Ghosts of the Myrtles Plantation (14 photos)

The Myrtles Plantation is just one of many scattered across the United States, and over the years of its existence since 1796, it has accumulated many interesting facts.





Deep in the American South, where the summers are hot and the air is filled with the spirits of tortured slaves and their cruel masters, lies the Myrtles Plantation (St. Francisville, Louisiana). With majestic balconies and columns, blue decorative elements and 20 rooms, it is located on a hill and looks like a fortress. But at the same time, the history of this magnificent structure is not for the faint of heart.



This story begins with a newlywed couple, Mr. and Mrs. Clark Woodroof.





Mr. Woodroof was a judge and owned many slaves, as was common in those days. One of his slaves was named Chloe. The poor thing suffered for many years from her master's cruelty.

To protect herself from abuse, she tried to eavesdrop on the Woodroofs' conversations and change her behavior. Once, after she was caught eavesdropping, Woodroof ordered her ears cut off. At the Woodroofs' request, she hid her deformed head behind a green turban. No one ever saw the terrible scar, but the painful experience stayed with the slave and inspired her to plan revenge.



On the day of Woodroof's daughter's ninth birthday, she added poisonous oleander leaves to a cake. Her goal was to poison Mrs. Woodroof and their children. Some sources claim that she never planned to kill the family members. They assume that Chloe only wanted them to get sick and suffer like she did. The illness could be cured. If Chloe had cured the family, she would have lived in honor in the house and been spared from working in the fields.

Unfortunately, the dose was fatal, resulting in the death of Mrs. Woodroof and her two children. When news of her actions spread throughout the plantation, the other slaves decided to take revenge. Chloe was hanged in front of everyone, and then her body was thrown into the Mississippi River.



After Chloe's death, other terrible events continued on the plantation. The new owner, a wealthy family man, and his five children died of tuberculosis. The estate later passed to one of his surviving daughters and her husband, the Winters. Mr. Winter was a respected member of his community and held a Sunday school in his home. One day, while he was teaching, a stranger rode up on horseback and shouted, demanding to see him.



As Mr. Winter came out, the stranger shot him point-blank. The man retreated inside and stumbled up the stairs, where he died in his wife's arms. The loud and determined steps he took at that moment can still be heard in the house today on the empty staircases…



Still from the film "The Long Hot Summer"

The plantation was later used as a filming location for films such as "The Long Hot Summer" (1958). However, the crew was not immune to paranormal encounters. During filming, the cast and crew reported furniture moving around the house on its own. They could find no logical explanation for this phenomenon.



Ghost or fake?

Paranormal activity has become more noticeable since the 1970s, when the Myers family purchased the plantation. Numerous guests and residents reported seeing a ghostly figure of a girl in a green turban wandering the grounds. In 1992, the owner took a famous photo that they believe captured the spirit of Chloe.

This photo was intended for home insurance in case of fire or other natural disasters, not as evidence of paranormal activity. The presence of a human figure in the photo was only discovered after editing. The owner of the house claims that no one was there when the photo was taken.

The Myrtles Plantation Mirror



That Mysterious Mirror

One of the creepiest paranormal phenomena occurs inside the house. In the hallway, just before the dining room, there is an antique mirror. Visitors have reported seeing the Woodroof children appear in the mirror next to the room where they were poisoned. One investigator noted that every time the mirror is replaced or re-silvered, the same handprints reappear, as if they refuse to be ignored and forgotten.



Despite the many ghost stories, there is some debate as to whether Chloe even existed or if that was her real name. Today, the residence is known as the Myrtles Plantation Bed and Breakfast. The house houses a restaurant, a hotel, and tours that allow visitors to experience "one of America's most haunted houses."