Post by Graveyardbride on Feb 19, 2015 23:07:38 GMT -5
Foul Play Suspected in Burning of Haunted Alabama Church
Foul play is suspected in a fire that destroyed Consolation Primitive Baptist Church near the Butler and Covington county line. The wooden church in the Oakey Streak Community near Red Level is a complete loss. Firefighters began fighting the blaze around 9:30 a.m., Monday, February 16. The building wasn't in use and the electricity had been disconnected.
Because of rumors the church and cemetery are haunted, the Butler County sheriff said there have been many break-ins at the over the years. The graveyard, also rumored to be haunted, wasn't impacted by the fire. The state fire marshal's office is investigating the cause of the blaze.
Over the years, the church and cemetery had acquired quite a reputation for paranormal activity that included tales of banshees, hellhounds and ghosts. Even the outhouse is reputed to be haunted.
One of the best-known, and most-repeated, legends was that a Gaelic banshee could be heard keening and sobbing from within the church just before a member of the congregation died. There are also stories that hellhounds with glowing red eyes roam and protect the cemetery, which dates to the early 1800s. Several Confederate soldiers rest in this graveyard and visitors have reported hearing the sounds of marching soldiers, presumably the regiments to which the dead soldiers belonged.
But these aren’t the only supernatural occurrences on the property. People have seen the apparition of a small boy playing with a ball. Others have heard a child’s laughter when visiting the church and/or cemetery. The boy’s presence is accompanied by a sudden cold wave of air. It is said if the child rolls his ball toward a person, and the person picks it up, he or she will soon die. The spirit of a little girl, who is seen skipping along the road, also haunts the location.
Yet another story involves a black 1964 Ford pickup. It is said that if people park their car at the church on the night of a full moon and linger too long, the black Ford truck will appear and chase them down. If the truck overtakes the vehicle, it will crash, killing the occupants.
It is also claimed that if someone enters the old outhouse located a few yard behind the church and if someone enters, the door will shut and fasten of its own accord, trapping the person inside.
Sources: Erin Edgemon, Alabama.com, February 17, 2015, and Andy Brown, The Greenville Advocate.
