Many locations in the South are said to be haunted, and besides Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, about 30 miles north of Baton Rouge, may house the most purported spirits per square foot in the entire area. In truth, Frances Kermeen, the mansion’s previous owner, goes one step beyond and declares it the most haunted house in the country.
After touring the recently departed plantation as a vacation destination, Frances and her ex-husband, James, decided to purchase it in 1980. They had little knowledge of the property’s past and were in their twenties at the time. By the time they left, more than ten years later, Frances’ wedding was over, and she would have a wealth of paranormal occurrences to recount.
Frances wrote about the terrifying experience in The Myrtles Plantation: The True Story of America’s Most Haunted House, which was published in 2005. The greenery, which is billed as “One of America’s Most Cursed Homes,” is said to be the residence of at least 12 ghosts. Although it is frequently claimed that the house was the scene of 10 homicides, only William Winter’s killing is mentioned in written documents. Unsolved Mysteries recorded a section about the purported paranormal activity at the plantation in 2001.
The production staff ran into technical problems while creating the portion, as per presenter Robert Stack. Another Ghost Hunters episode from 2005 included a segment on The Myrtles.
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The Phantom Of Chloe
Chloe (or Cloe), who is thought to be the most famous of the phantoms of the Myrtles, was allegedly a slave purchased by Clark and Sara Woodruff. One rumor claimed that Clark Woodruff had coerced Chloe into becoming his mistress. In many other variants of the story, Chloe is seen peering through keyholes to gather information about Clark Woodruff’s business affairs or for other reasons.
One of her ears was surgically removed shortly after she was apprehended, possibly by Clark or Sara Woodruff, and she covered it up with a green turban. According to rumors, Chloe prepared a cake for one of her two girls that contained an extremely toxic extract made from boiled and lowered oleander leaves.
She took the actions she did in order to resume tasks inside the home. Some believed she was seeking retaliation against the Woodruffs, while others believed she was trying to restore her reputation by trying to cure the family of the poisoning. A maid who was enjoying the mistress’ favor was an accused.
Legend has it that her strategy failed. Only Sara and her 2 daughters consumed the cake; they were all poisoned and perished. Then, Chloe is said to have been hanged by the other slaves and dumped into the Mississippi River, whether as punitive action or to avoid Clark Woodruff’s consequence for keeping her.
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This myth is refuted by historical evidence. There is no evidence that the Woodruffs ever owned any slaves, including one with the name Chloe or Cloe. Sara and her daughters were supposedly poisoned, according to folklore, but Mary Octavia lived into her adult life. Ultimately, yellow fever claimed the lives of Sara, James, and Cornelia Woodruff, though rather than poisoning. Irrespective of whether the Chloe story is factually accurate, some people think a ghostly woman with a green head scarf disturbs the plantation.
Other Myths
The Myrtles is the subject of numerous different legendary figures. According to legend, the house was constructed over an Indian grave site, and a teenage Native American woman’s soul has been seen there. The home was looted by Union troops during the Civil War, and according to lore, 3 people died there. A doorway allegedly has a bloodstain the length of a human body that cannot or would not be removed. According to other urban legends, the cleaning staff has reportedly struggled to fit their broom or clean up into that area. The ghosts of Sara Woodruff and 2 of her daughters are said to be trapped in a mirror in residence.
Mirrors are normally covered after a passing; however, according to myth, this specific mirror was not enclosed after the Woodruffs were poisoned. Sara and her children’s ghosts are said to have been stuck in the exposed mirror; they occasionally make themselves visible or leave handprint markings in the mirror. A young girl who passed away in 1868 despite receiving treatment from a voodoo professional in the area is also said to horrify the plantation. She allegedly manifests in the space where she passed away and has been seen performing witchcraft on occupants who are sleeping there.
There seems to be a soul who is said to crawl, stutter, or wander up the steps before stopping on the seventeenth step. According to some, William Drew Winter was the only confirmed murder victim in residence. According to legend, after being shot on the main house’s front porch, he stumbled or crawled up the stairs before collapsing and dying on the 17th step. According to alternative accounts of his murder, he managed to climb the stairs before passing out on the 17th step and being picked up by his wife. The validity of this variant of the narrative is disputed.
