By Angie Carlson- Hurst
Who’d have guessed that Louisville was crawling with creepies? Sure, anyone who’s lived here for even a short time has heard the stories about the Waverly Hills Sanitorium, and having been there once upon a time (before you could take a Louisville Ghost Hunter’s Society-led tour, mind you), I can attest to the extremely bizarre vibe one gets. But is that all? Heck, no- for instance, did you know that the spirit of a long-departed projectionist haunts the Palace Theatre? Or that Cornelia Culbertson (d. 1880) still walks the halls of the mansion her husband built for her in New Albany?
In researching this article, I found that our fair city is quite the hotbed of paranormal activity. As I mentioned before, we even have our own chapter of the American Ghost Hunter’s Society. Those folks are presently involved in an investigation of Waverly, along with several other areas. For those of us who spent any of our adolescence in the area surrounding Waverly, the reasons for this require no further elaboration (they’re checking out Hotrod Haven- excuse me, ‘Mitchel Hill Road’- too), but the unenlightened should reference this week’s article covering that fine establishment for more information. If you’re interested in learning more about the LGHS, you can visit their website at www.louisvilleghosthunters.homestead.com.
Where else can you go for a hair-raising good time? Being that October 31st is right around the corner, you might be tempted to ask where you CAN’T go, and you’d have a pretty good point. But let me ask you which is more frightening- something that was set up to scare you for All Hallows’ Eve, or something that does it for free every day of the year? You could, if you were so (financially) inclined, book a room at the Seelbach and try to meet the infamous ‘Blue Lady’ who has been seen- and her perfume smelled- since 1907, when her newlywed husband was killed on the way to meet her at their wedding reception and she opted to throw herself down an elevator shaft rather than live without him. Or check out the gorgeous Rathskeller- there are vague rumors that it’s haunted, too. If you’re looking for cheaper thrills, try getting access to the basement of the Speed Museum, where an ‘unidentified woman’ has been seen. Maybe she’s the late Hattie Bishop Speed, making the rounds and checking to make sure things are running smoothly. Barring that, maybe you’d like to see for yourself who or what is spending an awful lot of time after-hours scaring cleaning crews and leaving notes in the Jefferson Building over at JCC.
And let us not forget the Culbertson Mansion, a mere jaunt across the river in stunning N’Awbany. According to its curator in 1998, a U of L parapsychologist visited the Mansion in 1985 and suggested that the house itself has a spirit and may be partially responsible for the strange manifestations reported by staff over the years. As for the late Mrs. Culbertson, it seems the lady of the house is rather fond of her wedding gift and has been none too pleased with past pauses in its renovation. In combination with the funky energy emanating from the 4’x4′ room the Culbertsons put their children in when they were naughty, I think Hollywood ought to option the story- think Rose Red meets The Amityville Horror. Sort of.
And some not-so-common sites: The U.S. Marine Hospital on Portland Avenue- Civil War soldiers shouldn’t still be patients, should they? The old Doe-Anderson Building at 223 E. Broadway- former home of machinist millionaire Henry Vogt: one Doe-Anderson employee was reportedly forced to call it an early night when a loud party just wouldn’t let him get any work done. That wouldn’t be so weird if he hadn’t been only person IN the building at the time. The Shively/Newnan (Dixie Highway) and Jeffersontown (Watterson Trail) branches of the Louisville Free Public Library- as if you haven’t been in enough libraries… but are there disembodied voices, unexplained smells, and strangely dressed women in Ekstrom? Well, sure, but not like this- why not check them out (pun totally and embarrassingly intended)?
Just for the record, don’t bother looking for the Goatman at Pope Lick Bridge- you’ll only meet one of Louisville’s Finest. To keep bonehead kids from being hit by trains or jumping from the trestle (and subsequently dying of rather massive injuries), there’s a pretty strict patrol up there.
