Ghosts Of Birmingham: The Magic City's Haunted Buildings

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Halloween is Sunday, and those who want to get into the spirit of the holiday can get themselves pretty spooked out by some of Birmingham's famously "haunted" landmarks.

Anyone who has read Katherine Tucker Windham's book "13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey" are well aware of the ghost stories throughout Alabama, but many sites said to be haunted in the state are located right in the Birmingham metro.

Here are just a few of Birmingham's most haunted locations, and the legends behind them:

1. Sloss Furnaces: This historic landmark has for years been the site of one of the most popular haunted house attractions every Halloween, although COVID-19 protocols have prevented this particular attraction from taking place the last two years. But the legend is that when the furnace was a leading producer of pig iron in the early 1900s, a foreman named Slag Wormwood often overworked his employees and it resulted in numerous accidents and deaths on the work site. Wormwood himself reportedly fell victim to the harsh conditions as well, when he fell into melting ore and died. The legend is that his ghost still roams the grounds.

2. The Tutwiler Hotel: A beautiful old hotel originally built in 1914 in downtown Birmingham, its namesake, Col. Edward Tutwiler, is said to still haunt the halls of the building. According to previous guests and employees of the hotel, Col. Tutwiler's ghost walks the halls of the 6th floor and knocks on room 604.

3. Oak Hill Cemetery: One of the oldest cemeteries in Alabama, Oak Hill is said to be haunted by numerous spirits, most notably the ghost of Catherine Erswell — the wife of Birmingham businessman Edward Erswell. The legend is that Mrs. Erswell wanted to be buried in the more fashionable Elmwood Cemetery. However, Mr. Erswell already had a vault in Oak Hill Cemetery. Visitors to Oak Hill say they can hear whispers and muttering coming out of their tombs late at night, said to be Mrs. Erswell complaining to Mr. Erswell for burying her in the wrong cemetery.

4. Homewood Library: The Homewood Library was once the site of an old farmhouse. In 1964, the farmhouse was torn down to build the Church of Christ. The church was then made in to the library in 1984. The legend is that the adult section of the library is the old sanctuary of the church. Employees for decades have reported ghostly activity after hours, including books falling off shelves, doors opening and closing and even voices heard when the library patrons have all left.

5. Redmont Hotel: Legendary musician Hank Willims, Sr. died on Jan. 1, 1953 at the age of 29. The last place he slept before his death was the Redmont Hotel in Birmingham. Williams died in his car en route to a show in West Virginia, but legend has it that his ghost returned to the Redmont and still lurks in the building to this day. Guests and employees for years have reported hearing guitar sounds and a voice uttering his nickname, "Old Hank."

These are just some of the legendary haunted sites in Birmingham. Feel free to chime in with any others that might interest Patch readers and "ghost hunters" in the Magic City.