The Grey Lady of Willard Library
Halloween is creeping upon us ever closer. So, lets take this opportunity to travel to Evansville, IN.
The Willard Library in Evansville, IN, is a stunning, stately building that was built in 1885. This makes the Willard Library the oldest library in the state of Indiana. The idea behind this library was to provide a haven for people from every background, and has been holding strong to this idea for 136 years.
In the 1930's, the library started to have a new, regular patron wafting through the stacks.
The Grey Lady.
Lavender floating on the air.
The light touch of inquiring fingers in your hair or touching your earrings.
An intense, momentary chill sitting with you.
The Grey Lady first came to light in what was to become the library's youth services department. Appearing to a custodian in the wee hours of a cold morning. He was the only employee of the library to quit after encountering her. Then, ultimately, she bonded with the Youth Services Librarian, Ms. Maier...going so far as to follow her home temporarily during a remodel!
After these occurrences, The Grey Lady was known to be seen wandering with a book in hand quite often. She was rather mischievous with her misshelving of books (the nerve!) or her knocking books off of the shelves. She would move chairs, make lights flicker, and cause water faucets to mysteriously turn on. And for the unsuspecting, poor souls riding in the elevator? They would be trapped in the moving box for terrifying minutes with The Gray Lady.
Who is this active spirit of the Willard Library? She is thought to be the daughter of the library's founder, Willard Carpenter. Louise Carpenter was quite upset with her father's creation of his will. The library was Willard Carpenter's passion and when he passed away before the library's completion, it was discovered that he willed all of his money into the Willard Library. Many suspect this is why Louise Carpenter roams the halls. Creating an eerie prescience and at times creating a ruckus for the employees and patrons alike. Her revenge, if you like.
If you would like more information on the Grey Lady of Willard Library, you can check out the link below:
Or see if you spot her yourself with The Grey Lady ghost cam:
Check out "The Lady of the Library" by Angie Karcher, from our library! "The Lady of the Library" is based on Willard Library's Grey Lady