JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL)- When you live in the oldest town in Tennessee, you’re more than likely going to run into a ghost or two.
News Channel 11’s Kristen Gallant found that a family who lived in Jonesborough 200 years ago, never really left.
“It’s a really creaky old building,” said Anne Mason the Executive Director of the Heritage Alliance, “So, it’s really good for creaky old sounds.”
A once-prominent family, the Taylor’s, now rest a mile from Downtown Jonesborough at the family cemetery, where the Christopher Taylor House was originally located.
“Technically it is the oldest building in Jonesborough,” explained Mason, “Now these logs were cut in like 1777, 1778 and the house belonged to Christopher Taylor and his family.”
Mason goes on to explain, “They had at least 10 kids. So it was always very full and they took in borders because they were also on a really well-traveled road. One of those borders was a very young lawyer by the name of Andrew Jackson who stayed with Christopher Taylor’s family when he was first in town.”
A factory now sits in its place, but employees say the Taylor’s sometimes check on the property.
“I have heard people that worked at Burton Rubber say that they’ve seen a man in 1700s attire walking around sometimes in the graveyard cemetery in the property where the cabin used to sit,” said Robb Phillips, a Paranormal Investigator.
It’s a Spooky encounter for some, fut for others, not so much.
“People will say that they see Andrew Jackson’s ghost walking into this house,” said Mason, “So we have heard that more than once from more than one person.”
Robb Phillips explained that he has had more than one encounter with Jackson’s ghost.
“We were sitting across the street on the bench and it was me and my nephew and he said, ‘hey uncle Rob let’s go over here to the cabin.’ Now, he’s a grown man and he said, ‘let’s go inside the cabin.’ I said, ‘well buddy, we can’t go in there because the doors locked and we’re not allowed in.’ And he said, ‘somebody just come out of it dressed in a costume.’ I said, ‘there’s no way it’s locked from the inside.’ He said, ‘no I’m telling you this man came straight out of the cabin.'”
This story led Phillips to his own paranormal investigation, using equipment called EVP to pick up sounds they believe were from the late president before his time in office.
“So, we had asked the question to Andrew Jackson, ‘if you fought a duel here you must’ve had a gun. What kind of gun did you have,” asked Phillips, “and we got a reply back clear as a bell that said a pistol”
History books don’t specify what type of firearm was used in the 1788 duel, but jackson just might have given them an answer 200 years later.
So if you see Andrew Jackson or the Taylor’s on your next visit to Jonesborough, don’t be alarmed, home is where the heart is and where spirits find rest.
