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http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/states/north_carolina/counties/gaston/10001519.htm Posted on Sun, Oct. 24, 2004 Spirits of southern schools brought forth Book runs gamut from Chapel Hill apparitions to E. Tennessee haunts LEIGH PRESSLEY, Special Correspondent After publishing a North Carolina ghost story trilogy of books two years ago, Dan Barefoot of Lincolnton has expanded his research area with a new book about spirit- and specter-filled schools of the South. "Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities," published by John F. Blair of Winston-Salem, includes 39 tales reported at campuses from West Virginia to Florida. "The South is known for its storytelling, as well as the fact that our history began with the beginning of America," he says. "Some of the most historic places in the southern United States are universities. And where there's history, there's often mystery, ghosts and tales of the supernatural." While researching his earlier book, "North Carolina's Haunted Hundred," Barefoot came across several spooky tales set on state campuses including UNC Greensboro, Davidson College and Lenoir-Rhyne College. He considered writing about haunted campuses across the country, but would have ended up with one tale per state. Instead, he focused on the 11 states of the Confederacy and added Kentucky and West Virginia to make it "an eerie 13." "These books are a mixture of my love of history and my longtime interest in ghosts," he says. "We'll see how this book does, but it's a distinct possibility that we'll branch out to campuses in other parts of the country, too." Barefoot included two to four tales from each state, with both major state universities and small private colleges represented. In North Carolina, he collected stories from his alma mater, the UNC Chapel Hill, as well as Lees-McRae in Banner Elk and Chowan College in Mufreesboro. Some are longtime favorites generations of college students have heard, including the story of a UNC student in the early 19th century who was killed in a duel at Gimghoul Castle just off campus. "Peter Dramghoul was fighting over a young lady from Chapel Hill, and when he was wounded, he was laid on a rock at the castle where they'd often meet," says Barefoot. "He bled on the rock, and to this very day, you can see the blood stain. His girlfriend later died of heartbreak, and people say down in the valley below the castle, her ghost roams looking for him." Other tales, including an apparition that has appeared in the Paul Green Theatre not far from Gimghoul Castle in Chapel Hill, are just a few years old. "People have reported seeing this eerie ectoplasm, a green glow, or mist-like fog, in the theater," says Barefoot. "Some people think it's the ghost of Charles Kuralt, who's buried in the old Chapel Hill cemetery just outside." Although most ghost stories are folk tales that change as they're passed down and told over time, many are rooted in actual events. Barefoot uses university libraries and newspaper archives to substantiate the facts. "I want them to be as believable as possible, and the research lends credibility," he says. Typically, Barefoot says, campus ghosts come from two sources -- former students or professors who loved the university so much that their spirit remains or those who died tragic deaths. "East Tennessee University's administration building is haunted by the school's first president, who had an abiding love for the campus," he says. "But others are more malevolent. Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, had a mad botanist who put a curse on the campus. At the University of Texas, the ghost of Charles Whitman still haunts the tall tower where he shot all those people. Others have reported seeing the ghosts of some of his victims, too." Barefoot especially likes ghost tales rich in history, including the story about oil baron and railroad magnate Henry Flagler whose ghost haunts Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla. The campus centerpiece is Flagler's ornate 540-room Ponce de Leon Hotel, which is now used as a dorm. Folks say the building is haunted by Flagler, two of his wives and his mistress. While Barefoot says he's never seen a ghost, his wife, Kay, had a run-in with a spirit while helping with research last summer. Walking around campus at Huntington College in Montgomery, Ala., Kay Barefoot took a nasty spill and ended up disoriented with a badly sprained shoulder and skinned palm. "She says she didn't trip on anything, that it was as if a force pushed her from behind," says Dan Barefoot. "The campus was deserted on a summer Sunday afternoon and there was no one around. Now she's a believer that it was the spirit on the campus green, a story we had been researching." Barefoot's knowledge of history and his love of ghost tales make for an interesting book discussion, says Gaston County Public Library program coordinator Carol Reinhardt. "He's really done a great job with this book; his writing just gets better and better," she says. "People come to hear him and just because of the subject matter. It's a wonderful seasonal program." Want to Go? Author and former N.C. Rep. Daniel Barefoot will presents his newest book, "Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities," at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Gaston County Public Library auditorium and from 2-5 p.m. next Sunday at the Lincoln Cultural Center. Admission is free, and receptions and book signings will follow Barefoot's readings. Details: (704) 868-2164 in Gastonia and (704) 732-9055 in Lincolnton. � 2004 Charlotte Observer and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.charlotte.com --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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