First, about the inn itself: A couple of years ago, I worked at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa, in beautiful Lake Lure, NC. The façade of the inn is pale yellow stucco with hunter green shutters. Inside, the lobby is very spacious and filled with the current owner's antiques and memorabilia from days gone by from the inn. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife stayed at the inn, during their trip to western North Carolina. Actors and directors from the movie "Dirty Dancing" stayed there as well as many other movie stars and musicians. This is a place to really get away from it all. Antiques tastefully dot the upstairs area and the rooms itself.
The original owner was a Dr. Lucius Morse. He fell in love with the area and wanted to build a hotel there. So around 1925-26, the inn was being built, and in 1927, it was finally opened as the Lake Lure Inn. It was said that he did not live to see the grand opening of the hotel.
During World War II, the US Army commissioned the inn and the men serving during the war would stay there and relax or recover from the wounds they had endured. There are many pictures of these soldiers and their families having a grand old time there at the inn.
The Ghost Stories:
When I first started working at the inn, I felt a little uneasy. It felt like there were a thousand eyes looking at you wherever you went. I was first made aware of the ghosts when I was working in the spa area. I was there late at night alone while cleaning and disinfecting the spa and washing the linens. I always saw shadows move down there. The spa was where I felt most scared when I was alone. Once, I was working the morning shift and was helping to do spa laundry. I walked through there alone while carrying some linen. I heard my name being said by what sounded like a man with a low gravelly voice. I dropped the linens and ran out of there as fast as I could. I ran into my supervisor's office and she remarked that I looked like I had just seen a ghost. I told her I didn't see one, but one called my name.
She thought it was funny, until something similar happened to her.
My supervisor had a great many health problems and she stayed in the bathroom a lot because her medicines made her nauseated. She said when she was in the bathroom, she heard someone say, "Are you okay?" She said she looked around and no one else was in the bathroom with her.
Many guests who have stayed there have reported that a woman would come into their rooms at night and either tuck them in or would stand there by the bed smiling at them. Some of the guests have packed the bags and left during the middle of the night because of that.
One housekeeper said that one Sunday morning, a lady walked by her wearing old-fashioned clothes and the housekeeper asked her if she needed anything. The lady replied, "No" and floated down the hallway. That housekeeper quit, unfortunately.
Other housekeepers have reported that glasses would break while they were in the rooms cleaning, that a couple of the TVs would turn themselves off and on at will, and the beds which were freshly made would have an imprint on them as if someone had sat on the bed.
There has been a rumor going around there for years that a lady was killed by her boyfriend or husband at the inn during the 30s or 40s. She had bellied up to the bar there and was flirting with a patrolman. Her boyfriend or husband became jealous and enraged. So later, when they got to room 215, he killed her. (Whether or not this is true, I'm not sure. I've done some research, but couldn't find anything to substantiate that claim.)
The night auditors have reported seeing a male figure in the dining room. He would be seen standing by the grand fireplace. They say this ghost looks like Lucius Morse, because there is a painting of him in the lobby. They also have reported seeing a smoky-like fog descending the grand staircase.
There have been two ghost investigations done at the inn in recent years. They have reported to catch the EVPs of a woman screaming, the EVP in the spa telling one of the investigators to get out of there and even called his name (like it did to me).
There are some speculations that the antiques that the owner has brought in may have some ghosts attached to them. They may very well be more than the three known ghosts that dwell within the ground of the 1927 Lake Lure Inn and Spa. If you are ever out visiting Asheville and the surrounding area, take a trip to the Lake Lure area.
[note from the webmaster: this is an update by the author on 2009-01-26]
I have on Youtube, some EVPs I got from the inn I would like to share with you all.
Also, here is the link to the Paranormal Scene Investigators who investigated in the twice and got some substantial EVPS.
I thought maybe you would like to check that out for yourselves. Enjoy!
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