Over a dozen ghosts roam Vicksburg’s McRaven House. Is it Mississippi’s most haunted building?

Mississippi is no stranger to spooky stories, but the McRaven House in Vicksburg is one of the creepiest and possibly the most haunted places in the entire state.

According to records, its history dates back to the 1700s and is steeped in a legacy of unfortunate accidents, murders, armed conflicts, and a plethora of other haunting events.

Historical background

The first portion of the McRaven House was constructed around 1797 by Andrew Glass, initially comprising only a kitchen and an upstairs room according to the home’s website. Glass was reputedly a highwayman, notorious for robbing innocent travelers along the Natchez Trace before hiding his ill-gotten gains within the home.

Interestingly, the home initially lacked a staircase as Glass preferred to use a rope or a ladder to access the upstairs bedroom, convinced it would protect him from his enemies or the law. However, Glass’s life met a grim end when he was reportedly shot and returned home one fateful night, where his wife ended his suffering.

In 1836, the home found new owners in Sheriff Stephen Howard and his wife Mary Elizabeth. They expanded the structure by adding a dining room adjacent to the kitchen, and an additional bedroom upstairs. The Howards also constructed a proper staircase leading to the original bedroom and balconies outside both.

According to local lore and stories about the house, Mary Elizabeth tragically passed away while giving birth to their son in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

In the late 1840s, John H. Bobb, originally from Philadelphia, acquired the house and later added a parlor, an entryway, a new staircase, and an additional bedroom.

The most noticeable event in McRaven House’s history occurred during the American Civil War, during the Battle of Vicksburg. Due to its proximity to the front-lines, the house served as a hospital and morgue for Confederate troops and was even damaged by cannon-fire.

A year after the battle, Bobb confronted several drunken Union troops foraging in his garden, the website says. When they refused to leave, he resorted to striking one of them down with a brick. He reported the incident to the Union commander, but his report was dismissed. Tragically, upon returning home, Bobb was kidnapped by a gang of soldiers and murdered, becoming the third death in the home’s history.

In 1882, the McRaven home was sold to William and Ellen Flynn Murray, who had four daughters and three sons. Over the next 60 years, William and Ellen, along with several of their children, would pass away in the house. By the time the last Murray child moved out in 1960, the home had become so overgrown with vines and foliage that many neighbors and Vicksburg locals were unaware it still existed.

Open to the public

The home was sold to O.E. Bradway the following year, who cleared the vines and overgrown trees before opening it to the public. Over the next two decades, the McRaven House’s unique and intriguing history became deeply ingrained in Vicksburg’s lore.

As each section of the house was built in different periods of American history, visitors can witness the transformation of American architecture from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s. In recognition of this, it earned the moniker “Time-Capsule of the South” from National Geographic Magazine in 1963.

In 1979, the McRaven House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Bradway then sold the home to Charles and Sandra Harvey, who conducted extensive research and repairs on the property, even uncovering portions of the home damaged during the Civil War.

It was also discovered that approximately 11 bodies from the war are buried on the property.

The hauntings

Despite the care they put into the home, the website says, the Harveys never lived in the house and sold it in 1984 to Leyland French. French reported several terrifying encounters in the home during his stay there, including being chased by the ghost of Mr. Murray and being shoved to the ground so hard that he required stitches.

At one point, French had a drawer slam shut on his hands so forcefully that it broke his thumbs, prompting him to move out and leave it to a housekeeper. French later requested an exorcism be conducted inside the McRaven House.

Over the next few decades, visitors and occupants noticed numerous phenomena such as lights flickering, doors slamming, voices, and sightings of former occupants on the grounds and in the home.

The former bedroom of Mary Elizabeth, preserved much as it was during her time there, is reputedly the most haunted. Guests have reported feeling a strange presence or seeing the impression of a person lying on the bed where she died.

Glass’s former room is also a hot-spot for paranormal activity, with guests having witnessed furniture being tossed about or doors slammed shut. Meanwhile, the ghosts of Glass, the Howards, the Murrays, and countless fallen soldiers can supposedly be seen on occasion.

These paranormal incidents have earned the McRaven House the title of the most haunted building in Mississippi, and rightly so. The home has been the focus of countless paranormal investigation shows and documentaries featured on A&E, The Travel Channel, and 48 Hours.

Today, the McRaven House in Vicksburg is owned by Steven and Kendra Reed and is open to the public, as well as paranormal investigators brave enough to enter the haunted home.