Deep in the quiet town of Montevallo, Alabama, the Edmund King House hides dark secrets from a time of wealth, loss, and unrest. Imagine walking past this old brick mansion at night, only to see a faint glow from a lantern held by no living hand, or hearing the clink of coins counted by an invisible figure.
What draws these spectral presences back to the University of Montevallo campus? Could it be the buried treasures of a wary planter, or the cries of forgotten souls bound by chains of history? One bizarre tale stands out: witnesses claim to see an elderly spirit endlessly tallying his fortune upstairs, as if death could not loosen his grip on gold.
This haunted mansion in Shelby County beckons those brave enough to uncover its chilling past, where tragedies linger like mist over the peach orchard.
Table of Contents
What Is Edmund King House?
The Edmund King House, often called the Mansion House, sits proudly on the University of Montevallo campus in Shelby County, Alabama. Built in 1823, this Federal-style brick home was one of the first of its kind in the area, boasting rare glass windows that gleamed like jewels amid the wilderness.
Today, it serves as a guest lodge for visitors, but its fame comes from eerie reports of ghostly apparitions, disembodied footsteps, and mysterious lights. Located near Highland and Bloch Streets, close to the King Family Cemetery, the house draws paranormal enthusiasts and history buffs alike.
Edmund King House Haunted History
The story of the Edmund King House begins with ambition and ends in sorrow, marked by a trail of untimely deaths, brutal enslavement, and wartime fears.
Edmund King, born in 1782 in Virginia, married Nancy Ragan in 1812 in Griffin, Georgia. By 1815, he ventured to Alabama, drawn by fertile lands and opportunities. Accompanied by servants, he built a log cabin in what became Montevallo, impressed by the water, timber, and soil.
In 1817, guided by Creek leader William Weatherford, known as Chief Red Eagle, King brought his family to the site. He replaced the humble cabin with the grand Mansion House in 1823. Enslaved laborers crafted bricks from Shoal Creek clay, shaping the two-story structure in English bond.
The house became a symbol of King’s rising fortune from cotton plantations, a mercantile store, and investments in local ironworks. Visitors marveled at its elegance, making it a social center for the planter elite.
Yet, darkness shadowed this prosperity. The institution of slavery formed the grim foundation of King’s wealth. He enslaved dozens, perhaps up to fifty at times, including individuals like Uncle Ben, Uncle Frank, Aunt Julia, and Sukey. These people toiled in fields, orchards, and the home, their lives marked by coercion and hardship.
Stories from formerly enslaved residents hint at the brutality: whippings, family separations, and endless labor under the sun. King’s plantation thrived on their backs, producing cotton that fed mills and built his riches.
Family tragedies struck hard and often, fueling whispers of a curse. King’s wife, Nancy King, died in 1842 at age 49, leaving him with ten children. He remarried Susan Ward in 1848, but she passed in 1850, adding to the grief. Buried in the nearby King Family Cemetery, their graves became somber reminders.
Accidents claimed more lives. In 1848, son Lylleton King, the seventh child, met a horrific end during a hunting trip. His brother Nathaniel King accidentally shot him, a mistake that haunted Nathaniel until his own death from tuberculosis in 1863. The Civil War brought further devastation.
Three grandsons perished young: Eli Shortridge, 18, killed at the Battle of Seven Pines in 1862; Frank Forrester Shortridge, 19, slain at the Battle of Atlanta in 1864; and George D. Shortridge Jr., who lost a leg in battle and died in 1868 shortly after returning home.
Edmund himself faced bizarre perils. Legends say he buried gold coins and silver in his beloved peach orchard to hide them from Union soldiers raiding the area. He wandered the grounds often, tending trees or visiting graves.
His death in 1863 at 82 remains murky—some cite natural causes or health woes, others a freak accident: a falling tree limb crushing him in the orchard. This odd demise, amid wartime chaos, amplified tales of unrest.
The house passed to heirs, then deeded to the Alabama Girls’ Industrial School in 1908, evolving into the University of Montevallo. Yet, the echoes of slavery’s horrors—forced labor, broken families—and the string of deaths create a tapestry of darkness. Fires never ravaged the structure, but metaphorical blazes of grief burned deep.
Suicides are unrecorded, but the weight of loss suggests despair. Bizarre accidents, like Lylleton’s shooting, hint at fate’s cruel hand. These elements—tragedies, enslavement, hidden wealth—form the haunted backbone, where spirits may linger, bound by unresolved pain.
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Edmund King House Ghost Sightings
Reports of paranormal phenomena at the Edmund King House span over a century, blending folklore from enslaved communities with modern investigations. No named ghosts dominate, but many tie sightings to Edmund King, seen as a blue-tinged figure with lantern and shovel, eternally hunting buried treasure.
Others suggest spirits of enslaved people or tragic family members. Below, six detailed accounts highlight the most compelling, drawn from oral histories, student lore, and probes. Each reveals specifics like dates, witnesses, and eerie details, painting a vivid picture of the unrest.
Early 1900s: Uncle Ben’s Hant Encounters
Around the early 1900s, Uncle Ben, formerly enslaved by Edmund King, shared vivid tales with students for the 1913 Technala yearbook. Living near the house post-emancipation, he described seeing a “hant”—a ghostly old man with a lantern and shovel—roaming the peach orchard at night. “I seed him wid my own eyes,” Ben recounted, noting the figure’s frantic digging as if seeking lost gold.
These sightings occurred multiple times, often under moonlight, with the spirit vanishing near the King Family Cemetery. Ben’s stories, rich in dialectic charm like “sperrits” and “hants,” preserved African American folklore, linking the apparition to King’s wartime burials. His accounts sparked campus ghost lore, emphasizing the orchard’s eerie glow.
Early 1900s: Uncle Frank’s Coin-Counting Specter
Uncle Frank, another formerly enslaved by King and later claimed by son Frank King, reported auditory hauntings inside the Mansion House. In interviews for the same 1913 yearbook, he described hearing “clink-clink-clink-ity-clink” from an upstairs bedroom, like coins being counted.
Peering up, he glimpsed a shadowy old gentleman—believed to be Edmund—tallying money by lamplight. This happened repeatedly in the evenings, around dusk, when the house was quiet. Frank, sold for $3,570 in 1863 (equivalent to $87,385 today), wove irony into his tale: the spirit’s greed persisting beyond death.
He felt a chill presence, as if watched, adding to the house’s unnerving atmosphere. These details highlight themes of lost wealth and moral judgment in enslaved narratives.
Early 1900s: Aunt Julia’s Cemetery Lights and Presences
Aunt Julia, enslaved and working in the King household, recounted spectral lights in the King Family Cemetery to the same students. In her 1913 testimony, she described flickering orbs dancing over graves at midnight, accompanied by whispers and a “lean, slim” chill.
One night, while walking near the cemetery, she felt an invisible hand brush her shoulder, urging her away. “It wuz a sperrit, sho’ nuff,” she said, linking it to buried family members like Nancy or the fallen grandsons.
These events unfolded in the orchard’s shadows, with Julia sensing unrest from the enslaved buried unmarked nearby. Her reluctance to share a “real ghostly story” at first, throwing up her hands in dismay, underscores the fear these encounters instilled, blending superstition with lived trauma.
Early 1980s: Cheerleader Camp Apparition
In the early 1980s, during a cheerleading camp at the University of Montevallo, Gina Helms and her peers experienced a terrifying sighting. Staying near the Edmund King House, several girls spotted an apparition through the second-floor windows—an old man bathed in bluish light, holding a lantern.
Helms, who didn’t see it herself, recalled the panic: “The other girls were scared to death. They saw something moving slowly, like searching.” This occurred around midnight, with the figure vanishing abruptly.
The event aligned with King’s lore, amplifying campus whispers. The cheerleaders’ fear led to huddled nights, with some hearing faint footsteps echoing from the empty house.
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2006: Gulf States Paranormal Society Probe
In October 2006, the Gulf States Paranormal Society, led by investigator Tatum, conducted a thorough examination of the Edmund King House. Team members from Jefferson and Shelby counties captured electronic voice phenomena (EVPs) whispering “gold” and “buried.”
They noted sudden temperature drops from 60s to 40s Fahrenheit in upstairs rooms, a hallmark of ghostly presences. One member saw a shadowy figure with a shovel in the yard near the orchard, vanishing into mist.
Cynthia Shackelford, university public relations director, confirmed the findings, noting equipment malfunctions and disembodied footsteps pacing the halls. The investigation, lasting several hours into the night, provided evidence tying phenomena to King’s restless spirit and enslaved echoes.
2011: Kathy Lowe’s Ghost Walk Testimony
On June 11, 2011, during a ghost walk led by Kathy Lowe, Carmichael Library director, participants encountered direct activity. Near the Edmund King House, they heard disembodied footsteps creaking inside, as if someone ascended stairs.
Lowe, sharing researched lore, described curtains fluttering without wind and spectral lights in the orchard. An anonymous participant felt an “unnerving presence,” like being watched from upper windows, with a chill wind brushing past.
The group, including locals and students, noted orbs in photos near the cemetery. Lowe’s tour, part of Chamber of Commerce events, reinforced the house’s reputation, with details like the clinking sounds echoing historical accounts.
Table of Alleged Sightings and Witness Accounts
| Date | Witness | Location | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early 1900s | Uncle Ben | Peach Orchard & King House | Saw a “hant” with lantern and shovel digging for gold; figure vanished near cemetery; multiple nighttime sightings. | 1913 Technala yearbook interviews. |
| Early 1900s | Uncle Frank | Upstairs Bedroom, King House | Heard clink-clink of coins counting; glimpsed shadowy old man by lamplight; felt watched. | 1913 Technala yearbook interviews. |
| Early 1900s | Aunt Julia | King Family Cemetery & Orchard | Flickering orbs over graves; invisible hand touch; whispers and chills at midnight. | 1913 Technala yearbook interviews. |
| 1960s | Anonymous Students | King House Interior | Heard footsteps in empty upstairs; saw spectral lights in orchard; felt heavy presence. | University oral histories. |
| Early 1980s | Gina Helms & Cheerleaders | Second-Floor Windows, King House | Apparition of old man with lantern; caused group panic at midnight. | Personal recollections shared in campus lore. |
| 1990s | Anonymous Faculty | King House Rooms | Curtains moving sans wind; disembodied footsteps during events; cold spots. | Faculty reports to university archives. |
| 2006 | Gulf States Paranormal Society (Tatum et al.) | King House & Yard | EVPs saying “gold”; temp drops; shadowy figure with shovel; equipment glitches. | Investigation report, Cynthia Shackelford. |
| 2011 | Ghost Walk Participants (led by Kathy Lowe) | King House Interior & Orchard | Footsteps creaking stairs; fluttering curtains; orbs in photos; unnerving watchfulness. | Shelby County Reporter article. |
| 2015 | Anonymous Visitor | King House Guest Rooms | Heavy presence; unexplained noises like shuffling; lights flickering at dusk. | University guest logs. |
| 2022 | University Staff | King House & Cemetery | Furniture shifting slightly; spectral lights near graves; clinking sounds upstairs. | Archivist Carey Heatherly interviews. |
| 2023 | Anonymous Students | Orchard Path | Blue-tinged figure wandering with lantern; vanished into mist; felt pursued. | Vallo Vision News reports. |
| 2024 | Montevallo Legacy Project Participants | King House Precincts | Whispers from cemetery; chills near unmarked slave graves; orb sightings. | Project newsletters and tours. |
| 2025 | Paranormal Enthusiasts | King House Upstairs | Auditory EVPs of counting; temp fluctuations; shadowy presences during probe. | Recent investigations up to September 2025. |
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Theories
The hauntings at Edmund King House puzzle experts, blending supernatural beliefs with logical explanations. From residual energy of tragedies to natural quirks, theories abound.
Paranormal Perspectives
- Edmund King’s Restless Spirit Searching for Gold: This theory posits King’s ghost roams due to attachment to hidden wealth buried in the peach orchard amid Civil War fears. Sightings of a lantern-bearing figure digging fit his life of orchard walks and treasure guarding. It explains clinking coins and nocturnal apparitions, suggesting unresolved greed binds him. However, it overlooks broader tragedies, focusing narrowly on materialism—why not rest after death if wealth was secured?
- Residual Energy from Family Tragedies and Accidents: Intense emotions from deaths—like Lylleton’s 1848 shooting, grandsons’ war losses, or Nancy’s early passing—may imprint as repeating phenomena. Footsteps echo hunting mishaps or wartime marches; lights mimic lantern vigils at graves. This fits the cemetery’s orbs and house’s creaks, as energy replays without intent. Yet, it doesn’t account for interactive EVPs or touches, which suggest intelligence over mere echoes.
- Spirits of Enslaved Laborers Seeking Justice: Enslaved like Uncle Ben or Sukey may linger, their suffering from whippings, sales, and labor creating unrest. Whispers and presences near unmarked graves fit narratives of moral judgment on enslavers. It explains chills and brushes as calls for recognition, tying to African American folklore of “hants.” But evidence is anecdotal; why manifest subtly if seeking justice, rather than more confrontational?
- Influence from King Family Cemetery Proximity: The cemetery’s energy, holding Nancy, Susan, and war victims, may bleed into the house, amplifying apparitions. Orbs and lights over graves suggest spirits wandering homeward. This fits orchard sightings near burials, perhaps drawn by familial bonds. Drawbacks: not all activity centers on the cemetery; interior coin-counting seems unrelated to graveside unrest.
- Civil War Echoes and Collective Trauma: Wartime raids, hidden assets, and grandson deaths could create a collective haunting. Blue figures evoke Confederate shades; EVPs whisper of loss. It encompasses broader historical pain, fitting mass sightings. Yet, it generalizes—specific King ties weaken if phenomena stem from regional strife alone.
Rational Perspectives
- Structural Settling in an Aging Building: At over 200 years, the house’s bricks and floors creak from humidity, temperature shifts, and settling. Footsteps and furniture moves fit natural expansion/contraction in Alabama’s climate. It explains auditory phenomena without supernatural need. However, it fails for visual apparitions or EVPs, which require more than physics.
- Light Reflections and Optical Illusions: Spectral lights may stem from car headlights, moonlight on glass panes, or streetlamps reflecting off windows. Orchard glows could be fireflies or distant traffic. This fits nighttime sightings logically. But interactive elements like touches or targeted clinking defy mere visuals.
- Psychological Suggestion and Folklore Amplification: Campus ghost tours and yearbook tales prime visitors for experiences via pareidolia—seeing faces in shadows or hearing coins in wind. Enslaved stories, passed orally, evolve into expectations. It accounts for group panics, like cheerleaders’. Flaw: objective probes with EVPs and temp drops suggest external causes.
- Environmental Factors and Wildlife: Wind through orchards mimics whispers; animals rustle as footsteps. Proximity to cemetery adds eerie ambiance, heightening senses. Fits subtle presences. Yet, it ignores documented anomalies like coin sounds or blue figures.
- Historical Misattribution and Exaggeration: Oral histories from 1913 may embellish for entertainment, with modern probes influenced by bias. Tragedies are real, but links to hauntings speculative. Explains inconsistencies. Counter: Consistent patterns across eras suggest more than myth.
Edmund King House vs Other Haunted Locations
The Edmund King House echoes other sites with histories of tragedy, slavery, and unrest. Its buried gold lore and family cemetery ties resemble plantations haunted by lost fortunes and enslaved spirits:
| Location | State | Type | Historical Context | Reported Paranormal Activity | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtles Plantation | Louisiana | Plantation | Built 1796; slavery, multiple deaths including enslaved Chloe. | Apparitions of Chloe, children’s laughter, piano playing. | Mirror with trapped spirits; one of America’s most haunted. |
| Lizzie Borden House | Massachusetts | House | 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden. | Bordens’ ghosts, footsteps, cold spots. | Bed-and-breakfast with tours; unsolved crime site. |
| Villisca Axe Murder House | Iowa | House | 1912 axe murders of Moore family and guests. | Shadow figures, voices, objects moving. | Infamous unsolved massacre; overnight stays. |
| Whaley House | California | House | 1857; executions, family tragedies. | Thomas Whaley apparition, footsteps, cigar smoke. | Officially haunted; museum now. |
| Waverly Hills Sanatorium | Kentucky | Hospital | 1910-1961 tuberculosis site; thousands died. | Shadow people, patient voices, body chute apparitions. | Paranormal tours; death tunnel. |
| Eastern State Penitentiary | Pennsylvania | Prison | 1829-1971; harsh isolation. | Shadow figures, whispers, cell slams. | Historic site; Halloween events. |
| Stanley Hotel | Colorado | Hotel | 1909; inspired The Shining. | Piano music, footsteps, apparitions. | Horror culture icon; room 217 haunted. |
| Sturdivant Hall | Alabama | Mansion | 1856; John McGee Parkman died 1867. | Parkman ghost, footsteps, moving objects. | Greek Revival; Selma history. |
| Sweetwater Mansion | Alabama | Mansion | 1828; Civil War occupations. | Orbs, voices, apparitions. | Paranormal State investigated. |
| Pickens County Courthouse | Alabama | Courthouse | 1870s lynching of Henry Wells. | Wells’ face in window, noises. | Window survived hailstorm. |
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Is Edmund King House Haunting Real?
As of September 2025, the Edmund King House continues to intrigue with fresh reports from the Montevallo Legacy Project, including whispers near unmarked graves and flickering orbs in the orchard. These align with centuries-old lore, suggesting the unrest persists amid efforts to honor enslaved histories. Whether spectral lights signal King’s eternal hunt or enslaved calls for remembrance, the phenomena draw investigators yearly.
Skeptics point to rational causes—creaks from age, lights from reflections, suggestions from tours—dismissing EVPs as audio artifacts. Yet, consistent witness details across eras, from enslaved tales to modern probes, challenge pure logic. Temp drops and interactive touches hint at something beyond explanation.
Ultimately, the Edmund King House embodies Montevallo’s layered past: prosperity built on pain, tragedies etching invisible scars. Real or not, its stories urge reflection on history’s shadows, inviting visitors to listen for echoes in the quiet halls.
