Ghosts in Montgomery

Posted on September 30, 2013 by bob in Features

The Confederate section of Oakwood Cemetery, Montgomery.

by Willie Moseley; photos by Bob Corley

Haunted Montgomery is the latest in a series of books on unusual occurrences in specific locales, this work profiling locations and buildings in the Capital City, and the ghosts and spirits that reportedly inhabit them. Author Faith Serafin is director of the Alabama Paranormal Research Team (APRT) and author of similar books about Auburn and Opelika, AL, and Columbus, GA.

Faith Serafin, author of Haunted Montgomery, at one of the sites featured in her book.

Serafin’s interest in the paranormal began in childhood, when she recalled seeing and communicating with the spirit of her deceased great-grandfather at a family home in Georgia.

“I spent roughly 15 years, mostly as a solo investigator, before I formed my group,” she said. “If I had to guess at how many investigations I had done prior to my team being organized, I would say roughly 50 to 60—mostly residential locations, homes, businesses, and historical locations.”

APRT is headquartered in the Auburn/Opelika area, and its investigations have included historical military sites including Gettysburg, PA, and Alabama’s Fort Morgan in Baldwin County. Serafin acknowledges the Deep South has a disproportionate share of mysterious legends.

“There is no shortage of ghost stories here in the South,” she reflected. “Storytelling and history are definitely part of Southern heritage, and seem to be tied together with legends and stories of heroes and epic battles. Traditionally, it’s part of our culture. I also study the cultural history of the ‘Old South’, and have found that many slave stories and Native American  folklore were part of the verbal communication and means of passing down generational stories from family to family. Over the years, they kind of evolve into a supernatural story.”

Haunted Montgomery is based on individual interviews about specific sites, and not all of the interviewees wished to be identified. The book opens with a discussion of Hank Williams, and addresses such local legends as Huntingdon College’s “Lady in Red,” and a ghost at Lucas Tavern in Old Alabama Town. Serafin’s research revealed some surprises.

“I was very surprised to find out about the murder in the Capitol building,” she said. “That particular story is one of my favorites in the book. Also, I spoke with two different locals about the First White House of the Confederacy, and got a really spooky coincidence. Both ladies had similar experiences at the museum on different days, and these women don’t know each other. All the hair on my neck stood up after interviewing them and hearing how similar their experiences were.”

Murder, blood, and late night footsteps in the state capitol building.

There was one disappointing facet to Serafin’s research in Montgomery.

“I actually had enough material for this book to write a second (book),” she said. “That’s always a future possibility. There wasn’t much that was ‘disqualified’. To me, all haunted history is good, but a few stories weren’t consistent enough or didn’t have enough of a back story to establish them as a ‘historical haunt’ for Haunted Montgomery.”

A few of the sites and stories that were researched but not included in the book were Kilby Prison, the Creek Casino location, the Montgomery Theatre, and the slave trade in the city.

“There were stories about all of those subjects,” Serafin said, “but nothing with enough of a spooky significance to include them.”

The next step after researching paranormal activity is a full-bore, on-site (often overnight) investigation, involving sophisticated electronic equipment, including thermal sensors and audio-video gear.

“My team and I have investigated several residential homes in Montgomery, and we have been very successful with that,” she said. “Families in need of answers due to paranormal problems are always our first priority when dealing with the supernatural. Typically, we find that questions are easily answered with some thorough investigating, and it’s those cases that are, above all, most rewarding to us.”

Lucas Tavern in Old Alabama Town.

Serafin is eager to do similar investigations at historical locations. Perhaps surprisingly, cemeteries don’t often figure into such opportunities. Hank Williams’ grave in Oakwood Cemetery, as well as the legendary “glowing grave” at another cemetery, would be low on Serafin’s priority list.

“Believe it or not, we typically don’t get a lot of paranormal evidence from cemeteries,” she said. “It’s mostly folklore that ties a substantial person to an unusual grave or burial location that makes it ‘haunted’, in my opinion.”

However, Hank Williams does figure into her quest for an investigation, but not at the cemetery.

“I would love to investigate the Hank Williams Museum,” she enthused. “It wasn’t listed in the book, but I feel like there is some very good potential for paranormal activity there. Working in a museum, I have personally felt, seen, and witnessed so many unusual and strange things. It seems likely that certain items belonging to a deceased person, would have a sort of connection to them.”

Graveyards, says Serafin, are not particularly productive sites for ghost-hunting.

The first story in Haunted Montgomery was inspired by a series of recurring dreams Serafin had about Hank Williams over a one-year period. She documented her dreams and the series of events that led her to Nashville in search of his spirit.

“I felt it was an important part of my personal experiences to tell readers how Haunted Montgomery came to be,” she says, “and how the ghost of Hank Williams contributed to the book.”
Serafin is gratified by the reception to Haunted Montgomery.

“I love meeting history buffs and paranormal enthusiasts,” she said. “They have the best stories to tell, based on their own experiences. History tells us what is important, but occasionally, a ghost story can tell us what is forgotten.”

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