This is the hauntings list for Lawrence County. Remember that some of the places listed are merely legend or hearsay, but many are genuine and documented haunts. If you know of any more hauntings or legends for this county, please submit them to our Hauntings Submission Page.
Chesapeake
Big Branch Log House - This two story log cabin built over 100 years ago is haunted. There have been stories of murders and deaths that have occurred in the house. People who have lived there have the feeling of not being alone, hear strange noises, and objects mysteriously moves. A spirit of an old lady is said to hang around the upstairs area. The house is now unlivable. (Thanks to Chris Dennis for submitting this haunting).
Coal Grove
Monitor School - Even though the school has been closed for about ten years, the lights can be seen flickering on and off. Odd noises have also been reported coming from within the building.
Woodland Cemetery - Located just on the other side of Route 52 from Ironton, Woodland Cemetery is said to be haunted by several ghosts. One of the ghosts is that of a young woman who was killed by her abusive husband, who threw her down a flight of stairs. The life-sized statue of her that marks her grave is known to have a handprint on it's cheek, even after it has been sandblasted. It is said that the statue is supposed to be warm year round. Doctor Lowry also haunts the cemetery, seeking revenge for his murder and mutilation. He is often seen walking with his mother, who broke her neck after being thrown from a carriage. They walk towards the gate, but never make it further than the bridge at Route 52. Dr. Lowry also haunts the library in Ironton, see the next haunting for more. There are two above-ground coffins in the cemetery. Late at night, one of the coffins has been spotten opened and a strange man was seen walking around. By morning, the coffin is closed. Another ghost is that of a ballerina, who is entombed in one of the mausoleums. The picture of her carved into the mausoleum is said to bleed on certain nights from where she was shot. She has been seen dancing outside the mausoleum on nights with a full moon. Update: Descendants of the ballerina stated that she was actually killed in a car accident in Illinois, not by gunshot wounds.
Ironton
Briggs Lawrence County Public Library - The ghost of Doctor Joseph Lowry is said to haunt the library, where his house once stood. He died in 1933 of a stroke, officially. He had been found in his bed in the middle of summer with the heat on. Rumors spread that his heirs had him murdered. The undertaker was still mad at the doctor for not paying for the custom-made coffin that was ordered for Lowry's wife two years earlier. So as an act of revenge, the undertaker broke the doctor's legs and folded them up to help him fit in the coffin. The lid still wouldn't close, so the undertaker cut open Lowry, scooped out his organs, sewed him up, and buried the organs elsewhere. Authorities later wanted to check Dr. Lowry for poison, but were unable to when they discovered that his insides were gone. Lowry's ghost haunts the library, looking for his lost body parts. He's also seen walking with his mother in Woodland Cemetery, see Coal Grove above.
Cement Factory - During the 1970s, the wall of the basement of the cement factory broke, flooding the basement and killing several people. Since the incident, the place has been closed for business. Several people have reported seeing the ghosts of those who died there, many of who's bodies were never recovered. The factory is located about a quarter mile from Woodland Cemetery.
Doctor Krumm Chiropractic Center - Both patients and workers at the doctor's office have reported the bed in the office raising up and slamming to the ground.
Kelley's Bridge - A man by the name of "Uncle John" LeMasters was killed on State Route 93 near the bridge in the 1930s after he was struck by a car. Since his death, there have been many reports if a ghostly dog running across the exact spot where LeMasters was killed; it is not known if he had a dog.
Lake Vesuvius - Three ghosts are reported to haunt the cemetery. One ghost is that of a man who wears a cowboy hat, walking along the road. A woman that looks like she has been beaten to death has been seen by the boat docks and a strange white figure has been seen floating in the trees.
River Valley Health System - The third and fourth floors of this now closed hospital are said to be haunted by the ghost of a doctor. Various other spirits are known to roam around. Past patients had often reported seeing a figure standing at the foot of their beds, staring at them. There were many other unusual occurrences in the hospital when it was open, and they have only picked up since the ghosts now have the building to themselves.
Route 75 Tunnel - The local VFW conducts a haunted house at the tunnel every Halloween. Even though the stories of a bus fire inside of the tunnel where many children died was made up to go along with the VFW's haunted house, some people have reported strange occurrences and eerie feelings while inside the tunnel.
Scottown
Lawrence Chapel Graveyard - A strange shadow is said to follow people through the cemetery at night. Dead bodies of men and slaughtered animals have been found there and a long belief in witchcraft rituals being held at the ruins of the church plague the graveyard. The shadow is described as a black looking thing that follows you from a distance at night.
Vesuvius
Vesuvius Furnace - A miner who was killed in the mines near the furnace continues to work in his afterlife. Every night, his ghost comes out of the mine with a wheelbarrow. He walks around for a moment and heads back into the mine.
