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HAUNTED DWELING: Woodruff Fontaine House Museum 680 Adams Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. Woodruff Fontaine House Museum can be found on Adams Ave, near the corner of Orleans St.
Amos Woodruff, an energetic, successful entrepreneur who was a mover and a shaker came to Memphis in 1845, to establish a carriage-making business, which became a huge money maker. He expanded his business interests into building structures, cotton and lumber, life insurance, organized and ran two banks, the Memphis & Ohio Railroad and even a hotel; the Overton Hotel. He certainly built businesses that employed a lot of people, and offered goods and services, becoming a boom to Memphis' economic growth. He was admired by the people, and elected to the city council. He ran for Mayor, twice!
He bought land with plans to build a home, worthy of his position in the community as business leader and politician. He certainly had no contractor issues, taking only a year, from 1870-71 to build this lovely, 3 storied French Victorian architecture home, with a Mansard roof. Many skilled craftsmen worked on this house. The woodwork is made of machine-carved, solid cypress. The original flooring is also mostly cypress. The hallway ceiling at the top of the third floor staircase showcases an embossed design, hand hammered tin in a classical design.
A roomy Carriage House and other buildings were also built. Today, those buildings are used for events, such as wedding receptions. There is a lovely courtyard, a fountain and gardens, as well as a lovely front lawn where couples like to say their vows in front of family and friends.
His daughter, Mollie, was married in this brand new home in 1871, becoming Mollie Woodruff Henning, who eventually inherited this property, and probably lived there until she died.
The second well-to-do family who moved into this mansion was the Fontaines, an old Memphis family. Noland Fontaine was a cotton executive for the very prominent business of Hill, Fontaine & Company. Noland died in 1912, and his wife died in 1928.
This property was sold in 1929 for $25,000, to be used as an antique shop. Probably because of the market crash, this planned business was never able to open, which must of been a huge disappointment to someone.
The Woodruff Fontaine House was again on the market. This property was bought by entrepreneur, Rosa Lee, who needed a bigger place for her Free Art School. When the art school moved to Overton Park in 1959, this fine home sat forlornly vacant until 1961, badly in need of TLC, as it had become a real fixer-upper opportunity.
Luckily, it was saved from the wrecking ball by the Association for Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, who raised funds through a public fund drive. The Association for Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities used the funds raised to restore the mansion. Woodruff Fontaine House reopened as a museum in 1964.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS MANIFESTATIONS: Rich Newman of Paranormal Incorporated led an investigation at Woodruff Fountain House Museum and came up with some evidence pointing to the spirit entities who reside here, backing up personal experiences of the staff.
She also likes to wander throughout the mansion, checking up on what the living are up to, and like a good hostess, will follow interesting people around her home.
A not-so-nice entity in the parlor and third floor - Known to be a male:
STILL HAUNTED?
Yes indeed! Evidence has been gathered by at least two paranormal investigation groups who have examined the Woodruff /Fontaine House Museum.
Female Entity:
Male Entity:
SOURCES INCLUDE: memphis.about.com * woodruff-fontaine.comparanormalincorporated.blogspot.com
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