This Louisiana Plantation Is Said To Be One Of The Most Haunted Places In America
Located in St. Francisville, Louisiana (via NPS), The Myrtles Plantation is marred by its traumatic history. All That's Interesting writes that it was built in 1796 and was once named Laurel Grove by the original owner, David Bradford. Formerly a general in George Washington's army, Bradford had to flee the United States thanks to his role in the Whiskey Rebellion, and he ended up settling in Louisiana, which was then a Spanish colony (per The Myrtles Plantation). Bradford would construct the infamous home and eventually sell it to his son-in-law, Clark Woodruff, in 1820.
Woodruff, according to American Hauntings, was married to Bradford's daughter, Sarah Mathilde. The pair would have three children, but sadly, Sarah and two of the children died of yellow fever. Woodruff and his surviving child continued to live in the house until 1830. He sold Laurel Grove to Ruffin Gray Stirling in 1834 (per Exploring History). It was ultimately Stirling who changed the home's name to The Myrtles Plantation.
Tragically, of the nine children he had with his wife Mary Cobb, only four of them survived to adulthood. In 1854, Stirling died of tuberculosis. The calamity continued a few years later, when his son-in-law William Winter was shot dead on the plantation's front porch. After his death, ownership of the plantation changed several times. By the 1970s, however, The Myrtles Plantation had opened as a bed and breakfast when strange unexplainable occurrences began.
The alleged hauntings at The Myrtles Plantation
Perhaps the most famous ghost story of The Myrtles Plantation is the legend of Chloe. As the story goes, Chloe was a slave and Clark Woodruff's concubine (via All That's Interesting). Fearing that she would eventually be sent back to the fields, she eavesdropped on a conversation Woodruff and his wife Sarah Mathilde were having. Chloe was caught, and as punishment, her ear was cut off. She would wear a turban to hide the scar and later sought revenge. Chloe poisoned the family's food, causing the death of Sarah and her two children. Per American Hauntings, the other slaves, perhaps out of fear, then hung Chloe. She is now believed to be the most prominent ghost at Myrtles.
According to Haunted Walk, a young woman with a turban has been spotted occasionally throughout the property. It's also believed that her spirit was captured on film in 1992 by one of the Myrtles owners. Despite this alleged proof, many believe Chloe is only a myth as historical records show that Sarah Mathilde and her children did indeed die of yellow fever. Nonetheless, guests have continued to report sightings of Chloe.
Country Living reports that one former owner, Frances Keerman, has had countless paranormal experiences. She also believes both Chloe and William Winter's ghosts still roam the property. Moreover, Keerman has had "thousands of reports" from guests that include hearing, smelling, and seeing things. Despite the skeptics, The Myrtles Plantation is anything but shy when it comes to sharing their haunted history, as they now offer daily mystery tours.