Evelyn Carter and Gaineswood

Gaineswood in 1860.

Gaineswood a southern plantation was built in southwestern Alabama, in Demopolis on the eve of the Civil War.

General Nathan Byron Whitfield designed his mansion to reflect the Greek revival style and had highly skilled artisan slaves build it. Today it is considered Alabama’s finest neoclassical home. It reflects three ancient Greek architectural orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.

General Whitfield

It was used as a private residence until the late 1960s. The house is beautifully preserved and still has beautiful Chippendale furniture throughout.

It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is listed as one of 150 mansions in the U.S. that are must-visits. Today it is run as a house museum.

Tragically, soon after the mansion was completed, General Whitfield’s wife died. He was left with small children to rear. He hired a young gently bred lady, a Miss Carter to be his housekeeper, and a companion for the children.

Miss Carter’s nearest relatives were in Virginia, and her father was in Europe serving as consul to Greece. Despite her duties keeping her busy, the General noted Ms. Carter was lonely. He gave her permission to invite her sister Evelyn to Gaineswood for the winter.

Evelyn was a merry addition to the home. She loved to play the piano. The General also a musician often accompanied her. He enjoyed tunes from Scotland and would play duets with Evelyn on his bagpipes.

Despite it being one of the coldest winters on record, Evelyn’s presence brought happiness to everyone.

Tragically, Evelyn became ill. The General called in the best doctors, but after several weeks Evelyn died. Depending upon which account one reads, Evelyn died of a severe attack of malaria or pneumonia.

In a more dramatic version, it is stated she died of a broken heart.

Lantern domes are
above several rooms to
provide extra light.

A handsome French count—an exile from the Napoleonic Wars—was visiting Demopolis. He became attached to Evelyn. He bought her an engagement ring, but the couple quarreled. He snatched the ring from Evelyn’s hand and threw it into the bushes.

He then left and never returned. Grief-stricken, Evelyn succumb to illness.

Her last wish was to be returned to Virginia for burial. It being winter, the roads were covered in ice and snow, it would also take Evelyn’s father weeks to return from Greece for the funeral.

So a decision was made to place Evelyn’s body in an airtight pine box sealed with rosin. It was then placed below the stairs in the cellar. When spring arrived, it would be taken to Virginia.

The residents of Gaineswood came to believe because of this decision, Evelyn’s spirit could not rest in peace. They decided she did not like being kept in a cold, dark cellar.

Soon after being placed in the cellar, people in the household began to hear footsteps coming up the cellar stairs. They would listen to someone tiptoe into the drawing-room where the large piano stood.

Faint sounds of music would float throughout the mansion. Most of these tunes were Scottish ballads.

On several occasions, when braver souls would venture down into the cellar, these sounds would stop. But once they returned upstairs, the musical sounds would begin again.

These footsteps and music were so persistent they would wake the entire household. So when spring arrived, everyone was happy. They believed their sleep would no longer be interrupted. But they were wrong.

Even though the activity was not regular, Evelyn’s ghost continued to haunt Gaineswood. Apparently, she was still protesting; she was kept in the cellar for several months.

Even in more recent years, when Gaineswood was still a private residence, visitors would insist their dreams were interrupted by the sounds of soft footsteps on the cellar stairs—followed by the melodious sounds of songs long forgotten.