The Most Haunted Plantation

Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana is called America’s most haunted home. Built on a Native American burial ground, witness to murder and slavery’s horrors, the antebellum mansion harbors at least 12 ghosts—and one famous photograph.

The Plantation

Historic facts:

• Built 1796
• St. Francisville, Louisiana
• David Bradford
• Antebellum South
• Slave plantation

Burial Ground

The foundation:

• Tunica burial site
• Native American sacred ground
• Disturbed land
• Original curse?
• Foundation issue

The Legend of Chloe

The story:

• Enslaved woman
• Ear cut off (punishment)
• Poisoned family
• Killed by other slaves
• Haunts plantation

Historical Doubt

The truth:

• Records unclear
• May be fiction
• Family died of disease?
• Multiple versions
• Legend vs. history

William Winter Murder

Verified death:

• 1871
• Shot on porch
• Staggered inside
• Died on stairs
• Still climbs them

The Stairway Ghost

What happens:

• Heavy footsteps
• Ascending stairs
• Stop at 17th step
• Where Winter died
• Regular occurrence

The Photograph

Famous image:

• 1992
• Tour group photo
• Figure in background
• Girl in turbaned head
• Chloe?

Photo Analysis

The debate:

• Some say slave girl
• Others see different
• Never debunked
• Not proven either
• Compelling image

The French Mirror

Haunted mirror:

• Contains spirits
• Drip marks appear
• No explanation
• Children’s handprints
• Must cover during death

The Ghosts

Who remains:

• 12 documented
• William Winter
• Chloe (legend)
• Children
• Various others

The Children

Young spirits:

• Play on veranda
• Games heard
• Laughter
• Dancing feet
• Joy amid darkness

Guest Experiences

What visitors report:

• Cold spots
• Hand touches
• Figures seen
• Footsteps
• Being watched

Current Status

Today:

• Bed and breakfast
• Tours offered
• Overnight stays
• Investigation welcome
• Active location

TV Coverage

Documentation:

• Unsolved Mysteries
• Ghost Hunters
• Many programs
• Consistent evidence
• Famous location

The Burden Family

Current owners:

• Hester Eby purchased 1994
• Restored property
• Ghost tourism
• Preservation
• Embraced haunting

Room Experiences

Overnight reports:

• Bed movement
• Voices
• Apparitions
• Temperature changes
• Common occurrences

Significance

An antebellum plantation with documented murders, Native American burial ground, and one of the most famous ghost photographs ever taken.

Legacy

Myrtles Plantation embodies Southern Gothic horror—the sins of slavery and murder seeping through every wall, photographed and experienced by thousands.