One of Oxford’s most infamous landmarks draws attention for more than just its literary history. Rowan Oak, the former home of Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner, has recently climbed the ranks in Mississippi’s most haunted locations. With stories dating back decades featuring mysterious footsteps, ghostly figures and unexplained movements, Rowan Oak has earned a reputation as a fan-favorite during the Halloween season.
Haunt Bound, a website documenting haunted locations and reported paranormal activity across the United States, recently ranked Rowan Oak as the third-most haunted location in Mississippi. The home was also named as the most family-friendly haunted destination in the state.
Ben Fineman, Haunt Bound’s editor, said the rankings are based on the number of documented paranormal reports and variety of sources supporting them, rather than a location’s general reputation as haunted.
“We don’t pass any judgment on whether these reports are factual or not,” Fineman said. “But what we do track is where the reports … stack up.”
The website documents approximately 6,000 haunted locations across the United States. Its first state-by-state ranking was released this fall, making a log of all distinct published paranormal accounts at each location visible to the public.
In Rowan Oak’s case, those accounts range from unusual photographs to documented audio recordings.
One reported incident dates back to 2001, when Rowan Oak curator William Griffith photographed the literary landmark before renovations. In an account published by HottyToddy.com in 2013, Griffith described a photograph that appeared to show two figures near a bench outside the house. The photograph also reportedly showed a dark, blurred area where objects should have been visible.
Fineman also described a reported incident involving a 2016 Mississippi Public Broadcasting interview with the renowned documentarian Ken Burns. Fineman alleges that during filming, an assistant curator’s phone that had been resting on a chair unexpectedly flew across the room. The interview featuring Burns aired on April 7, 2016.
“During the photo shoot, the assistant curator’s phone, which was left on a chair, flew across the room into the middle of the floor, and you can actually hear it on the recording of the broadcast,” Fineman said.
He added that staff members at Rowan Oak appeared unfazed by the event, seemingly accustomed to unusual occurrences at the historic home.
“The staff (members) at the time were just like, ‘Oh, that’s the ghost. That happens sometimes,’” Fineman said.
While these stories have contributed to Rowan Oak’s haunted reputation and ranking on Haunt Bound, one of its most famous ghost stories originated with Faulkner himself.
Jennifer Vesey, owner of Oxford Ghost Tours, described the legend of Judith Sheegog as one of the most recognizable stories associated with the house.
Judith Sheegog was the daughter of Robert Sheegog, the house’s previous owner and builder of the Rowan Oak house in 1844. During the Civil War, Judith Sheegog fell in love with a young Union soldier named Michael. Judith Sheegog nursed Michael back to health after he was injured. Before leaving, Michael promised to return for her. However, when Union soldiers returned to Oxford in 1864, he never appeared.
According to the popular tale, Judith Sheegog, heartbroken and hopeless, put on a wedding dress and leapt from the home’s second-floor balcony to her death. Her father buried her beneath a magnolia tree on the property.
“One of the things that makes the Rowan Oak house interesting is (that the legend of Judith Sheegog) actually started as a fictional story by Faulkner himself,” Fineman said.
Vesey said the story’s connection to Faulkner has solidified its place in Oxford folklore. Beyond the fictional legend of Rowan Oak, visitors and employees have reported experiences that suggest a supernatural presence.
Vesey described reported sightings of Faulkner’s ghost walking the grounds and writing on the walls inside the house. She also referenced an experience attributed to former Rowan Oak curator Howard Bahr, who allegedly heard voices, footsteps and laughter inside of the home.
“William Faulkner is a pretty well-known name, so the idea that his ghost could still be lingering in his home is fascination in and of itself,” Vesey said.
Other reported incidents include a lamp mysteriously turning on and a piano in the house playing a singular note on Halloween.
Some believe the mysterious accounts could be due to Faulkner himself haunting the property. However, Vesey said Bahr suspected the presence could be connected to Ellen Bailey, a former resident of the house who painted wildlife murals on the walls of the home’s library. Bailey died in 1923, and when Faulkner moved into the house, he whitewashed, plastered and papered the walls, concealing her artwork.
Although the amount of paranormal accounts originating from Rowan Oak are compelling, not everyone believes the historic home is haunted.
In a December 2022 interview with the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, assistant curator Rachel Hudson expressed her skepticism about the supernatural reputation of Rowan Oak.
“I wish this place was haunted, but nothing on record has legitimately happened here that we can interpret as haunted,” Hudson said.
While Rowan Oak ranks highly among Mississippi’s haunted destinations, that doesn’t mean its past should deter families from paying the home a visit. Its family-friendly atmosphere distinguishes it from other more disturbing locations in Mississippi.
Haunt Bound’s PG rating system evaluates haunted locations based on three aspects: graphic content, intensity and physical demands of visiting. Rowan Oak scored favorably across all three categories because of its context as a historic museum and its relatively mild ghost stories.
The many supernatural stories originating from Rowan Oak continue to connect Oxford’s literary history to the mysteries of today. As Halloween approaches, Faulkner’s former home remains a location where haunting tales and history are forever intertwined.
