The Auburn and Opelika region is home to one of the most historic universities in the South. It is a region with a history stretching back generations, and it is a history that is very much still alive. Chilling remnants of the past continue to haunt Auburn-Opelika and the communities of Lee County. Join expert ghost hunters Faith Serafin, Michelle Smith, and John Mark Poe as they reveal for the first time the stories of the spirits still lingering throughout the area. The haunting of the University's Samford Hall, the legend of historic Springvilla mansion, and the Headless Man of Highway 80, among many other ghostly tales, uncover the darker side Auburn-Opelika. Faith Serafin is the director of the Alabama Paranormal Research Team, a dedicated group of individuals committed to the study of historical folklore relevant to locations in southeast Alabama and beyond. Faith volunteers her time in local schools and in her community to help raise awareness of local history and preservation. Faith hosts the Sea Ghosts Tours at Port Columbus, the National Civil War Naval Museum located in Columbus, Georgia. Haunted Auburn and Opelika By Faith Serafin, Michelle Smith, John Mark Poe The History Press Copyright © 2011 Faith Serafin, Michelle Smith and John Mark Poe All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-60949-230-4 Contents Acknowledgements, Introduction, The Legend of Springvilla Mansion, The Highwayman, The Love of Charlotte, Apartment 12, Der Häftling Geist, The Shadow Man at Villa Bar, The T.K. Davis Justice Center, The Moonshiner's Ghost, Salem Shotwell Bridge in Opelika Municipal Park, Sydney Grimlett: The Most Famous Ghost on the Plains, Samford Hall, Pine Hill Cemetery, The Pinetucket House and Mary Elizabeth's Ghost, Robert Trent Jones and the Ghost of Mary Dowdell, The Legend of Chewacla, The Legendary Confederate Camp Watts, The Auburn Train Depot, The Ghostly Frontiersman, The Altar in the Woods, The Ghost of Tandy Key, The Brewington House, The Little Girl in the Window, The Devil's Mouth at Moffitt's Mill, The Headless Ghost of Highway 80, The Huguley Homes, Bibliography, About the Authors, CHAPTER 1 The Legend of Springvilla Mansion Just outside Auburn, on a quaint side road, stands Springvilla Plantation, with its haunting and glorious past. Springvilla is a mid-nineteenth-century home built by Horace King, former slave of John Godwin, father-in-law to the property owner, Colonel William Penn C. Yonge. King was a prominent bridge builder and architect who took it upon himself to take in Godwin's family as his own after Godwin's death, due to their fondness for each other and their friendship. The home has incurred its own legendary status, surpassing the true beauty of the building and the genius of King's masterpieces. Property owner Penn Yonge should have been an afterthought to the beauty of Springvilla but for one little legend. Penn Yonge was known as a cruel master, and he met his demise at the hands of one of his own slaves — or so the legend says. The year 1864 dragged on wearily as the Civil War continued to rage. The citizens of this deep Southern region of Alabama were feeling the weight of the War Between the States. Mr. Penn Yonge, after a long day's work at his fields and quarry, retired to his home. His wife and son were away visiting her relatives, and Mr. Yonge was in the house alone — or so he thought. Penn Yonge was a notoriously cruel man when it came to his slaves. Growing angry with them on a whim, it seemed, he was quick to administer harsh punishments for almost anything he saw as disobedience. On this evening, one of the slaves had had enough. Earlier that day, the slave had stealthily taken a knife from the kitchen and secretly made his way into the house. He hid himself within a niche at the midpoint of the staircase. The night was dark because of the new moon, and no shadows were cast on the dark floors. Soon, Mr. Yonge closed up the house downstairs and made his way up to his room. As Mr. Yonge ascended the stairs, the slave heard him coming. Though it was dark in the house, Mr. Yonge was not carrying a candle, for he knew his way around. The slave waited with bated breath as he heard his cruel master coming up the stairs. When Mr. Yonge reached the thirteenth step, the slave sprang from his hiding place and plunged the knife deep into his master's heart over and over again, killing him and leaving blood everywhere. Today, a stain on the thirteenth step remains, and no one has been able to remove it. The overseer and a few other slaves heard the anguished cries and came running. They witnessed the slave jump out the front window of the house. He began to run but was caught by other slaves, who, fearing retaliation for the crime, dragged him to an oak tree in the front yard and hanged him. It is said that the spirit of this murdered slave can still be seen walking the grounds of Springvilla, looking for a way to escape