Located in St. Francisville, Louisiana, the Myrtles Plantation is a majestic mansion that has been shrouded in mystery and haunted legends for over two centuries. The plantation has been the subject of many ghost stories, paranormal investigations, and even Hollywood movies. But beyond the tales of ghostly apparitions and eerie occurrences lies a dark history that has shaped the plantation and its legends.
The Myrtles Plantation was built in 1796 by General David Bradford, a wealthy attorney and judge who had fled Pennsylvania after being involved in the Whiskey Rebellion. Bradford established a thriving plantation on the site, which he named Laurel Grove. After his death, the plantation passed through several owners before being purchased by Ruffin Gray Stirling in 1834. It was under Stirling’s ownership that the plantation was renamed The Myrtles, after the myrtle trees that grew on the property.
It was also during Stirling’s ownership that the plantation became associated with one of the most tragic events in Louisiana’s history: the Civil War. The Myrtles Plantation was located in an area that was fiercely contested during the war, and both Union and Confederate soldiers passed through the plantation. According to legend, one of the most famous ghosts that haunts the Myrtles is that of a Union soldier who was killed on the property during the war.
But the Civil War was not the only tragedy to befall the Myrtles Plantation. In 1823, the plantation was the site of a brutal murder, in which William Drew Winter, a lawyer who lived on the property, was shot and killed. Winter’s wife, Sarah, was also shot but survived the attack. She later died of yellow fever, and her ghost is said to haunt the plantation to this day.
The murder of William Winter has been the subject of much speculation and intrigue. Some believe that he was killed by a disgruntled client or business associate, while others suggest that he was the victim of a political assassination. Still, others claim that the ghost of a former slave, Chloe, was responsible for the murder. Chloe, who had been punished severely for eavesdropping on her master’s conversations, had supposedly poisoned the Winter family’s food in an attempt to win their sympathy. However, the poison had unintended consequences, and several members of the family became seriously ill. According to the legend, Chloe was then hanged on the property, and her ghost has been seen wandering the plantation ever since.
Whether or not these legends are true, there is no denying the eerie and unsettling atmosphere of the Myrtles Plantation. Visitors have reported hearing strange noises, seeing ghostly apparitions, and experiencing unexplained events. Some have even claimed to have been physically touched or pushed by unseen forces.
Despite its haunted reputation, the Myrtles Plantation remains a popular tourist attraction and wedding venue. The property has been restored and maintained over the years, and its beautiful gardens, elegant rooms, and historic charm continue to attract visitors from around the world. But for those who are brave enough to stay the night, the Myrtles Plantation offers a glimpse into a dark and haunted past, where the line between reality and legend is blurred, and the spirits of the dead still linger on.
