This Historic Tennessee Mansion Is Thought To Be One Of The Most Haunted Places On Earth
By Meghan Kraft|Published March 31, 2022
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
The history of Tennessee runs deep and long. It has been a state almost as long as the United States has been a nation, and there are plenty of historic locations that provide insight into the past. But what, of course, of the darker past? What of the stories that have long been buried, what of the ghosts of the world that once was? Oaklands Mansion is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and the lauded house museum has a story that just might make it one of the most haunted places in the state.
Oaklands Mansion is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and has been listed not only as a local landmark but on the National Register of Historic Places. The home is known for hosting both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil war, and the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, once even stayed on-site.
The First Battle of Murfreesboro was fought nearby in the summer of 1862, and Nathan Bedford Forrest not only surprised but defeated the Union troops that were situated near the mansion’s front lawn. Lewis and Adaline Maney resided at the property at the time, and as the story goes, their children watched the battle ensue from a second-floor window.
With such a dark beginning it’s not surprising that a ghost or two is said to wander the halls. Still, the history of the mansion’s inhabitants remains shrouded. Some say that many children died in the home and now wander the halls, and others claim women widowed to the war weep as they walk in the night.
During the month of October, Oaklands Mansion hosts an event that exemplifies how families grieved during the Victorian era. It’s an odd tour, to be sure, as you will be walked through the mansion past covered mirrors and into a room fully reworked into the historic example of a "death bed."
There is a cemetery on the property, as well as a series of walking paths that will take you from one side of the historic location to the next. Inside, however, you will find eerie displays like hair art woven from actual human hair, and even a portrait of Lavinia Maney after her death as a small child.
Former resident James Maney’s medical tools are also on display, so you will have the chance to peek at historic bone saws and even tourniquets. Creepy!
If you’re looking for an element of creep, then we would recommend booking a Flashlight Night tour at the Oaklands Mansion in the autumn. You can also visit the mansion the rest of the year, but there’s nothing quite like an eerie evening to add some fun to the spooky season.
What a wild place to visit! Would you dare to take a flashlight tour or hear a ghost story in the dark? You can learn more about the Oaklands Mansion either on its official website or Facebook page.
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