The St. James Hotel

I am very excited about tonight's haunted location.   It is an old hotel in Selma, Alabama called the St. James Hotel.  It is a beautiful ante-bellum hotel that was built in 1837.  It has 43 rooms and suites some of which have private, wrought-iron balconies, whirlpool tubs and fireplaces.  
The St. James Hotel was originally called the Brantly Hotel and has some of the most interesting history in Alabama.   The Union Army occupied it during the civil war and it was saved from being burned like the rest of Selma because of this.  After the war it was owned by Benjamin S. Tower who was the frist African American Congressman.  The notorious outlaws Jesse and Frank James made this hotel their headquarters for a considerable amount of time.  After 1892, Selma had some very difficult economic times and the hotel was shut down.  It was 100 years before the hotel was rediscovered.

In the 1990's a group of investors began a project to restore Selma and the St. James Hotel was part of this project.   Unbeknownst to them, the hotel was still occupied by some guests that had no intention of leaving.
Since the reopening of this hotel there have been multiple manifestations.   The hotel appears to haunted by Jesse James,  Jesse's girlfriend Lucinda, and a phantom dog that may have belonged to Jesse.   

The most haunted part of the hotel seems to be the inner courtyard area where odd, unexplainable sounds have been heard, barking dogs have been heard, and apparitions have been seen by psychics.   Room 304 has also been the source of many odd lights and strange voices.  An entity behind the bar often clangs glasses together and the St. James Drinking room has been haunted by the ghost of an older man wearing a hat.  A psychic research team did some EVP recordings in the ballroom and asked if anyone was there.  A voice responded, "That's a stupid question."   Several psychic groups have confirmed that this location is haunted.

I am most excited about this find because I have been able to book a room here and will be staying in room 301, Jesse Jame's old room.  I can't wait to spend the night and see what ghosts come to see me!  Expect more on this wonderful hotel after I've spent a night there.