Sam Davis Home

With October being the official month of all things ghoulish and ghastly, it’s time to take a look at Rutherford County’s most spirited spots. With towns stocked full of history, it’s no wonder we’re a hotbed for paranormal activity. From Civil War relics to 20th-century haunts, Murfreesboro and the surrounding areas have all it takes for a spooky outing or two. So instead of wasting your entire fall eating extra trick-or-treat candy or watching Charlie Brown specials, spend it surrounded by some the area’s oldest—and most spirited—haunts.

Sam Davis Home
Smyrna’s historical crown jewel, the childhood home of famously executed confederate soldier Sam Davis, is a focal point of paranormal activity. The home was built in 1810 and is filled with Davis family pieces dating back to before Civil War, and furthermore, has been open to the public since the ’30s. That’s a lot of history paired with a lot of people coming through the grounds. Numerous staff members and visitors have seen apparitions, heard footsteps and seen objects move around the house. Stories about Sam’s mother and grandmother haunting parts of the house are plentiful, particularly including one chilling tale about a rocking chair that rocks by itself. Around Halloween, the place is dressed up for an old-time funeral, so (as if it were necessary) the home gets even spookier.

Sugaree’s
This women’s boutique, located on the Murfreesboro square, is the home to a spirit known as “Jackson.” No need to fear though, Jackson’s a peaceful soul whose presence just kind of hangs out around the supply room of the shop, emitting the occasional scent of cigar smoke. The owner even leaves a glass of water out for him every day, just to keep him in good spirits, no pun intended.

Milano II
Just off the square, this historic home-turned-restaurant has a peculiar backstory. You see, before it housed several restaurants, it was a funeral parlor. Wakes, embalming and services were held there, activities which are sure to be spirit magnets in themselves. Aside from the creepy aspects of that alone, online accounts say a little girl in a white dress has often been seen around the property and various ominous noises have been heard.

Dyer Cemetery
One of the county’s lesser-known spots for paranormal activity is Rockvale’s Dyer Cemetery. Legend has it that in the early 1800s three women were chased out of town for practicing witchcraft, captured near the cemetery site, lynched, burned and buried. You’ll see shadows and figures, hear footsteps and maybe even feel the women grasping and scratching your arms or legs. Other reported phenomena include balls of fire, lights appearing out of thin air and the cemetery gate opening on its own.

Stones River Battlefield
When close to 24,000 men die on a property, it’s safe to say some spirits may not make it through to the other side. The ghastly accounts from Stones River Battlefield (which covers 728 acres of the county) are numerous, as might be expected. They include everything from gun and cannon fire audible in the distance to ghostly apparitions walking around the cemetery section of the national park, which encompasses the final resting places for close to 7,000 soldiers. The strongest vibes are said to be at the “Slaughter Pen,” where one of the battle’s bloodiest encounters took place, with the Union suffering mass casualties to several units.

MTSU’s Tucker Theatre
Drama students love to share creepy tales of the university theatrical venue. One revolves around the random aromas of cigarette smoke that pop up around the lobby and backstage areas. Some say it’s just theatre kids sneaking off for a smoke break, while another theory involves a deceased drama professor whose chain-smoking spirit lingers. The second involves the sounds of an argument being overheard in one of the classrooms in the connecting academic building. It’s said that a couple, both of whom were professors, got into a heated argument that ended with one of them being stabbed. I’ve been told the incident was not fatal, but some say the heated emotions of the altercation “imprinted” on the room so heavily you can hear it recurring every so often.

MTSU’s Lyon Hall
Quite possibly the eeriest ghost story in Rutherford County takes place on MTSU’s campus and involves Tennessee’s most famous ghost tale—The Bell Witch. Some time in the mid-20th century, a descendant of the Bell family, which the nefarious witch haunted, went to MTSU to study her notorious ancestry for a genealogy project. She’d spend hours working on it in the library, but when she arrived back in her Lyon Hall dorm room, her notecards would be defaced and illegible. This went on for weeks, and as her deadline approached, she became manic. Her roommate urged her to leave campus for Thanksgiving break, but she decided to stay and finish it once and for all. When her roommate returned, she found the tormented girl hanging in their room, defaced cards all around her.

Reports indicate that the dorm room was walled up by the university after the incident. I’ve heard people say there’s one less doorway on one of Lyon’s floors, but, to my knowledge, no one’s ever documented that.