From hotels and restaurants, to cemeteries and plantation homes, there are many haunted places located throughout Alabama. As a matter of fact, many of these places have been haunted for centuries. One place in particular that's seen its fair share of ghosts is Huntingdon College.
Founded in 1854, and located in Montgomery, Alabama, Huntingdon College is a liberal arts college that's affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It began as an all-female college under the name of Tuskegee Female College. Following a few more name changes, and WWI, male students began enrolling at the college. In 1935, the name of the college was changed to Huntingdon College.
According to legend, several ghosts live at Huntington College. However, its most famous ghost is known as the "Red Lady." As the story goes, the Red Lady is the ghost of a girl named Martha - a freshman who attended Huntington College during the early 1900s. Martha was a wealthy girl from New York and very unfriendly. She didn't want to leave New York to attend college, so she took her anger out on everyone else. Because of this, nobody would share her dorm room, which was located in Pratt Hall.
Well, that is until the dorm president decided to give Martha a chance and room with her. However, she quickly moved out because of Martha's cold demeanor. When Martha returned to the dorm room, she witnessed her roommate moving out. Martha told her she would regret it.
When Martha stopped attending classes, the dorm president went to Martha's room to see if anything was wrong. The moment she arrived, she discovered Martha's lifeless body lying on top of her red bedspread, which was soaked with blood. Because Martha was highly depressed, she had committed suicide by slitting her wrists.
Pratt Hall is no longer used as a dormitory. Instead, the building houses the faculty offices, commuter lounge, art programs, student clubs and organizations. Over the years, many students have reported seeing a red apparition strolling the hallway on the fourth floor. This is the same floor where Martha lived...and died. Some students have even witnessed Martha's spirit passing through the walls.
The story of the Red Lady is included in the book, "13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey," which was written by Huntingdon College alumna Kathryn Tucker Windham and Margaret Gillis Figh, a former Huntingdon English professor. This book is a definite must read!
What do you think? Do you believe the story of the "Red Lady" is true? Let us know in the comments! To experience more of Alabama's most haunted places, here's a road trip you don't want to miss.
Note: There wasn't just one "Red Lady" at Huntingdon College. There were two. This article is about the second one.
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