What could be more fun on a crisp, fall evening than taking a haunted walking tour? Well, I can’t think of a single thing. Candy and I made plans to get together with our hubby’s and experience haunted Franklin. Eager to get our fun-filled evening started, Terry, Jeff, Candy and I met at the tiny, Italian restaurant Zolo’s in downtown Franklin for dinner. As we were parking along a side street, we hear, “Hey, that was my spot,” only to find Candy and Jeff pulling up alongside us. They have been touring historic sites around Franklin including the Lotz House, the Carter House and the Carnton Plantation. Since Candy had recently visited Carnton, an absolute read is “Widow of the South” by Robert Hicks:
Once we were were all seated for dinner, we ordered, talked, laughed and caught up. For appetizers, we decided on the bread sampler with three dipping oils along with fried calamari that we all shared. As far as entrées, Candy decided to go with the shrimp fettuccini, I ordered my got-to favorite, chicken fettuccini alfredo, Terry ordered the penne diablo while Jeff settled on the grilled salmon with risotto and asparagus.
While we were enjoying our dinner, Jeff asked how Terry he ended moving from Milledgeville, Georgia to middle Tennessee. Terry shared how when he was 17, he and his family were vacationing in Nashville and they happened upon a tiny art school outside of Franklin. Terry’s Dad thought he had innate talent and asked if they could submit and application. It was the weekend and even though the administrator said they were not taking any more admissions, they gave Terry an assignment to complete overnight and when they returned the next day, he was accepted. So within a matter of weeks, they packed up their belongings, sold their house and they’ve been here ever since. Quite the origin story.
After dinner, graciously Terry walked back to our car and dropped off all of our leftovers as well as our purses so Candy and I wouldn’t have to lug them around. Terry rejoined us and we made our way to the courthouse where we checked in with our guide and waited for the tour to begin. It was much cooler tonight than I thought it was going to be and even though I had on a light sweater it was quite chilly. I should have brought a light jacket and close-toed shoes with socks instead of my flip flops. I’m a grown-up and should have know better but, live and learn.
Waiting for tour to start at the courthouse.
We began the tour at the courthouse and our guide, Alicia reminded us that Franklin was occupied by the Union during the Civil War and that the courthouse was their command post. As such, soldiers were posted on the balcony to keep an eye on the citizenry. Over the years, people have reported seeing Union soldiers on the balcony overlooking the roundabout thinking that there was a re-enactment. Nope. Just ghosts.
As we headed to our next stop, the Corn House otherwise known as Lillie Belle’s or now Biscuit Love, it began to lightly sprinkle. Great. Cold and rainy. Alicia told us the tale of the Corn sisters who lived in the house with their widower father. One of the daughters was engaged to marry, wedding dress, invitations, etc. At the same time, her father announced that he was to wed as well. The two daughters knew that if their father re-married that neither one of them would be eligible to inherit any property due to the legalities of the time. They told their father that if agreed not to wed, that they wouldn’t either and they would take care of him for the rest of their lives which is what they did. Over the years people have reported seeing a white whoosh in the Corn house. When ownership changed, construction crews found a hidden panel in a tiny room at the pinnacle of the house which contained a box with a wedding dress inside. Once the dress was relocated to the Heritage Foundation Museum, the sightings ceased.
While Alicia was regaling us with this story, someone’s phone started ringing incessantly and everyone started looking around. As we were walking towards our next stop, Jeff realized that it was Candy’s phone that had been ringing. He was carrying her phone in his pocket since she didn’t have her purse and her father, Joe had been calling. What was so funny is that both Candy and Jeff were also looking around to see who’s phone was annoyingly ringing. Hysterical!
Another funny story that Candy told us over dinner that included Joe was that during Hurricane Florence that rolled over North Carolina, he updated his Facebook page saying that he was “Safe”. Candy’s sister Courtney said, of course he was safe from the hurricane, he was in Gallatin, TN.
As the sprinkles continued, we made our way across Highway 96 and headed to Gallery 202, formerly Clouston Hall. This house was active during the Civil War and was used as a surgery but the most telling tale was the story of the young 17-year-old bride who hung herself the from the front stairwell the day before her wedding. It seems she was unhappy to be marrying her 49-year-old groom. Folks have reported seeing her as well as a host of other haunts in the home.
Next we headed to the Masonic Lodge, the oldest public building in Franklin, where President Andrew Jackson and his Secretary of War, John Eaton who lived in Franklin, met with 14 Chickasaw leaders and signed the 1830 Indian Removal Act which led to the lamentable Trail of Tears.
After the Masonic Lodge, we headed back towards Main Street to the tiny brick building that, in the early 1800’s, was the office of Dr. McPhail. Until recently, the building was used to sell local made honey’s, jams, etc. Apparently, things would move around and doors would be locked from the inside. Weird.
Retailer, Twine Graphics was our next stop. Last Friday night, Roy was set-up on the sidewalk just outside Twine live painting for the monthly Art Crawl. Little did I did know then that was it haunted. Since there weren’t any shoppers about at the moment, they let the entire tour group come inside which made my toes very happy because it was toasty warm inside. This building was the site of a murder-suicide that apparently keeps repeating on a loop as people regularly report hearing thuds coming from upstairs when they are alone in the building. Unnerving.
From Twine we went to the Mosley House which is now the cute boutique, The Shop Around the Corner. Mrs. Noelle Mosley, a widow, shared the house with her sister until her sister passed away. Local lore says Mrs. Mosley would sit in a rocking chair in the front parlor of her home so she could watch the happenings on 3rd Avenue. The story goes that she used to enjoy a cigar while she people watched and that sometimes people would get a whiff of her cigar smoke as they passed by.
And finally, we made our way to Cherry Manor which at one time was a combination nursing home and funeral parlor. Our guide said that sometimes really sensitive people get light-head, nauseous or dizzy standing in front of the house. Candy, of course had to walk up on the porch and peek in the windows.
Cherry Manor was the end of the tour and our group dissipated and went their separate ways. We headed back to our cars, Candy and I walking just ahead of Terry and Jeff. We were just chatting and walking along and as we were passing the Mosley house Candy stopped me in mid-sentence and asked if I smelled smoke. I thought about it and realized I had but that it hadn’t registered. I took another sniff and it was gone and then we walked through it again. We stopped and looked behind us and around us and no one was smoking. It definitely wasn’t cigarette smoke, it was cigar smoke. Boy did that get our goat. Terry and Jeff said they were probably pumping smoke from a machine for the “suckers and ‘fraidy cats” to really get them going and we laughed albeit a bit nervously because we know what we experienced.
Walking back down Main Street, we stopped in the charming gift shop, Avec Moi. Candy has had a round, glass locket on her mind since we were together this past June. She found one that took her fancy but since we left our purses in the car, she had to ask Jeff for his credit card which was pretty funny. She bought the locket for herself and said it was for her birthday.
As we made our way back to our cars, Candy said they were heading to Chattanooga tomorrow to visit Penny and Molly Anne who were both enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. During dinner, they said Penny was a “super senior” and hoped that she would graduate soon.
For some reason we started talking about Christmas and Candy regaled us with her tale of their live tree last year. I was howling. So much sap Jeff said. I told him that every year, I feel like Chevy Chase in “Christmas Vacation” when he’s in bed reading People magazine and everything he touches sticks to his fingers, paper, hair, a bedside lamp. I reached out and touched Candy’s hair to simulate the sticky said situation.
It was a great evening and I was so glad we didn’t have to drive very far to get home. We let Jasper out, gave him some dinner and hung out with him for a couple of hours and watched “Live PD” before calling it a night.
Candy texted me on their way home. Here’s how our conversation went…
Text to Candy: If you’d live here…you’d be home. 😉
Candy: That’s Soooo Franklin!!!
Michelle: Ha! I’m still laughing about Joe being “ok” from Hurricane Florence.
Candy: He was safe!!! IN GALLATIN! Send pictures
Michelle: I’ll crop them in the morning & send them to ya!
Candy: Ok. Keep any 👻