Don't be fooled by the scenic beauty of North Carolina's Piedmont Triad--the ghosts of the past haunt these rolling hills and unique cities. From the smallpox-stricken ghost that haunts Salem Tavern in Winston-Salem to the slain Revolutionary War soldiers who linger in the park surrounding Guilford Courthouse in Greensboro, these phantoms all have a tale to tell. Some ghosts even support education. Take Jane, the lonely spinster who haunts Aycock Auditorium at the UNC-Greensboro campus, or Herschel, High Point University's ghost of the former Memorial Theater. And though Spookywoods Haunted Attraction in Kersey Valley often frightens and astounds, some of the resident ghosts aren't just special effects. Join Camel City Spirit Seekers Michael Renegar and Amy Spease as they reveal the eerie and chilling stories from the heart of the Piedmont. Michael Renegar was raised in East Bend, N.C, where he still resides. He is an avid guitarist, songwriter and student of history. Sherry Holley, niece of rock 'n' roll founding father Buddy Holly, has recorded some of his music. Michael grew up listening to relatives and tell ghost stories and has since set out to record as many of these old legends as possible. He attended Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. Michael is a model photographer and the co-founder of Camel City Spirit Seekers, a ghost investigative group based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is the author of two previous collections of North Carolina ghost stories. Amy Spease is a native of Winston-Salem. She still lives there with her husband, David, and two children, Rocky and Jade. She is an eclectic soul and collects many things, from odd antiques to 1950s tableware. Amy is part American Indian and embraces that heritage. She is an artist and has also been an alternative model since 2005. Her love of ghosts and the paranormal has been a huge part of her life since childhood, and she adores her home state and its rich history and ghostlore. She is the co-founder of Camel City Spirit Seekers. Ghosts of the Triad Tales from the Haunted Heart of the Piedmont By Michael Renegar, Amy Spease The History Press Copyright © 2011 Michael Renegar and Amy Spease All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-60949-140-6 Contents Acknowledgements, Introduction, The Ghosts of Old Salem, From a Darker Place, Reynolda: Carolina Royalty, Enduring Mysteries, Tales from Salem Academy and College, Pawpaw's Message, A Hanging Sadness, Three Little Indians and Other Tales, Korner's Folly, The Legend of Aycock Auditorium, Greensboro College Ghosts, The Americans Fought Like Demons, Dana Auditorium, The Lonely Girl, Real Ghosts at Spookywoods?, Herschel, J.H. Adams Inn, In Conclusion, Selected Bibliography, About the Authors, CHAPTER 1 The Ghosts of Old Salem Old Salem is one of the oldest settlements in Western North Carolina. It was initiated by the Germanic Christian sect called the Moravians, and the first settlers arrived from nearby Bethabra in 1766. It was once a separate town but merged with its neighbor, Winston, in 1913 to form the new city of Winston-Salem. Today, it has been re-imagined as a series of living history museums, complete with costumed docents and private homes and businesses operated in accordance with rules that maintain the spirit of the old town. There are also other spirits present, according to various legends. One of the earliest and most famous of these is the Little Red Man. In life, he was known as Mr. Andreas Kremser. The moniker comes from a very distinctive red coat the well-known man, a cobbler by trade, usually wore. Kremser lived with other single men in the Single Brothers' House. One evening in 1786, while working in the basement of the house digging out to expand the cellar, Kremser was buried alive by shifting earth. Miraculously, the poor man was still alive when the other brothers dug him out. He was mortally wounded, however, and though doctors were summoned, they could do little for the broken man. He lingered into the night but died in the wee hours of the next morning. The cobbler was laid to rest in God's Acre, the portion of the community cemetery reserved for members of the Moravian Church. Thus the story of Andreas Kremser ended ... or did it? From the time of his death until well into the twentieth century, Andreas was said to still be around. People heard strange noises, much like a shoemaker's hammer, at all hours of the day. From the corners of their eyes, people would glimpse a short human form and a flash of red, said to be Kremser's well-known red coat. Any unexplained occurrence was attributed to the restless specter now called the Little Red Man. The ghost was reported to be playful. Several children reported encounters with an odd little man who would talk to them or play with them. He could also be a bit mischievous. Once, two men were discussing the ghost in the cellar of the Single Brothers' House when Andreas