The Allen House: The most haunted house in America?!
Located in Monticello, in Arkansas’s Lower Delta, is the Allen House. It’s a beautiful home with a creepy past…and some say…a haunted present. Usually this is when I leave the room, because I’m a scaredy cat. But it’s October…and some of you LIKE to be scared…so I’m going to give you the facts.
Many say that the Allen House is the most haunted house in America. The story centers around the Allen family, especially the daughter Ladell. On Christmas 1948, it’s said Ladell consumed cyanide, dying eight days later. The room where Ladell died was sealed off by her mother and was not opened again for nearly four decades. When it was opened, the then owners found cyanide bottle on a closet shelf. Current owners, Mark and Rebecca Spencer, would find 90 letters pertaining to a secret relationship that lead Ladell to consume the poison, along with a bottle of rum.
A few years after the remaining family passed away, the Allen House was divided into apartments. Not long afterwards, the stories of paranormal activity began, with many people claiming to see a woman standing in the window of what would have been Ladell’s closed-off bedroom.
So is the Allen House haunted? You can decide that yourself later this month, when the house is opened to the public without reservation. I’m sure you can guess, but the dates are Oct. 30 and 31. You can tell me IF it’s haunted, because I will not be there with you.
For brave souls, totally NOT me, there’s also the Nightmare Maze. I got scared just looking at the photos…so I can’t tell you a lot…but you can visit the maze’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thenightmaremaze. In the reviews, someone said that a group of 10 visited the maze…but only four were able to successfully make it through. And…if you don’t finish it, because you’re a scaredy cat like me, they make you take your photo in front of a sign that says,” I was too scared to finish the Nightmare Maze.” That’s why I’ll be staying home…I don’t want everyone to know what a scaredy cat I am!
Check out the Allen House website at allenhousemonticello.com. If you’re brave enough, that is! To learn more about haunted houses in Arkansas, including the Allen House, check out this video from our sister agency, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.