Freaky Friday: New owners discover Gallery 202’s secret guests

By RICHEL ALBRIGHT

When we last left Historic Clouston Hall, spooky happenings were occurring and we learned of the untimely death eof a young bride-to-be. Now we fast forward to 2010 where new ownership is about to take place and meet some unseen assets.e

Third in a four-part series

When we last left Historic Clouston Hall spooky happenings were occurring and we had learned of the untimely death eof a young bride-to-be. Click here to read part 1. Now we fast forward to 2010 where new ownership is about to take place and meet some unseen assets.e

In 2010, Rusty Womack sold the Clouston Hall to Kelly Harwood, the current owner of the house and Gallery 202.

Harwood uses the house as a gallery and painting studio.

eShortly after Kelly had bought the house and opened the gallery he invited some of his friends over for a dinner party in October 2010,e Thessin said. eThey were all in the back eating around 6 oeclock when there was a knock on the door.e

Knock, knock, knock.

Kelly opens the door to find a woman standing out on the steps looking around in an odd way and Kelly decides to invite the woman in even though ites after hours.

eHi, welcome to Clouston Hall, Gallery 202, wonet you come in,e Harwood said.

eOh, no, they wonet let me,e the woman said waving her extending arm to show a line of people. eIem not welcome.e

Harwood found it odd and told the woman he was the owner and had invited her in.

eOh not you,e she said. eThem.e

Once again the woman had pointed out what appeared to be a line of people not letting her enter.

eAnd shees swinging,e the woman added. eAnd therees soldiers lined up right over there.e

It was then that Harwood knew what and who the woman saw and said he understood.

There are bloodstains on the floor behind a jewelry cabinet in the room to the right as you walk in.

A few moments later the woman said the ghosts had told her she could enter the home and she did, exploring for a short time before leaving.

In that moment Harwood realized that the house might have come with unseen assets.

In the winter of 2010 there was a day the city had two inches of snow, which meant the city was shutdown and the children were out to play.

Harwood decided that he wanted a photo of the house in the snow.

eIn order for him to do that he needed to exit the back door and walk around the side so not to ruin the freshly fallen snow,e Thessin said.

Hours went by and the sound of children talking and laughing caught Harwoodes attention.

eHe thought then his picture had been ruined,e she said. eHe made his way to the front door to see who was out on the front lawn but saw no one and the snow was still untouched.e

Harwood then called out to his manager, Jim McReynolds, to see if he heard the voices.

Jim replied, eIs that the first time youeve heard that, because I hear that a lot.e

A fun story Bunn used to tell people was the story of Ms. Ninny Cliffe.

eOne night Bunn had an out-of-town house guest,e Thessin said. eIn the middle of the night the guy jumps up, runs outside and sleeps the rest of the night in his car.e

The next morning he drove to the nearest payphone and calls Bunn to ask him to pack up his suitcase and leave it on the sidewalk.

Bunn asked his guest why he refused to come back in the house and asked if the scream he heard in the middle of the night was in fact his guest.

eThat was me,e the guest said. eI yelled out, ran outside and slept in my car the rest of the night. Now pack my suitcase.e

Once again Bunn inquired about what caused the guest to get so spooked.

eThis is going to sound crazy but Iell tell you what it is,e the houseguest continued. eI woke up and there was a ghost of a woman sitting on the edge of my bed.e

The guest described what she was wearing eold fashioned clothes, like something out of the Civil War.e

Bunn then asked if the woman was wearing gloves. The guest replied that, indeed, she was.

Instantly Bunn knew whom the late night visitor was.

eThates just Ms. Ninny,e Bunn said. eMs. Ninny loves to visit the guys.e

Ms. Ninny Cornelia lived around the corner on Third Avenue and was a staunch supporter of the Confederate Army, according to Thessin.

eOn the day of the Battle of Franklin there was a Union officer attempting to get into her house,e she said. eAs he started to walk in the door, Ninny had her fatheres revolver and she pointed it at him and fired.e

Bang!

The gun misfired and severed Ninnyes thumb from her hand.

eFor the rest of her life she never went out without wearing gloves with something stuffed in the thumb part so it appeared she had 10 fingers and not nine,e Thessin said. eAnd that is how Bunn knew the ghost was Ms. Ninny and not anyone else.e

Thessin dug around to find out the connect Ms. Ninny had with Clouston Hall on 2nde Avenue when she lived on Third.

eI have since learned that, yes, she lived on Third Avenue and after she became widowed she moved in with her son and his family and died in their home,e she said. eThis home here.e

eAll those year Ms. Ninny had all that male companionship so she must be lonely because no one lives here and no one has in several years,e Thessin added.

This is just one of the numerous stops along Thessines Franklin on Foot Haunted Franklin Tour, but Clouston Hall is certainly one with a variety of spooky stories and hauntings.

Thessin does the tours nightly but only through reservations. For more information on Franklin on Foot, click here.

eIt seems that a house that is almost 200 years old will have had a lot of guests and residents come through during the years and leave their spirits behind,e Thessin said.

Richel Albright is a reporter with Franklin Home Page. She can be contacted at richel@franklinhomepage.com or you can follow her on Twitter @rwalbright.