One of my very first nights as a student at Florida State University was absolutely bizarre. Alone in my small cubicle of a dorm room, my body randomly decided that 3:30 a.m. was the perfect time to awaken from my restful and peaceful sleep. After being rudely interrupted by a dream that I can’t recall or describe, my eyes, as wide as ever, stared at the blank roof above me. My thoughts started to drift as I aimlessly pondered about the day ahead of me: class, homework, more class, even more homework, water polo practice, and maybe a movie.
While I continued to think, I glanced over at the other side of my dorm room to an empty bed and a vacant desk. My roommate hadn’t moved up to Tallahassee yet, so I spent the night alone. As I turned to face the roof yet again, my thoughts were interrupted and my eyes opened so wide that tears started to form from the cold, dry air conditioning. Above me, a woman wearing an 18th-century gown, a pleated linen cap, and brown boots glided across my roof, quickly vanishing into my walls. We never made contact or stopped to have a quick chat since I was in utter shock and paralyzed at the thought of a ghost traveling through my room. I turned over to the stuffed animal that sat beside me and asked out loud, “You saw that too, right?” My stuffed animal failed to reply as it too simply stared, its eyes blank and emotionless.
From that night forward, I arrived at this conclusion: FSU is haunted. My friends called me delusional and crazy, but I know that what I witnessed was no illusion. After all, this school opened in 1851. Are you saying in all those years, FSU wouldn’t become a popular vacation spot for ghosts? I decided to open an investigation on the ghostly friend I made that night and found that this school has an eerie yet fascinating past.
Haunted spot No. 1: westcott fountain
I lived in Jennie Murphree Hall during my freshman year, which is located near the Westcott Fountain. Back in 1829, the iconic fountain, known for having newly 21-year-old students go for late-night swims, was once known as Gallows Hill, a place where executions of Tallahassee’s most wanted criminals took place. The first and most infamous execution was a mother convicted of murdering her own children; perhaps she was the visitor traveling through my walls at night (definitely not concerning…). I’ve noticed that anytime I walk past the fountain, I feel a sudden chill, which is reportedly a common experience. Perhaps the victims of Gallows Hill lurk near the students who walk by, or they could be swimming alongside you on your 21st birthday. Regardless, the next time you walk by Westcott and feel something otherworldly, don’t worry, it was totally a water droplet that splashed from the fountain… right?
haunted spot No. 2: cawthon hall
Even though I believe my old dorm housed spirits, Cawthon Hall is notorious for its ghostly resident, Sarah “Tissie” Landrum Cawthon. Cawthon was the first dean of the college home (now known as Student Affairs). She oversaw students and ensured that they were on their best behavior. She was quite the stickler for appearances; she was often dismayed by students who wore what she considered revealing clothing, drank and smoked in public, and preached liberal ideas. Legend has it that even after her death, Cawthon still wanders this dorm hall to watch and monitor the female students who reside in it.
Along with Cawthon, another ghost roams the dorm of the very same name, but her story is a lot more gruesome. In 1971, a severe thunderstorm crashed onto FSU, during which one student was trapped outside the roof of Cawthon Hall because she was sunbathing. Devastatingly hit by a lightning strike, students living on the top floor reported hearing loud pounding noises on the windows and doors, as well as the agonizing screams of a young girl trying to seek shelter. If you’re a current resident of Cawthon, try looking outside your window; you may find a certain face or two.
Despite its spooky history, the ghosts that inhabit FSU are nothing but harmless, so don’t worry about experiencing a possession anytime soon. Those sudden chills that brush your skin and make those tiny hairs stand up, or the whispers that creepily tickle your ear are just our invisible friends giving us a welcoming greeting. After all, you can’t see them anyway so you’ll probably end up ghosting them…
P.S. If you live in Jennie Murphree, specifically room 219, tell Shelly I said hi and I hope she’s doing well (that’s the ghost, BTW. I named her!).
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