I emailed Mr. George Swann about the claims, who informed me that there are actually seven Swann Cemeteries in Cabell County, and at least three in Barboursville, two of which are within miles of each other near Ousley's Gap, off Malcolm Rd. These two are the Leven C. Swann Cemetery, and the Hezekiah Swann Cemetery. The "haunted" cemetery is most likely the Leven C. Swann Cemetery, shown in the photo above.
Mr. Swann could tell me nothing of either cemetery being haunted, but was able to tell me that the area around the cemetery was the original homestead, and had been in the family since 1869. The family before them had owned the property since around 1810.
In addition, Mr. Swann also informed me that his grandfather did share a "ghost" story that happened in the area. Apparently, when the grandfather was a boy, he was walking home one night, and saw a coffin floating through the woods. It is possible that due to the proximity of the original homestead to the cemetery, that the coffin incident DID take place in the woods surrounding the cemetery.
Following an HPIR meeting/picnic at Barboursville Park, we drove out to the cemetery for an informal exploration. It's a wonderful little area, and the Swann family has worked diligently to restore and maintain the property. Unfortunately, we did not capture any photographic evidence, and a full investigation was not undertaken. I did, however, get a few photos that had not yet been posted to the Find-a-Grave site!
If you visit either of these cemeteries, please be respectful, and only visit during the day, unless given prior permission. Special thanks to George Swann for his help in researching this location.
Find-a-Grave photo from Belinda Robertson
Swann Genealogy
Leven C. Swann Cemetery Transcriptions
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