Ernestine and Hazel's - HauntedHouses.com (Tennessee)
HAUNTED PLACE: Ernestine and Hazel's
ADDRESS:
531 South Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee.
LOCATION:
Ernestine and Hazel's can be found on the corner of S Main Street, and W. Calhoun Ave., one block east of the Illinois Central Raidroad tracks. The central train station is just a few blocks south.
DESCRIPTION / HISTORY:
Ernestine and Hazel's, a diner and informal music night club, is a funky, very long but narrow rectangular shaped, two story brick building whose front door sits on S. Main Street. As it is on a long but narrow lot, its longest rectangular width faces W Calhoun Ave., while its shorter rectangular sides face South Main Street. It isn't much to look at on the outside; An unattractive yet practical a practical wooden boarding front, which hasn't been yuppified, to say the least. The inside decor is a blast from the past as well, but is functional. This establishment is a bit frumpy and funky, but is well loved by the neighborhood!
It's doors open at 5:00, for the dinner crowd, and closes late into the evening. All of Memphis know that Ernestine and Hazel's is home to the best Soul Burgers in Memphis, as well as offering other meals of interest. It also has live music and dancing, to a variety of bands.
Being so close to the railroad, the building began it service to humankind as a dry goods store, with a bordello on the 2nd floor. Sometime in its history, it became a bar and bordello. Probably, when the state of Tennessee stepped up its enforcement of vice rules, the bordello was closed. It passed through various owners, who basically ran a food eatery / bar, with some sort of entertainment; A place to hear music, enjoy a brew or cocktail, and dance.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS:
The nature and unintended consequences of prostitution often cause pain, emotional destress, and early deaths.
(Birdcage Theater * Miss Molly's Bed and Breakfast * Copper Queen Hotel * White Eagle Pub and Hotel * Baraboo Inn)
Eateries, bars, establishments with live entertainment have long been attractive to entities who have an attachment to their personal good times or tragedies that they associate with the place.
(Cigar and Stripes Hammerhed Lounge * The Red Lion Pub * Natatorium * Jean Lafitte's Old Absinthe House)
MANIFESTATIONS:
The haunted Juke box -
Most everyday juke boxes will just play what was requested by the listener with a coin in hand. The juke box in Ernestine and Hazel's has been known to not only turn itself on, and provide music, but seems to have a paranormal intelligence to listen to conversations, and play an approriate tune whicn sums up the content of the conversation. Perhaps the entity of a former employee, who knows the juke box songs well, is tyring to continue to serve its clientelle.
Apparitions have been seen wandering around the bar and upstairs area, still enjoying this place of good times, remembrance, and perhaps tragedy, going about their business, and not quite ready to let go and go to the other side.
Memphis Paranormal Investigations have declared on their website that Ernestine and Hazel's is one of the most haunted places in Memphis. Whenever they investigate this building, they never leave empty-handed!
They have captured entities on film: Visit the link posted above and you will see:
A full, see-through appartition of a man was caught on film walking in front of the building and entering the front.
A transparent face of a man was caught at the top of the staircase, which connect the first and second floor.
A woman's face was caught on the door of a second floor bedroom.
STILL HAUNTED?
Yes Indeed!!!
Real evidence, and loads of personal experiences from both patrons and staff members, point to the existence of entities who were connected to this building in its past.
SOURCES INCLUDE:
memphisparanormalinvestigations.com
esquire.com * memphis.about.com * memphis.about.com
