted that some of her photos
did show a "misty" appearance from different angles - much like photos from others have in the past. Again,
whether this is a flaw in the mirror, such as bowing, fingerprints or the woodwork from behind when a camera flash
occurs is anyone's guess. Vicki did not feel there to be anything paranormal in nature going on pertaining to the
mirror. (The photos can be seen at left, from different angles)
Upon meeting with other guests the next morning, the team members learned that one of the male guests who
had stayed in the guest house on the property the night before, had felt his toe "being pinched" while he was lying
in bed. Neither Vicki nor Ashley felt, saw or heard anything out of the ordinary on their visit and other than the K2
meter's possible indication of a presence in one of the bedrooms, all other meters stayed within their normal
ranges. Photos were negative. EVP was positive in the home and the captures can be heard below. Whether the
captures are relevant to the plantation, we are not sure of because of its extensive history. We are looking in to
correlating evidence between some of the captures and history at this time.
| The famed Myrtle's mirror (click on thumbnails to see photos of mirror from different angles) |
| "Yeah, sure do" Female. Captured by Vicki Turner at the Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, La. while she was walking alone outside. Vicki questions, "do you live here?", and the response comes after a few seconds, "yeah, sure do". (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN1000, set at HQ mode). |
| "You're in my bed" Female. An unprovoked response. Captured by Vicki Turner while in one of the second story bedrooms of the mansion. (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN240, set at LP mode). |
| "They both hit her" Child. Unprovoked response. Captured while Vicki was outside alone on the property - of course, there were no children present. (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN1000, set at HQ mode). |
In conclusion:
The team members note that although their stay there was
remarkable because of its extensive history and picturesque beauty
both inside and out, they did not experience anything paranormal in
nature during their visit; however, first hand accounts of ghostly
activity has been recounted throughout the years by owners, guests
and employees. Are these people to be dismissed so easily? One
may have to visit to decide for themselves.
The team members note that although their stay there was
remarkable because of its extensive history and picturesque beauty
both inside and out, they did not experience anything paranormal in
nature during their visit; however, first hand accounts of ghostly
activity has been recounted throughout the years by owners, guests
and employees. Are these people to be dismissed so easily? One
may have to visit to decide for themselves.
| EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) captured from The Myrtles Plantation - analyzed for and discovered after the investigation was conducted. |
| "That fella's sick" Male. Captured while Vicki and Ashley were outside walking the grounds alone late at night. Vicki can be heard asking if anyone wants to "talk to us tonight". Over her voice is a male voice stating, "That fella's sick". (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN240, set at LP mode). |
| "Where is Hannah?" Female. Unprovoked response. Captured while Vicki was alone touring the grounds at night. (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN1000, set at HQ mode). |
| "Liar" Unprovoked response. Captured by Vicki Turner while she was dining in the restaurant at the plantation. She had just finished her meal and had left her recorder on the table. Vicki can be heard saying, "I'm stuffed". Seconds later, a voice stating, "liar" is heard. (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN1000, set at HQ mode). |
| "I love you very much" Male. Unprovoked response. Captured again, while Vicki and Ashley were outside walking the grounds at night. (captured with recorder brand Olympus VN240, set at LP mode). |
| Miscellaneous Myrtles Plantation Photos |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |