Swan Pond Methodist Church

Swan Pond Church, located on Swan Pond Road in Harriman, is an isolated church located on a hill. Surrounded by a cemetery and a forrest, the church seems like the kind of place that would be haunted. And, according to many people, it is.

The most well known legend at the church is the story of a preacher who hung himself there years ago. Supposedly, you can see his body hanging from the steeple late at night. I have met people who have claimed to have seen him, but the story is not true; no preacher ever committed suicide here.

Still, the church and cemetery is said to be a haven for paranormal activity. Stories include:

The cemetery surrounding the church is also said to be haunted. The ghosts of the long dead are said to roam about the grounds at night. In addition to the general "Black Aggie" tales, there are also lights that move about the graves. These lights are usually red, and sometimes take the shape of eyes, so that it appears someone or something is staring at you. There's also an unusual mist that rises from the graves. It has appeared prominently in some photos taken there.

I've seen online another tale which says that if you drive around the church on a certain Saturday of the month at midnight, everything around you seems to disappear momentarily...

Also worthy of note is a social gathering that occurred in Swan Pond about 100 years ago. Afterwards, six people became ill and died. It was widely suspected that they had been poisioned, but no proof could be found.

On the night of April 28, myself, Todd, Stefanie, Jason, Richard, and Ed visited the cemetery at approximately 9:15. The area lacked the ominous feel one gets at Bethbirei Church, but it was somewhat creepy nonetheless. While walking around the church, Todd reported seeing a face in the window looking out at us (which seems to have shown up in one of the pictures). I snapped several photos here which showed many orbs, and one showed a strange haze which none of us saw. (A photo taken seconds later did not show it).

A closeup of an orb.

A face?

Grassy Cove Methodist Cemetery

Located between Crossville and Spring City in rural Cumberland County, Grassy Cove Methodist Church and its cemetery are among the state's oldest and most isolated. Resting in a valley, the area is exceedingly beautiful and peaceful.

According to legend:

During the Civil War, there were many mines and caverns used to produce saltpeter, which was very important to the war effort. A few years after the war, some boys were exploring the caves when they made a startling discovery: the petrified body of a man! This was an odd discovery, and no one knows exactly why the body had seemed to turn to rock. The body was taken to the coroner's office, but no one claimed it. Eventually it was buried in the cemetery surrounding the Methodist Cemetery in Grassy Cove.

According to the legend, this is when the unrest began. At night, moans could be heard coming from the cave where the body was found. Screams could be heard along the road in front of the church where the body had been buried. The door to the church was opened and slammed shut by unseen hands. The situation continued to get worse, and people refused to go to the church out of fear.

There was a former slave named Simon who had initially warned against burying the body at the church. At the time, the locals had scoffed at him, but now they began to think that perhaps he had been right. This former slave was also the grave digger, so he was summoned to remove the body from the grave and return it to the caves. Simon agreed to do it, but stated that there should also be a funeral held for the man. The preacher agreed. Simon then returned the body to a nearby cave, but never told anyone what cave he placed it in. As expected, the sounds ended.

In the early morning hours of April 24, myself, Todd, and Stefanie visited this cemetery. The area, partly due to its isolation, is certainly creepy after dark. We looked around the cemetery, but, in comparision to Bethbirei Church and Chapel Hill, it was a bit of a let down. Still, we did manage to capture these photos, some of which show orbs:

Bethbirei Church

NOTE: It has been brought to my attention that Bethberei Church has been the victim of vandalism. I, nor my website in anyway condone these activities, and we sincerely hope that any such activity is stopped and those involved are prosecuted to the highest extent of the law. As always, if you chose to visit this site, please exercise the utmost respect.

Bethbirei Presbyterian Church, located on Bethbirei Road just outside of Lewisburg, TN, is located not far from Chapel Hill. The church has existed since 1810.

Allegedly, the church and the area around it is a haven of paranormal activity. Among the legends are:

* A Bible that sits in the church that cannot be moved (this is a rather generic legend told about various churches).

* Tombstones that give off a bizarre green glow when struck by moonlight.

* Strange figures that can be seen in the windows of the church, looking out at visitors.

* A giant, man-like creature that roams the woods around the church.

* Strange emotions affecting visitors, ranging from terror to sadness, from anger to unwelcomeness.

The cemetery that surrounds the church also extends across the road, where it extends into the woods. The grave are very old, some dating back to the early 1800s and before. Reportedly, the cemetery existed before the road, and some graves were not moved when the road was built. This, say some, is one reason for the disgruntled spirits that reside here.

On April 23, after visiting Chapel Hill, Todd, Stefanie, and myself visited this church. We arrived at about 9:45 CST, and stayed for approximately 20 minutes. We explored the cemetery, particularly the part across the road. The area is definately bizarre. During our time there, it felt as though my stress level increased substantially. Todd reported getting a sense of being unwelcome there. We did not see the beast that is supposed to reside in the area, but we heard strange growling noises in the woods, and the movement of what sounded like a large animal. After 20 minutes, we were quite ready to leave.

Upon getting into the car, we drove slowly down Bethbirei Road, looking at the cemetery. Suddenly, our attention was caught by a tombstone in the cemetery (on the church side of the road) that really did give off a creepy, green glow. Not sure to make of what we had seen, we drove by again, and it did indeed give off that green glow. We elected not to drive past again.

I took these photos. Nothing major to report, but some orbs did show up, as you can see:

The Chapel Hill Ghost Light

On January 23, myself, Todd, and Stefanie left Knoxville to visit one of my favorite haunted sites of all: the Chapel Hill railroad. The legend goes like this:

...long ago an aging signal man along the tracks was killed during a dark and rainy night. He had carried a bright lantern which could be seen for miles up the tracks. As he walked the tracks, he accidently tripped. His head hit the rail, and he was knocked uncouncious. He lay on the track for a few minutes, until along came a train. Unable to stop in time, the train ran over the man, decapitating him.

When they found his body, they say, it was still mostly intact. Except for one part, that is: his head. It was never found. To this day, according to legend, he still walks the tracks, carrying his lantern, as he searches for his lost head.

The validity of this tale is unknown. However, hundreds have witnessed the light. This was my third trip to the town of Chapel Hill (the previous two being about three years ago while I was living in Lebanon). During both these visits, I was able to catch a glimpse of the phantom light. Again this time, the light failed to disapoint.

We rolled into Chapel Hill around 8:15 CST. It was not dark enough then, so we killed a little time by visiting the Nathan Bedford Forrest memorial and exploring town (which didn't take long). Around 8:50, we returned to the railroad crossing. After waiting a few minutes, we saw the light. It appeared low, close to the track, and then high above it. It seemed to cross the track, then reappeared and seemed to move towards us. What it is, I do not know. Other than orbs and "bad vibes," this is the only real experience I've had with an "actual ghost." After about 15 minutes or so, we moved on. About two hours later, we returned again, and caught a few sightinngs of it, but it was not nearly as spectacular as before.

I used my digital camera to videotape the area, but unfortunately I was unable to get the light on film. It was too far down the track and would require a more powerful camera than I have. I did take these pictures, which do not show the light, but do give a gooid feel of the area it "inhabits."

Sensabaugh Tunnel

Having lived most of my life in the less than famed Kingsport, Tennessee I have become accustomed to not having much to brag about the city. One thing, however, that I can say about the city is that is houses one of the creepiest places that I have ever visited.

Sensabaugh tunnel is located just outside downtown Kingsport. Very near other supposed haunts, Long Island, Rotherwood Mansion, and the wandering Hugh Hamblin ghost. The drive at night to the tunnel is almost as scary as the tunnel itself, winding roads that are not lit at all, and very near the river, with flood zone signs everywhere. Somewhat hard to find, but the trip is well worth it.

Once you turn on the road that the tunnel is on, for me at least, you get an odd creepy feeling. One you first catch glimpse of the tunnel it is a very imposing structure. Not that big, but it just seems out of place on this backwoods road. Littered with graffiti, the tunnel itself seems like a place right out of a scary movie. As you enter the tunnel, one thing is for sure, not only are you worried about spotting the famed baby ghost, or Mr. Sensabaugh himself, but also any oncoming cars. The tunnel is one lane and one lane only. Most stories while all not being the same still have the same underlying story. Mr. Sensabaugh killed a baby, by drowning it in the nearby creek. There is a creek, so that tends to be very reassuring to most people that the entire story is true. What is very interesting about the creek is that on any night where there has been any substantial rain, the creek will flood the tunnel, which adds to the creepiness.

I have been to the tunnel around six times in my young life. Every time it was very creepy. Nothing major of paranormal happenings occurred, but still a very creepy trip nonetheless. I do tend to believe that the tunnel is small town hype, but the tunnel is indeed a very ominous thing that I suggest you visit.

Todd Yarbrough
My Blog

Copper Ridge Church

On a backroad north of Knoxville is a church that used to be called Copper Ridge Baptist Church (it has since changed names). It was here that during the mid-1990s that many miracles are said to have occurred.

Much has been written about this church (here, here, and here. One of the best accounts comes from Crosses of Light:

Knoxville Tenn. - 1995 - "I can't get the hair on the back of my neck to do anything but stick straight out these days. The crosses are indeed in the windows at the Copper Ridge Baptist Church. That is a fact. It doesn't matter if you believe it or not. There at first, I was a bit of a skeptic myself. But now that I've seen the crosses of Copper Ridge with these two eyes, I'm a believer"

- Bob Hurley, columnist for The Greenville Sun

On November 8, 1995, the members of a small, 135-year-old Baptist church near Knoxville, Tennessee noticed that the light coming in through the windows was in a new pattern: the shape of an even-armed cross. All five sanctuary windows, which have been installed in the church for 26 years began to exhibit the same phenomenon.

The crosses are not on the window per se, but are suspended in mid-air like a holographic image some 30 yards away from the building. They appear white in the daytime when the light source is the sun. At night, when a streetlight is the light source, they are a fiery, reddish-gold. And while the image which appears on the glass may only be four to six feet tall, the crosses, as seen through the windows, stretch from the ground upward to about 40 feet.

Since the Knoxville crosses have been made public via word-of-mouth and local, national and international media, more than 35,000 people have visited the church. There have been many undocumented claims of healing - such as blindness, deafness, cancer, and drug abuse.

Unfortunately, the church no longer encouraged nonmembers to visit, even going so far as to blacken over the windows so that the crosses will no longer appear. On the night of April 21, myself and some friends visited the church and took these photos:

Sensabaugh Tunnel

Located just outside of Kingsport, TN, Sensabaugh Tunnel is an aging, run down tunnel on Sensabaugh Road. According to legend, a baby was murdered here many years ago, either by its father or a hobo. The baby was drowned in the stream that runs through the tunnel. Today, it is said, that late at night, one can hear the baby cry. The hobo's footsteps can also be heard. It is also said that if one parks in the tunnel, and kills their ignition, their car will not start.

On March 13, we decided to vist the tunnel. This was my first visit (previously, I had visited the wrong place). Unfortunately (or fortunately), we did not experience anything especially out of the ordinary, though some photos did show some orbs:

(Sorry for the delay with getting this online, I've had computer issues with the photos.)

Update on a few Tennessee stories

(Guest Contribution)

I am an 18 year-old student at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. I was born in Knoxville and raised in Nashville Tennessee up until I was 13 or so, and my family has been in East Tennessee for a number of generations. My main reason for contributing this Blog article is to give an update on two stories that are part of the Ghosts and Spirits of Tennessee website.

The first is the "Chattanooga Spirit" story:

My (maternal) grandparents actually happen to live just 2-3 miles from the Red Bank High School and the Quarry Golf Course mentioned in the story; my grandfather in fact works part time at The Quarry Golf Course. Now, when I told my grandparents about this particular ghost story, they (nor anyone else in the area I asked) had ever about any ghosts in the abandoned rock quarry, however, they did give me in some new info:

-The condemned rock quarry and the cliffs around it have been purchased and a house has been built there by the family who owns the Quarry Golf Course. My grandfather knows the family who bought the property, but (as of yet) has not had the chance to ask him about any strange goings-on in the area. We have driven up to the home in the daytime, and it seems pretty quiet.

-After the rock quarry was condemned but before the current residents bought it, the quarry was a known haven for homeless, a place for local teens to drink and toke up, an area where the local prostitutes would conduct business, addicts would shoot up heroin... overall, kinda a sad and nasty place. It took a while for the current owners to chase off these elements supposedly, but now the place is relatively quiet.

That's all I have to contribute, but it does bring up a few questions:
+ Does the past history of the Quarry (both as a workplace and as a place for illicit activity) have anything to do with what "Sara" and her companions saw that night?
+ Has anyone, especially the current residents, seen or experienced anything strange?
+ Are there any natural/material factors that could have caused a large green light?

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The next update has to do with the story of David Lang:

-My mother actually live on the property that David Lang supposedly disappeared on, when she was a young girl in the 1970's. Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa said nothing strange was seen, and nothing overtly supernatural occurred... however, a few times each claimed to have sometimes heard... music. Very soft, quiet music. According to my mom and my grandma, it sounded like someone was playing a classical music record in the distance, but no one could ever really tell what direction the music was coming from...

After about 4-5 times of this happening, the music never came back, but Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa still wonder what the heck they were hearing to this very day... (Natural vibrations from underground or from material within the house's structure? Who knows?)

-Regardless of whether my family's experiences were paranormal or not, however, it is becoming more and more of a well-known fact that the disappearance of David Lang was nothing more than legend. Some links discussing how Sara Lang was a total fraud can be found here:
Anomalies: The Mystery of David Lang
People That Disappear Into Thin Air

Still, a wonderful story...

Anyways, that's all I have to report. Hope others can help contribute more information to the stories, and if I found out more about the quarry spirit next time I'm staying with my Grandma and Grandpa I will write to you guys.

-"Andrei Kuznets"