Lexington's Haunted Talon Winery

Talon Winery, from Wine Trail Traveler

The Talon Winery in Lexington, Kentucky is housed in a beautifully restored farmhouse, built in the 1790s.  It was built on land owned by Isaac Shelby, who would become Kentucky's very first governor, and was the home of his daughter and her family.

Specializing in several varieties of wine, the winery hosts tours, tastings, a gift shop, live music and is a premier wedding venue.  And, according to owner Harriet Allen in an interview with Lex18's Mystery Monday segment, it may be haunted!

Obviously being over 200 years old, the home has seen a lot of life...and most likely, a lot of death.  That kind of history meshes well with at least one of the alleged reports of paranormal activity.  When locking up and leaving for the evening, staff have looked behind them and seen the apparitions of children looking out the windows.  It's never the same window, and the children have been seen on both the lower and upper floors.

But its the next ghost that leaves me scratching my head...

The apparition of a dark haired bride wearing a white gown has been spotted ascending the stairs in the old farmhouse.  That might not sound too weird at first since surely a house this age has hosted plenty of weddings as a private residence even before the winery was used by modern bridal parties.  What makes this one of the more unique hauntings I've ever written about is who the staff believe the ghost to be.

Sweet Evening Breeze, via Art Beat Lexington

James Herndon was born on July 2, 1892 in Scott County, Kentucky.  At a young age, he suffered an eye injury and was dropped off at the Good Samaritan Hospital. His family never did come to pick him back up.  The superintendent, though, fell for the boy's charm, and gave him a room and let him do odd jobs around the hospital, such as deliver the mail.  He also dazzled residents with his ukulele playing.  As he got older, he'd eventually become the top orderly of the hospital, a profession which allowed him to move out on his own and collect an income which was quite high for an African American of that time period.  Sounds normal enough, but in the offbeat history of Lexington, James Herndon is better known as Sweet Evening Breeze, or simply, Miss Sweets.

Miss Sweets was Kentucky's first really openly gay man and transgender individual during a very turbulent time in the south.  During the Great Depression, WW2, and the Civil Rights Movement, Miss Sweets was dazzling the citizens of Lexington with a wonderful personality, love and charity towards those less fortunate, and delicious cooking.  His style could also not be beat.  Sometimes he'd simply accessorize a men's suit with fancy jewelry and well-applied makeup, but other times he'd perform in the streets in full drag, including, a wedding dress!

Some of the links below share some of Miss Sweets history...and the many, many legends and recollections of his life, but unfortunately NONE of them mention any connection that he may have had to the Talon Winery!  In any event, staff have reported that the hauntings of the winery have a very warm feeling.  In addition to being seen, Miss Sweets is believed to be the cause of people feeling their shoulder caressed, and causing the sounds of furniture moving around.

Neighborhood Kentucky
Mystery Monday
TransGriot
ArtBeat Lexington
Wine Trail Traveler