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

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)

Hinton Has Saucers, Too

 

The Leader
10 July 1947

I just love an interesting tidbit of flying saucer lore from the Mountain State! This little article was published in the 10 July 1947 of The Leader, a small newspaper out of Hinton, West Virginia. Just DAYS after the story broke about an alleged UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico, a housewife from Hinton reported her OWN eyewitness account of no less than six flying saucers over the southern WV town of Hinton, located in Summers County. 

The inevitable report of saucers flying over Hinton came into the Daily News office today.

B.M. Ramsey, 419 Summers street, said his wife, Lee, saw them Saturday afternoon at 2:50 o'clock and "they were about as big as those little plates you get out of boxes of oatmeal."

"She was sitting on the front porch and saw them come over Cemetery hill. I was in the house and she hollered to me, but by the time I got outside they were gone.

"She said they were standing up on edge, cutting through the air. I asked her how many there were and she said she couldn't tell, but she counted six.

"A plane had come over just a minute before, and she glanced up and saw these saucers come over the hill. They were flying from south to north and disappeared over the mountain."

Five years later, Hinton would once again jump on the UFO bandwagon. As reports of flying saucers were coming in from all over the United States, including Washington, D.C., multiple sightings made the local newspaper that summer! In late July of 1952, three women (also on Summers Street) saw a spinning UFO. A month later, a bus driver and several passengers saw what looked like a slow-moving 'wash tub.' I've discussed these two cases in depth in an earlier blog, which you can read here: UFOs Over Hinton

Is Hinton, West Virginia some kind of UFO hotbed or area of high strangeness? Were the locals simply influenced by bigger UFO cases gripping the nation at the time and simply made a misidentification based on those perceptions? Did the newspaper editors just have a brilliant plan to sell papers? Whatever the reason for the influx of UFO cases over Hinton, the fact that they were preserved by the local paper has inevitably tied them to West Virginia's weird and wonderful history...a history that I hope to help document and share with future generations!

*If you have a UFO sighting or experience you'd like to share, please leave me a comment below, or find me over on Theresa's Haunted History Facebook!*

UFOs Over Hinton: 1952 UFO Flap Comes to Southern West Virginia

1952 was a HUGE year for UFOs. From July 12 to July 29th, multiple UFOs were seen over the White House and in other areas around Washington, D.C. In September, Flatwoods, WV would experience its infamous monster sighting, after a group of kids went to inspect what they thought was a downed airplane in the hills above town. And, in the small town of Hinton, WV, located in Summers County, there were TWO separate UFO reports that summer that were featured in the local newspaper. 

The first appeared in the Hinton Daily News on Tuesday, July 29th and described a UFO sighting from the previous Sunday. Around 9pm, three witnesses spotted a UFO over the New River. Article transcribed below:

Hinton Daily News. 29 July 1952

Flying Saucer is Spotted Over Hinton Late Sunday

By Tom Pendergast

Have "flying saucers" appeared in the skies over Hinton?

Three local residents reported Monday evening that they saw in the cloudless sky here Sunday night "the strangest big round thing spinning through the air" that was "so bright it almost put your eyes out."

The viewers-Mrs. Howard Hayes, her 13 year old daughter Nedra, and Anna Sue Iddings-said they saw a fast-spinning object whirling "just like a top" appear suddenly about 9pm high above the New River Bridge. Mrs. Hayes, who said she delayed notifying the Daily News because she thought people would think she was "cracy," stated that the flying object left a vapor trail. She added that Fred Ferguson, C&O shopman, arrived on the porch of her lower Summers Street home in time to see the vapor trails and that the "grey-like smoke" trail remained visible for 10-15 minutes. 

Mrs. Hayes, whose home faces the New River, said the group was on her porch at the time and that she first noticed the "thing." She added that she screamed "look!" and all three caught a good glimpse of the object. "The queerest feeling came over me," Mrs. Hayes explained. "I've always wanted to see one of those flying saucers," she remarked, "but I don't ever want to see anything like that again." 

Her description, which matches other reports of "flying saucers" seen throughout the country recently, verified that the objects are extremely fast. "It was faster than an airplane," she said, "and shortly after it went out of sight we heard a noise that sounded like an airplane--but we couldn't see any plane."

Mrs. Hayes said she first saw the object as it whirred high over the New River Bridge "spinning just like a top in a straight line down the river" toward the C&O shops. The "thing" was flying "as high as most of the transport planes that go over Hinton," she asserted, "and from where I was it looked bigger than a washtub. It must have been at least as big as an airplane."

A strange twist to the object's alleged flight was uncovered when Mrs. Hayes reported that it "spun around in a loop above the C&O depot, making complete, sharp circles, and then followed on down the river," toward Sandstone.

Mrs. Hayes said that although the object was moving "very fast" she was able to see that "it" was flat on the bottom, and had a ridge and a round hump on top that looked just like an upside-down saucer. It was spinning around and around, she stated. 

"It was so bright that I couldn't tell what color it was. In fact," she said, "it was so bright that my daughter's eyes became red from watching it."

Mrs. Hayes was not certain how long the object remained visible in flight, and thought it seemed to be following the New River in a straight line. It disappeared in a matter of seconds, she thought. 

No other reports of the incident have been received by the Daily News. 

Hinton Daily News. 25 August 1952

The second UFO sighting to come into the Daily Mail from Hinton in the summer of 1952 happened on Sunday, August 24th, and also included three witnesses. About 1:20pm, Alva Williams, a bus driver for Victory Bus Lines was driving through the Beech Run section near the C&O ballpark. His passengers, Frank Kesler and Miss Buckland, also saw the object, described as being round like a washtub and made from aluminum or some other shiny metal.  However, unlike Mrs. Hayes sighting, this object appeared to be moving rather slowly.

It's kind of interesting that in both of these sightings, the UFO was described as looking like a washtub. It's also interesting that both incidents happened on a Sunday, and involved three witnesses. What's strange is that the movement described is really quite different In both cases, the witnesses seem quite sure that they have seen a flying saucer, presumably from out of this world. But what would cause these UFOs to take such an interest in the small railroad community of Hinton, WV? Were these sightings just hoaxes, or even simple misidentifications inspired by all the news of UFOs around Washington, DC earlier in July...or were UFOs really flying over southern West Virginia in the summer of 1952?