Ghosts and Campus Hauntings: The University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama

Almost every university campus is home to at least one urban legend or supposedly haunted building. In Florence, Alabama, the local university has not avoided this fate. In fact, rumor has it that at least four, if not more, ghosts are residents who attend class more often than most freshmen.

Here are a few of the ghost stories associated with The University of North Alabama. If you're interested in more information on Alabama ghosts, visit http://theshadowlands.net/places/alabama.htm or, if you'd like more info on Florence's selection of ghostly tales, check out author Debra Glass's many books on hauntings, including her book on university spooks called Skeletons on Campus or her book on spirits of the Muscle Shoals/Florence area called Skeletons in the Closet. Debra Glass also offers local entertainment in the city of Florence. Around Halloween, she plays guide in the popular Shoals Ghost Walks, long walking tours exploring haunted locations in the downtown and university areas.

For more info on the tours, call 256-757-7506 or visit her blog at http://shoalsghostwalk.blogspot.com/ .

An Untold Secret

At the Guillot University Center, a dormitory for girls once thrived over the same grounds. The dorm existed when the university was known as Florence State Teacher's College. Apparently, during the early part of the 1900s (though interviews on the subject suggest it may have taken place closer to the mid 1900s), a student attending the college, who lived in the dorm, was said to have been keeping a serious secret. The inner torment of the mysterious secret became too much for her to bear. The distraught student committed suicide by hanging herself from the elevator shaft located in the tower of the building. To this day, the secret has never surfaced. All that is known for certain is that she believed the secret was so terrible that she had to kill herself in order to escape it.

According to Shadowlands Hauntings and interviews with the university's staff, it is said that, late at night, security guards patrolling the building hear noises that sound like a suddenly drawn taunt and a heavy, swinging object. The Guillot Center was built where the old dorm storm, but strange sounds still echo down the second floor corridor of the new building in the dead of night.

Must be Good Ol' George

The Norton Auditorium has its own tale. It is believed to be the haunting grounds of a beloved ghost that is known as "George." The ghost is said to be that of a construction worker who was lending his services to the building sometime during its construction or restoration. He fell from the scaffold he was working from and met his death.

Students of the Theater Department believe they can hear George travelling the catwalk. George is also reported as a fan of playing with the lights, but he remains a favorite audience member for late-night performers.

Waving Molly at the Off-Campus Bookstore

At the Off Campus Bookstore, the upstairs' window is the most likely place to sight the ghost named Molly. Molly is the ghost of a young girl said to dwell in the upstairs' room and look down below at the unfortunate pedestrians she wishes to recruit as playmates. During the late 1930s or early 1940s, the girl, whose name in life was reportedly Molly, lived in the same building with her parents. The legend says that when she turned eleven, for her birthday, her parents bought her a puppy. Soon after, the young dog contracted rabies and bit the girl on the hand. The girl soon passed away.

To this day, many believe that her ghost has been sighted on numerous occasions wearing a lovely dress and beaconing for visitors. The most interesting sighting was during one Homecoming Parade in which a float of college students waved at a small girl on the bookstore's balcony. When the students asked who the girl was, they were told that no child lived in the building and that their little admirer was none other than dead Molly.

Wesleyan Hall's Civil War Era Remnants

While exploring The University of North Alabama, you may encounter Wesleyan Hall, where the ghost of a Civil War general's son is said to haunt the vicinity. On Waterloo Road, there was an old bridge named One Lane, which was positioned over Cypress Creek. The son is said to have jumped head first into the water from the bridge and drowned as a result. This took place only a few minutes walk from the campus.

To this date, some believe that they have heard the wet footsteps of the son during the middle of the night. Still, some students say they have heard more than footsteps. The sound of an unexplained bouncing ball has also been heard, echoing down the empty corridors. Individuals from classes in Wesleyan Hall also have reported being distracted from their lectures by cold chills and the sudden sensation of being kicked in the back.

While the general's son is the ghost most often associated with Wesleyan Hall, students speculate that other bothersome spooks call Wesleyan home. Many assume that they are remnants of the Civil War as well, since part of the university served as a Confederate command post, and Wesleyan Hall was used by both the Confederate and Union armies soon after it was built.

Sources:

Personal Knowledge

Student/Faculty Interviews

http://theshadowlands.net/places/alabama.htm

http://shoalsghostwalk.blogspot.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_North_Alabama#Wesleyan_Hall_and_Bell