5 haunted homes, buildings + places in Birmingham, including the Mortimer Jordan Residence
ByNathan Watson
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Looking to get your haunt on? Apparently, there are a number of haunted homes, buildings and other places throughout The Magic City. We took a look at 5 prominent haunt “hot-spots” to learn more!
1. Mortimer Jordan Residence
Built between 1906 and 1908 and designed by William Weston, this two-story Greek Revival mansion certainly catches the eye while you drive along Highland Avenue. However, according to a previous owner, the home is inhabited by a ghostly figure.
The original owner of the home was Mortimer Jordan III, a local physician and officer in the American Expeditionary Force in France in World War One. During the Second Battle of the Marne, he was mortally wounded by an enemy artillery shell and died shortly thereafter in an army hospital.
After Mortimer Jordan III’s death, his son—Mortimer Jordan IV—lived at the residence until 1928. That year, he sold the home to Annie Renfro Tomlinson Cabell. According to BhamWiki, Mortimer Jordan IV told Mrs. Cabell’s children that the attic was inhabited by a ghost who came down to the main floor at midnight each night.
Was Mortimer Jordan IV just messing with the young children? Possibly. However, you wouldn’t catch me in that old house after midnight!
2. Sloss Furnaces
Supposedly, one of Birmingham’s most prominent attractions is haunted by the ghost of a former worker.
In 1887, a foundry worker by the name of Theophilus Jowers, recently promoted to assistant foundryman, was working at Alice Furnaces in Birmingham. Unfortunately, while working around the edge of the furnace, Jowers lost his balance and tumbled into the molten-hot iron. According to BhamWiki, the next day the Birmingham Iron Age reported that “a piece of sheet iron was attached to a length of gas pipe, and with that instrument his head, bowels, two hip bones and a few ashes were fished out.”
“As long as there is a furnace in Jefferson County, I’m going to be working there.”
Theophilus Jowers, in a statement to his wife, Sarah Louise Latham
Soon after the tragedy, workers reported seeing a ghastly, unrecognizable figure making the rounds and walking through areas of the furnace too hot to survive. Some reported that it was Jowers himself, returned to check on his crew. After Alice Furnaces shut down in the early 20th century, Jower’s ghost supposedly moved to Sloss Furnaces, where he still makes the rounds.
3. Alabama Theatre
According to multiple accounts, the Alabama Theatre is one of Birmingham’s most prominent haunted hot-spots. In 1986, longtime Alabama Theatre organist Cecil Whitmire, accompanied by a singer, rehearsed for an upcoming concert while alone in the theatre. Suddenly, a ghastly figure crossed the stage in full view of the duo.
So who was the ghost? Cecil Whitmire believed the figure to be the ghost of Stanleigh Malotte, a previous organist at the Alabama Theatre, who served from 1936 to 1955. Perhaps he loved the theatre so much, he decided to stay.
The sighting of Stanleigh Malotte isn’t the only out-of-the-ordinary experience at the Alabama. Guests and workers have reported locked doors that open on their own, open windows slamming shut and the sound of footsteps coming from empty areas. Spooky!
4. Linn-Henley Research Library
Can a library be haunted? Some think so. The ghost of Fant Thornley, a former director of the Birmingham Public Library, is said to haunt the halls of the Linn-Henley Research Library in downtown Birmingham.
According to the Birmingham Public Library, there have been numerous accounts of mysterious sounds on the staircases, doors opening when no-one is there, and the smell of Chesterfield cigarettes—Thornley’s favorite—permeating the halls.
In fact, the Birmingham Public Library put together a video on the hauntings!
In 1977, an archivist by the name of Marvin Yeomans Whiting saw the elevator doors open—but no one walked out. However, he immediately smelled the familiar Chesterfield cigarettes of Fant Thornley. And in 1989, an electrician claimed to have seen the shape of a man—but without any substance. The ghost of Fant Thornley? Possibly! Regardless, the electrician refused to enter the archives again.
Now remember, I used to intern at the Linn-Henley Research Library back in college. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your affinity for ghosts!), I never encountered the ghost of Fant Thornley.
5. Redmont Hotel
Did you know that The Redmont Hotel is the oldest hotel in Alabama to still be in use? Opened in 1925, The Redmont has hosted some of Birmingham’s most famous guests, including country music legend Hank Williams.
As Alabama’s oldest hotel, it’s inevitable that a haunting or two would occur. Guests and workers have reportedly seen the ghost of Clifford Stiles, a former owner of The Redmont, roaming the halls at night. Additionally, guests have seen lights than turn on and off, doors that open & close and furniture that moves about—all without anyone near them.
Learn more about Birmingham Haunts with LAH Real Estate
Are you sufficiently spooked, or do you have a hankering for more paranormal stories in Birmingham? Whether you’re looking for a haunted home, or a perfectly ghost-free one, the experts at LAH Real Estate are there to help you make the right choice.
Reach out to any of their four offices in the Birmingham area to get started:
- Mountain Brook Office: (205) 870-8580
- Homewood Office: (205) 879-8580
- Hoover Office: (205) 440-4740
- Crestline Office: (205) 588-8474
Know of additional ghost stories in Birmingham? Tag us @bhamnow to share your spooky tales!
