The Haunted Halloran Home (Hinton's Poe Haus)

Poe Haus (formerly the Halloran Home)
Hinton, WV
Photo by Rachel Weaver

On the corner of Summers Street and Fourth Avenue in Hinton sits a beautiful and well-loved Queen Ann Victorian home. Now known as the Poe Haus, this magnificent piece of history and architecture dates back to 1896 when it became the family home of Dan Halloran, his wife Emma, and their seven (I think!) children. 

Dan was born in Washington, D.C. on July 4th, 1864, to parents John and Ellen, who hailed from Ireland. At the age of sixteen, he moved to Montgomery, WV where he got a job with the C&O Railroad as a car repairman. He was promoted to fireman in 1886, and then to engineer in 1887. The following year, he married Emma Humphreys, and within a few more years, the couple moved to Hinton and built their home.

Emma, who was born on March 23, 1872, near Montgomery to Thomas and Melissa Humphreys, raised seven children at the Summers Street home. Known for her skill at baking, the Halloran home was a popular party spot and after-school hangout for the local kids and teens. Mrs. Halloran made sure no one went away hungry; donuts, walnut fudge, cakes, candies, and other pastries were always in abundance. So was popular music. The Halloran family was a musically inclined one, with several of the children becoming proficient at the piano and son, Earl, taking up the banjo and the sax. Those who weren't playing an instrument sang and hummed along to favorite tunes of the day. 

But, the children would grow up and the parties would wind down. Two of the sons, Linville and R. Overt, went to medical school and became well-known physicians. Daughter Vera, married Dr. R.G. Broaddus. Earl, the banjo/saxophone playing son, was incredibly mechanically inclined. He enjoyed ham radio and aviation. In a controversial move, he piloted a plane 'rented' by coal operators during the mine wars to spy on miners' activities. On a return trip to Hinton from Logan in 1921, the plane crashed, and Earl narrowly escaped with his life. After settling in the Hinton area, he opened up an Oldsmobile dealership and garage with a partner, and later operated the Victory Bus Lines in town. 

Throughout it all, Dan Halloran continued to work as an engineer for the C&O Railroad, as did many men who lived in Hinton at the time. That almost all ended in 1909 when Mr. Halloran was involved in a major accident. A train derailment left him pinned under the fire box of the engine. When he was pulled out, he was unconscious with no pulse and had been vomiting blood. He had severe head and internal injuries and was burned severely on the back. It was assumed he would not make it when he was brought to the local hospital. However, miraculously, Halloran slowly recovered. He was able to go back to work and remained with the C&O until his retirement in 1933.

Dan Halloran's Tombstone
Greenbrier Cemetery
Photo by Find-a-Grave user (D. Mack)

Death would eventually find Mr. Halloran. After suffering from paralysis for several months, he passed away on July 16, 1942, at Raleigh General Hospital. He died around 3 am, with the official cause of death being pneumonia, a complication from the paralysis. He was buried in Greenbrier Cemetery in Hinton. 

After living in the home on Summers Street for 40 years, Emma moved to another beautiful home in the Bellepoint area. It is there that she died on November 23, 1960 at the age of 88. She was buried alongside her husband in Greenbrier Cemetery. 

Beginning in 1935, the Dillon Family became associated with the old Halloran home. In 1951, they were mentioned in the local paper for completed EXTENSIVE apartment renovations on the house. In fact, since 1931, rooms were being offered for rent at the 401 Summers Street address. A few of the names who were mentioned as living at this address over the years are as follows: 1935--S.B. Coleman and family (who welcomed a baby daughter), 1945--Mary Carden, 1945---Edna Hall (husband still on deployment at the time), 1947--Robert Sims (who also welcomed a daughter born in the house), 1947---Claude Scott, 1950---Mrs. Minnie Farr, who had taken in a Korean refugee (16 year old Insoo "Skippy" Kwak) after her son and the boy's guardian, Guss Farr, was killed in action, 1954---Sadie Steele, 1959---W.A. Womack, 1960---Dewey Ranson who complained of chest pains before heading to bed and died of a massive heart attack on arrival at the hospital, and 1973---Katherine Redden who started the Restlawn Cemetery with her husband and was a member of multiple civic organizations such as the Eastern Star, the Silver Leaf, and the White Shrine. 

In the early 2000s, ownership was under Larry and Sue Carmichael. However, in September of 2010, Mike and Alisha Segars opened up the Chestnut Revival. The coffee shop/tea room would have made Emma Halloran proud, as fresh-baked goodies were available each day, along with an extensive tea menu. Guests could enjoy the fare in a beautifully renovated sitting space and on occasion, experience live music and other events.  Services were expanded to renovate the upper areas of the building into a B&B space. 

Today, the Halloran house has resorted once again to a private family home and is being lovingly cared for, inside and out by Les Haas and family. Bursting with unique pieces of art, Victorian furnishings, plants, family, friends, and some adorable kitties, the home is the perfect combination of historical living space and museum. And, with many of Hinton's historic homes, the newly minted 'Poe Haus' may have a few ghosts lingering about.

In preparation for the upcoming Hinton Haunt Fest Creepy Crawl on September 13, 2025 (Facebook Event Page Link HERE), members of Appalachian Ghost Tours were graciously invited to explore the home in search of paranormal activity. We were not disappointed! Outside the home, shadow figures had been seen, lurking around the surrounding streets, that were once part of a bustling railroad town. Inside, phantom scents came and went, shadows moved under doorways, and some pretty strange stuff came across the spirit box. At one point, a member even got locked in the restroom! Some of our more intuitive members also picked up on several different entities that call the Poe Haus home, including Emma, who is the lady of the house, and possibly Dan. What was interesting is that several of us picked up on Mr. Flanagan, who lived at the other end of the block in what is now the Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House Museum! Through cursory newspaper archive research, there is definitely a family connection between the two families, and the two men did work on the C&O together. Mr. Flanagan has not once attempted to speak or make his presence known to me over the multiple times I've investigated the CFM House Museum, so it was exceptionally weird that I tended to pick up on him down the street. 

As the new owners have not lived in the house long, and our investigation wasn't a full one, there are still many more mysteries to uncover and (hopefully!) many more spooky experiences to share at the Poe Haus! And, on September 13th, you'll have your own opportunity! As part of Hinton Haunt Fest, AGT will be hosting a city-wide paranormal investigation at FIVE different locations. Between 8pm and midnight, you may stop at our locations, listed below, and join us in an investigation. Pick one favorite to stay at the entire time, or "crawl" to each location when you're ready. The cost is $25, which also gets you access to all speakers and workshops being held throughout the day. 

CREEPY CRAWL DESTINATIONS:

1. Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House Museum (422 Summers Street)

2. The Poe Haus (401 Summers Street)

3. Summers County Library (201 Temple Street)

4. The Reachh House (411 Temple Street)

5. Historic Wilson Warehouse (501 Commercial Street)

Haunted Hinton: The Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House

Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House Museum
Hinton, WV

The Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House Museum will be a featured location for Appalachian Ghost Tours' Hinton Haunt Fest, Saturday, September 13, 2025! Beginning at noon and throughout the day, we'll have various workshops going on at the museum. Later that evening, the house will be a featured investigation location on our Creepy Crawl! Come investigate the mysteries of the Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House with AGT and support a wonderful piece of Hinton's history!

(Haunt Fest Hinton Event Page)

It is said that without the C&O Railroad, the town of Hinton, located in Summers County, West Virginia, would not have existed. At the very least, it would not have been the bustling city it once was at its peak. The area that is now Hinton was originally settled in the 1700's, with the Ballangee Family arriving around 1778 and owning most of the land. However, after the Civil War, with the country's railway system in shambles, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad company had big plans. With the help of Collis P. Huntington, they were intent of establishing major rail lines up and down the east coast. Here in the mountainous region of the newly minted state of West Virginia, these rail lines would largely follow the rivers. And in the soon-to-be town of Hinton, that meant construction of a railroad system along the mighty New River.

In 1871, the C&O Railroad purchased the Isaac Ballangee property, deeding the excess land not needed for the rail line to Collis P. Huntington's Central Land Company. In January of 1873, Huntington hired engineer Bennett R. Dunn to parcel out the land into lots, and thus, the town of Hinton was officially born. 

One such family that saw opportunity in this new railroad town was the Edgar Campbell family. Edgar and his second wife Elizabeth, came to Hinton and by 1875 had built what would become the Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House Museum. Edgar and Elizabeth had three children (Mary, Alice, and Thomas) and Edgar had another daughter from a previous marriage (Caroline). Located at 422 Summers Street, the Campbells ran a general store out of the lower level of the home. 

Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell Home
Source: WV History on View

That same year, Alice Campbell married John Flanagan (December 2, 1875). John had come to Hinton a few years prior to work for the C&O Railroad. Described as a "fat little Irishman from a farm outside Charlottesville, Va.", John was actually a very well-liked and prominent citizen, belonging to such organizations as the Free Masons. In 1876, the Campbells deeded the house to Alice and John.

While maintaining the general store, John continued to work for C&O up until his tragic death. Although one of the more elderly employees, John was still considered an extremely capable and competent employee. Unfortunately, that would all come to an end on March 12, 1907. The train he was engineering, the Fast-Flying Virginian, had struck a slide eight miles east of Hinton. Flanagan and his fireman, Mike Quinn, were both gravely injured, but alive when help came. Quinn was taken to the Hinton hospital and died around 1:30pm. Flanagan was taken to his home on Summers Street and passed there at about 11:30am. It is a somewhat strange coincidence that this was the SECOND fatal train wreck that happened in the area that day. An earlier accident took the life of conductor John. B. Lutz and gravely injured brakeman Hugh Ratliff. That wreck had largely been cleared up and the Fast-Flying Virginian was on-time to arrive in Hinton at 9:20am before it also crashed.

Funeral Procession for
John Flanagan, 1907
Source: WV History on View

The funeral for John Flanagan was said to be one of the biggest the town had ever seen and he was laid to rest in nearby Hill Top Cemetery. Shortly thereafter, the family home was deeded to Flanagan's daughter Mary, who had married Robert "Bob" Murrell in 1902.

Bob Murrell was also a C&O man. In fact, he had been brought to Hinton by the company due to his outstanding baseball skills to play on the local team. Bob was also an accomplished painter, and evidence of both hobbies can be found today in the museum. It was also under the Murrell's ownership that the house truly became a hub of civic activity. The Murrells, especially Mary, were constantly hosting church meetings, clubs, and other get-togethers at the home. When Bob passed away, Mary remained in the home until her own death, being cared for by her daughter Mildred in her older years. Mildred never married, nor had children, but she was a beloved teacher who lived in the home until her own death in 1986. Mildred is responsible for preserving quite a bit of family history, in addition to physical artifacts belonging to the Campbell/Flanagan/Murrell families. These items are lovingly shared with the public today, thanks to the Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House Museum staff. 

Visitors can visit the home at 422 Summers Street, very much in its original state. The general store still makes up the first floor, while the upper floors are home to the history of not just the family, but of the town of Hinton and its significance to the railroad industry. Guided and self-guided tours are available on most weekends throughout the year, and the old general store offers a few souvenirs for sale. It's a great place to see what life in southern WV was like back in the early 20th century...and it's also a great place to have a paranormal experience!

In one story, a museum member was ascending the stairs to the top floor and encountered a group of women in period dress, sitting on the sunporch. These women were discussing how pleased they were with how work on the house was progressing.

Robert Murrell Under a Tree in his Side Yard
Source: WV History on View

In another incident, a mysterious arsonist was setting fires around Hinton, and a fire was set outside of the old, wooden home. However, before help could arrive on scene, the fire had extinguished itself...just as mysteriously as it had been lit. Was the home being protected by members of the Campbell/Flanagan/Murrell families? 

I've been lucky enough to have investigated this historic home three times, once with HPIR, once with SRI, and once with Appalachian Ghost Tours. Each investigation was an excellent opportunity that did not disappoint! While it seems like with many historic locations, our primary ghostly interactions tend to be with the men of the house, it was not that way with the Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House. There is definitely a strong, female presence that makes itself known. It's interesting to note that throughout the years, the house was continually passed down through the female heirs, and the presumed ghosts seen discussing the home from the porch, were all women. I like to think that there is some sort of divine feminine energy attached to the home, and the ladies who lived their lives here are still watching and protecting their beloved home. 

On my last investigation of the house, we had plenty of strange activity, but one incident sticks out in my mind as being one of the coolest things I've personally experienced. I was with a small group downstairs in the general store, when the main door opened. This isn't that unusual. There is actually a large pole/bar used to barricade the door when not in use to keep it closed, as it has a habit of popping open by itself (actually, that phenomenon seems to affect most of the doors to the outside throughout the house), most likely from wind and/or pressure changes. As we sat around and tried to communicate with the spirits, I picked up on the thermal camera what looked like a human figure standing in front of the door. As I was trying to figure out if anyone in the room could be casting a reflection that would match, someone asked the ghosts to please shut the door. Right on command, the door slowly yet FIRMLY shut. This was not weather related or otherwise a normal, natural occurrence. That door shut with INTENTION. As we had promised to leave the area if the ghost shut the door for us, we packed up and headed back upstairs. 

Mrs. Murrell and a Group of Women Outside the Home
Source: WV History on View

Another really fun interaction I had with the potential ghosts of the museum was with an entity that identified himself as an African-American man named Lester. Lester was a fun-loving guy who just wanted to listen to music, dance, and maybe flirt a little bit with one of the museum volunteers. His voice kept coming over our spirit box until we heard an exasperated woman's voice yell his name. We giggled and asked if that was his wife. The response we immediately got was his voice saying "Gotta go!" And he did go, for the time being. 

There are many more mysteries to unlock at the Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House. It is one of the oldest buildings in town, and served as the residence of the same family for over 100 years. I've been kind of hesitant to feature this location here at Theresa's Haunted History, because there is just so much information about this family that can't fit nicely into a short blog post. I hope that despite the omissions, I've done justice to this awesome location and those who lived there. More sources are available upon request, but I've included a few links and articles for more information. 

Campbell-Flanagan-Murrell House Museum (website) (Facebook)

WV National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form

Hinton Town Website History Section

John William Flannagan Article by Jamie Wood (Genealogy.com  Posted January24, 2002)

Hinton Daily News
12 March 1907

Terror in Talcott---Poltergeists and Klan Rallies at the Old Manning Home

M.A. Manning
From History of Summers County, by James Miller
Accessed via Internet Archive

Back in April of 1925, the Hinton Daily News ran an interesting story about a haunted house in nearby Talcott, WV. The house in question was being rented to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Chattin, a young couple who had been married a little over a year. Shortly after moving in, the couple noticed an alarming display of poltergeist activity when their (presumably) heavy dresser turned itself completely around without the aid of human (living human, anyways) hands. At first, they sort of played the incident off and replaced the dresser to its normal position.

But it happened again.

The second time the dresser spun around on its own was the catalyst the Chattins needed. This time, they arose and fled in fear. At first, Paul had the upper hand and was in the lead toward the door. However, his wife Mabel, described as being fleet-footed, quickly flew past her husband. In the confusion, Paul saw a white-clad figure zoom past him and assumed it was the ghost, causing a second burst of panic. 

Needless to say, the Chattins moved out and did not return to their haunted home. The home in question, located at the upper edge of Talcott, was known locally as the Manning House. It once belonged to Matthew A. Manning and his family. 

Manning was born on May 4, 1848, in Ireland, but came to the United States at four years old. His family lived in Monroe County before moving to Nicholas County before the start of the Civil War. While living in Nicholas, Manning joined the Confederate Army. By 1871, he had moved to Talcott. Although he was a lawyer by profession, he took advantage of the population boom occurring as a result of the building of the C&O Railroad line and opened up a mercantile business with a man named Park. In 1876 he married Miss Mary Campbell. Together they had two surviving children, Frank and Faye. Sometime along the way, he built what would be known for years as the Manning House.

Manning was a prominent and (mostly) well-liked citizen. He was a Mason, a Catholic, and a politician. As a Democrat, he served multiple offices and even served on the Board of Education, as well as a stint as postmaster. Manning passed away in his home on December 13, 1900, from heart disease. 

Mary would live until 1926, but at some point had moved out of the home. She passed away at her daughter's home in St. Albans, but her remains were said to have been brought home to the old Manning home and buried in Talcott Cemetery #2 alongside her husband. 

View of Talcott from Big Bend Mountain
Source: WV History on View

For much of the early 1920's, the Manning home was used as a rental property. After the Chattins fled in April of 1925, a Hinton newspaper noted that in May, Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Dodd were moving into the house for the summer. I'm not entirely sure they stayed long, however. While I couldn't find any news articles about the Dodds fleeing in terror from the haunted house, I'm not sure they would have wanted to stay around for what happened at the house in June. 

On June 12, 1925, Talcott Unit A of the Summers County Klan no. 90 held a huge event. Klan members were to meet at the nearby school and parade to a stage area set up near the Manning home for "patriotic speaking and drill performance." The public was invited to witness the spectacle and were to assemble on the grounds of the Manning property. An estimated 2500 people showed up! Whether the Dodds were Klan supporters or not, I don't think they'd have been too happy with 2500 people plus an actual cross burning on their lawn, which makes me think the house was once again abandoned. Unfortunately, Mrs. Chattin wasn't the only white-clad figure causing terror in Talcott that Spring. However, give me a furniture spinning ghost over the Klan any day. 

The two-story frame home wouldn't last forever. On December 14, 1951, the house was entirely destroyed by fire. At the time, it was owned by W.D. Lowry. Ashby Lowry was living on the second floor, while the first floor was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Rogers. Despite the Lowry ownership, the home was still being referred to as the Manning property. 

The fire started in the second-floor kitchen and quickly spread, causing considerable insurance damage, thanks to Mr. Lowry having recently bought all new furniture and clothing. It is said that hundreds of people blocked traffic for miles on Rt. 3 to watch the old landmark burn. 

So, who was the dresser-turning ghost? The article states that several people had died in the home, and that's certainly true of most houses of that period. M.A. Manning was probably the most well-known death to have happened in the home prior to the haunting. Was HE the resident ghost, looking after the interior design choices of his former residence? And did the haunting stop with the Chattins, or did other families experience furniture moving around on its own? Since the only activity that was reported was the moving of furniture, it's possible that this truly was a poltergeist of the recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis (RSKP) variety. Perhaps a young bride, adjusting to married life and the prospects of starting a family made Mabel Chattin the perfect agent for poltergeist activity.

Whatever the cause or whomever the culprit, parallels between this case and another are evident. In February of 1925, the Stokes family was run out of a haunted house in Hinton when doors flew open and beds shook in the night. You can read about that story on my post Terror on Temple Street! 

The Hinton Daily News
11 April 1925

The Hinton Daily News
13 June 1925

Beckley Post-Herald
15 December 1951

Graham House Hauntings

Graham House 2024
Photo by Theresa

Last year, SRI investigated the haunted and historic Campbell Flanagan Murrell House Museum (blog coming soon!) in Hinton, WV. I arrived in town early to check out some of the local museums and explore downtown a bit. I wandered into the Summers County Visitor's Center and had a lovely chat with the girl working. Obviously, the topic of why I was in town came up, and taking full advantage of the resources at hand, asked her about other local places that were haunted. She suggested the nearby Graham House, an 18th century log cabin that had a history of spooky encounters and had even been investigated several times by local ghost hunters.

The following Monday, I sent a message and quickly booked an investigation at this fascinating and new-to-me location!

The Graham House was built between 1770 and 1772 by Colonel James Graham and his wife, Florence. The log cabin boasted two full floors plus an attic, and various outbuildings.  Life on the western frontier wasn't an easy one, but the Graham family made a good living on their 286 acre farm, raising at least nine children there. But, tragedy would strike one spring evening in 1777. 

1777 was a tumultuous year for attacks on white settlers by the Native Americans in the area. In fear of an upcoming attack, the family, joined by several other area settlers, spent a couple of weeks across the river at the fort/home of the Van Bibber family. However, the family needed to return to their own property and prepare the crops for the upcoming season. On the evening of May 16th, the family was asleep, not knowing that their home had been stalked for days, awaiting the right time. 

Colonel Graham had been feeling ill and had actually fallen asleep on a bench in front of the door to the cabin. That move may have saved the lives of those in the cabin, as he was able to quickly block the front door with the bench and a heavy water tub. Unfortunately, through the scuffle, shots were fired through the door. A neighbor man named McDonald, who had accompanied the family to help with the crops, was shot and killed. The remaining men fired their own guns towards the attackers, while the women and some of the younger children were holed up upstairs. With them was the Graham's oldest son, 13 year old William, who had been sleeping in the main house because, like his father, he was also feeling ill. And, again, that was probably what saved HIS life. 

Had William not been ill, he probably would have been bunking with his two middle siblings, 10 year old John, and 8 year old Elizabeth. 

While the majority of the family were busy securing the main house, John and Elizabeth had been sleeping in the second-floor loft area of the kitchen building, located behind the cabin. Also in that building was a young slave boy named Sharpe. Sharpe, realizing what was going on, tried to flee via the chimney, but as the building was invaded, the attackers saw his foot dangling from the chimney and grabbed him. They dragged him outside and killed him. 

Whether because the children began crying, or the Native Americans had reason to suspect there were additional people upstairs, they fired their guns into the loft area. John was hit in the knee and also dragged out. As the boy was deemed too wounded to be kidnapped and marched away, he too was killed. Elizabeth, however, was taken hostage. She would remain with the Natives for eight years, until her father, at an estimated cost of $300 was finally able to negotiate her release at a meeting in what is now Chillicothe, OH, and travel to Maysfield, KY where she had been adopted by an Indian family. It is said that even after she was returned, she had a hard time readjusting and tried to run away at least three times before being married off to Joel Stodgill in 1792. 

After Colonel Graham passed away in 1813, the home remained in the family until right around the time of the Civil War. It was then occupied by the family of Colonel Wilson Lively, followed by the Keslers, who married into the Livelys. Other owners included the Thayer family, the Barickmans, and the Muhlys. The Muhly family, with its six kids, were the last private owners, calling the Graham House home from the mid-1970's to the mid-1980's. Unfortunately, they lost control over the property. Luckily, the home would be saved by the newly formed Graham House Preservation Society, who operates it to this day. 

With over 250 years of history, there are bound to be some ghost stories attached to the property, many of which seem to stem from the horrific tragedy of 1777 that left a stain upon the land. Two settlers and a slave were killed. A young girl was kidnapped.  It is also believed that at least one Native American was fatally injured and taken to nearby Indian Draft. When a skeleton was found there several years later, Colonel Graham claimed the jawbone and used it in the home as a gun rack. The energy of this location is palpable and those who are even the least bit sensitive are likely to pick up on the tension. On one side, you have a family who is fighting with everything they have to protect their home, and what they believe is their right to be there. On the other, you have a group of people fighting to protect THEIR way of life after seeing from prior events that the white settlers as a whole couldn't be trusted.

Aside from a general feeling, there have been plenty of specific incidents. An old Victrola, presumed to be inoperable, was found playing by itself. To date, it has not worked since.  The caretaker's mother witnessed a very life-like woman in white coming down the stairs from the second floor to the main floor, right about where the stairs turn. Two separate witnesses have seen a 'brown man' in the vicinity of the modern kitchen/banquet area that was built in the 1970s. Footsteps are heard coming from downstairs when the witnesses are upstairs, and vacuum cords are known to unplug themselves from the wall. 

When SRI visited last spring, at two different times, we distinctly heard a female's voice. The first time we heard it, Brian and I were upstairs at Leila was outside taking pictures. No one else had shown up yet. The voice sounded like it was coming from outside, so we just assumed it was Leila. When she joined us inside, we asked who she had been talking to. We thought she had either taken a phone call, or another member had shown up. She hadn't said a word. And, to test it out, we sent her BACK out to talk at various points around the building. When on the front porch, we could BARELY hear her, and it was very muffled, not like the loud, clear, crisp voice we had heard earlier. 

Later, as the entire team was on the first floor, we again heard a woman's voice. We ran outside to make sure no one was trespassing but found nothing. However, we realized that we DID catch the voice on audio. It sounds like the same female voice as before, but it cannot be made out exactly what she is saying. 

There were some phantom touches that night, as well as plenty of references to witches and witchcraft coming over the spirit box. I was asked through our resident sensitive if "my daddy was an injun." I can only assume that Colonel Graham and family have some lingering prejudices in the afterlife...

Graham House Preservation Society Website

Graham House Preservation Society Facebook

National Register Application 

Terror on Temple Street (A Hinton Haunted House)

Dr. Stokes' Office on Temple Street (1922)
Source: WV History on View
(Note: I don't know if this is the house in question, or not)

I have a special affinity for the Hinton, WV area. My grandma grew up there before moving to Beckley as a teenager, and as far as I know, I've still got plenty of distant relatives in town and throughout Summers County. When I was growing up, she always told me ghost stories passed down from her family, some of which actually took place nearby. So, I always get a little excited when I come across evidence of Hinton's spooky history and often wonder if my grandma and her family talked about such tales.

Recently, I stumbled across this haunted house story from Temple Street in Hinton. The Hinton Daily News covered the haunted happenings it its February 27, 1925, edition. According to the reports, two days earlier, there was a disturbance at the Temple Street home of Dr. J.W. Stokes and his wife. On Wednesday, February 25, the couple was awakened by unexplained noises. Dr. Stokes got up to check, and the door violently flew open without the aid of human hands. 

Shutting and bolting the door closed had no effect on the ghostly intruder, as the door once again flew open, and a cold draft blasted through the window, which the couple knew was closed tight. But that wasn't all. The beds, which were on casters, suddenly began moving on their own.  This was enough for Dr and Mrs. Stokes. They fled the home and sought shelter at a local hotel. 

Locals weren't surprised, as this wasn't the first time renters of the Temple Street home had fled in terror. In fact, before the Stokes had moved in, less than a month before, the home had sat empty for 6 months. Many believed that the home was haunted by a young woman named Margaret Ann Youell who took her own life in the same home two and a half years prior. 

Hinton High School Yearbook
Photo from Find-a-Grave user, E.M. Smith

On Thursday, June 8, 1922, 18-year-old Margaret (sometimes known as Sallie) was at home with her family. She had spent much of the day in her bedroom but seemed in good spirits as she joined her mother and sister out on the front porch for a bit. However, around 8pm, Margaret headed back inside. She grabbed a revolver and shot herself in the chest, the bullet traveling straight to her heart. She passed away a few minutes later in her bedroom. A physician was called, but there was nothing that could be done. Dr. G.L. Pence was by her side as she took her last breath. A large crowd gathered at the home, including Squire W.F. Argabright, who declared the young woman dead. No inquest was needed.

Margaret, born on November 28, 1903, had been a student at Hinton High School's Normal School program, having graduated the regular academic program the year before. She reportedly had many friends and was generally seen as a sweet, cheerful, intelligent girl. No motive was ever given for the horrible deed, but it was surmised that undisclosed family problems were likely. One version of her obituary hints that rumors were flying as to the reason why, but that most Hintonians most likely knew the probable cause, and they'd leave it at that. Kinda cryptic...

The funeral was held at First Baptist Church, and Margaret was buried in Hill Top Cemetery. She was survived by her parents, H.P. and Daisy Youell, her sister Nelle, and her brothers, Harry and James. Whether or not Margaret chose to stay in her Temple Street home after her death is speculation. What is fact is that a young, vibrant life was taken too soon in an act that would have a lasting impact on her community. 

*If you are experiencing thoughts of depression and/or self-harm, there is help available. A good place to start is calling/texting/chatting with the 988 Hotline. Please remember that you are loved, you are enough, and you're worth fighting for.*

I thought this was the end of the story, but while researching a completely different case later the same evening, I stumbled across a rather tongue in cheek follow-up. On March 18th, the Hinton Daily News published a story that a detachment of volunteer officers and privates of Company E, 150th Infantry, based in Princeton, WV were planning an investigation of the haunted house. Remarks such as Captain Tyler having knee pads made to prevent his knees from knocking together, and Lieutenant McMichel buying Royal glue from the 10 cent store to keep his hair down made it obvious that this was not a serious inquiry into the matter at hand. I've included a clipping of that newspaper below, as well as the rest of the relevant news stories. 

Hinton Daily News
18 March 1925

Hinton Daily News
27 February 1925

Hinton Daily News
9 June 1922

The Independent Herald
15 June 1922

Dr. Stokes Prepares to Move to Hinton
a Few Weeks Before Incident
Hinton Daily News (6 February 1925)

Dr. Stokes Moves Out of Hinton
a Few Weeks AFTER Incident
The Independent Herald (12 March 1925)