Haunted Piano of Mountain Brook, Alabama

Dr. William Jordan who lived just outside of Birmingham, Alabama, purchased a piano for his kids to play as they were growing up.  He had the desire to learn how to play himself, but never had the opportunity given his busy schedule.  However, in his later years, he managed to learn and churn out a couple of tunes.  There are some that say even though Dr. Jordan is long gone he can still be heard playing the piano on certain nights.

An old piano in the Old Brower Home in Mountain Brook, Alabama is said to play tunes on it's own in the middle of the night.

Recent residents of Dr. Jordan's home which is now known as the Old Brower Home in Mountain Brook, settled into the house and made themselves comfortable.  Except for certain evenings when the sounds of the piano that was left in the house when they took over could be heard.  Family members report hearing "Maple Leaf Rag" and "Stars and Stripes Forever" emanating from the old Steinway piano.  When they investigate, no one is sitting at the piano, yet it sounds as if it is being played.  Those two songs are heard being repeated over and over.

Upon further investigating the piano and the former owner, it turns out that Dr. Jordan, in his elderly years learned to play only two tunes on the Steinway, "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Maple Leaf Rag".


Location: 

3648 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35222
This is a PRIVATE residence!  Permission must be obtained from the owners to investigate the property. 

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References:
voices.yahoo.com

Haunted Hole of Choctawhatchee River Bridge - Newton, Alabama

Back in the mid 1860s during the time of the Civil War, a minister named William Sketoe was caught up in a scandal that would unjustly cost him his life.  Ever since that time he has made his presence known as he has come back to haunt those who wronged him in a most unusual way.

The original Choctawhatchee River Bridge - Newton, Alabama which is thought to be haunted by the ghost of Bill Sketoe

In 1864, the Reverend William "Bill" Sketoe was accused of being a traitor to the Confederate States of America.  Although he was innocent of these accusations, a mob of Southern vigilantes in their anger, decided to take matters into their own hands.  They strung Bill up on a tree by the Choctawhatchee River near Newton, Alabama.  However, the tree branch was too weak and the weight of Bill's body allowed his toes to touch the ground.  It would seem that Bill was saved from death...  temporarily. The Confederate mob then began to dig a hole around Sketoe's feet so he would not touch the ground.  As he was slowly strangled to death, he vowed to haunt his persecutors.

From that day on, at the spot where Bill Sketoe met his end, the hole that was dug to ensure his death remains in a spot next the the Choctawhatchee River Bridge.  Many times the hole has been filled in, only to be found empty later on.  In one particular incident, the Alabama Highway department filled the hole in and the very next day the hole remained, unfilled.

The original Choctawhatchee River Bridge near Newton, Alabama as seen from the new bridge.

Located near Fort Rucker Army base northwest of Newton, Alabama, a new bridge has been built next to the original Choctawhatchee River Bridge.  It is said that the hole is right next to it.  So it would seem that the Reverend made good on his promise as the ghost of Bill Sketoe continues to haunt the spot where he was murdered.

Haunted Boyington Oak Tree in Mobile, Alabama

In the early 1800s in Mobile, Alabama, a man by the name of Charles Boyington and his good friend Nathaniel Frost for some reason, liked to spend some of their afternoons in the Church Street Graveyard on Bayou Street.  Whether they liked the serenity of the graveyard setting or liked to pass time reading the tombstones, it is unknown.  However, the two would forever be remembered by this location and would become permanent residents sooner than expected.

Church Street Graveyard in Mobile, Alabama home of the haunted Boyington Oak Tree

One day Nathaniel Frost was found stabbed to death in the very cemetery that he and Charles Boyington like to spend so much time in.  Authorities having no other leads, assumed that Frost's killer was Boyington since they spent so much time together in that location.  Boyington of course pleaded his innocence, declaring that it was not he who committed the crime. The authorities were not convinced and Boyington was slated to be put to death for the crime.

On his day of execution in February 1835, Boyington proclaimed that a mighty oak tree would rise from his grave as proof that he was an innocent man.  Charles Boyington was hung to death and his body placed in a grave in Potter's field which was a portion of the Church Street Graveyard.  A few months after he was lain to rest, an oak tree began to sprout from Boyington's grave.

Restless Spirits of Sloss Furnace - Birmingham, Alabama

Undoubtedly, one of he most haunted places in the state of Alabama, the Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham now abandoned as a former steel making facility has been the subject of many paranormal investigations.

Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama has been the site of many deaths over the years

Sloss furnace began operating in 1882, turning iron ore into tons of steel for many uses across the country.  One of the foremen who oversaw the night shift for a time, was notorious for overworking his crew.  His name was James Wormwood.  He would push the workers in the 120 heat, overworking them and treating them horribly.  Hundreds of workers died at the plant from the deplorable conditions that existed. Wormwood's shift became known as the "graveyard shift".

Sloss Furnace was originally constructed with one large furnace nicknamed "Alice" which remained the largest even after two more were added at the end of the decade

Records state that Wormwood was overtaken by gas fumes one fateful evening, fell and tumbled off of the top of "Alice", the largest furnace, into the fires below.  Although, many believe that there is a terrible secret being kept that the workers of the "graveyard shift", fed up with Wormwood and his ways, tossed him into the molten fires of the furnaces.

One of the tunnels of Sloss Furnace

Over the years many people have claimed to see ghostly figures lingering in the shadows near the furnaces.  Although the furnaces have been inactive for some time, concerts and events are held on the facility.  Many roaming the old furnace complex have seen the same phantom lurking in the shadows, and some have seen another.  Others have experienced other forms of paranormal activity such as hearing strange noises in the buildings, feelings of dread and doom, and more commonly, sudden drops in temperature in certain areas of the furnace.  

Sloss Furnaces can be a formidable site at night

After several witnesses on an individual basis were shown photos of the former workers, there were two common identifications.  One of them being a worker named Theophilus Jowers who loved working at the plant and considered it a close knit part of him.  However, he tragically lost his life to his love one day after he accidentally fell into the furnace.  And the other individual that was most identified as being one of the ghosts spotted in the furnace...  was none other than James Wormwood.

Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama has been made a National Historic Landmark

Sloss Furnaces, the darkened area to the left on this photo, is still a fixture of the Birmingham skyline

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