Haunted Properties

Recently, I saw two properties for sale in my hometown of Gainesboro, TN. Both hold memories for me, one of happy and the other of sad times. Reading the comments people make about both properties is most interesting. Some say they are haunted, spirits abound, & there’s a troll under the bridge. It sounds exciting to think there could be all these things, but I can vouch that none is genuine.

The first property is the old Corinth School building. There’s been some attempt to turn it into a medieval fortress, but the original structure was the basic square, one-room schoolhouse. There was a small cloakroom & a small room for supplies, but otherwise, all eight grades studied & learned in the same place.

My first teacher was Ms. Anna Mae Fox. She was a caring, kind & dedicated educator. Our school was warmed in the winter by a pot-bellied stove. Ms. Anna Mae would arrive early to start the fire so the room would be warm when students came. On frigid days, she would put a pot of soup on the stove so we would have a warm lunch.

I completed first through fourth grade there & then Corinth was closed & we were consolidated into a larger elementary school. This building is not haunted, and there’s no troll under the bridge that crosses the creek. If there were any sounds, they would be the laughter of children playing at recess or reciting their ABCs. For $225,000, someone can own a piece of history. I hope whoever purchases the property appreciates it because not many of us left got our start in that building & know the real story.

This next property is what I first knew as Sutton’s Funeral Home. The property records say it was built in 1965, but maybe that was a reconstruction because I remember going here as a young girl with my grandparents, who paid respects to family & friends who had passed away. Most of the time, my sister & I were told to stay on the porch, which usually was occupied by the men who seemed uncomfortable dressed in clothes other than their denim work overalls.

We would listen to their conversations about the weather and how their crops were coming along, or every once in a while, they would say something about the deceased. The somberness on the porch would occasionally be interrupted by the crying sounds from one of the rooms.

As a young girl, it was difficult to understand death. The last time I was in this building was when my Grandmother passed away in the late 80’s. Her service was held in the funeral home chapel. Before that, my Grandfather & other family members had funerals here.

The real estate advertisement said it would make a great bed & breakfast. It’s likely so, & you could throw in a few stories about spirits to add to the ambiance. But, if there are spirits, they won’t harm anyone. These spirits would be our family & friends & just hard-working community members. Seeing this picture after all these years releases a flood of sad memories. You can also own this piece of history for $150,000. The spirits come free!