
Face in the Window, Pickens County Courthouse
Posted by:
Saureus
N 33° 15.726 W 088° 05.705
16S E 398002 N 3680878
From the garrett window on the north side of the Pickens County Courthouse, the face of Henry Wells still stares down at you even though he died in 1878.
Waymark Code: WM3DXE
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 03/21/2008
Views: 173
The Pickens County Courthouse in Carrollton, Alabama, has long been the scene of one of Alabama's most fabled hauntings, and one where you can actually see the evidence.
Henry Wells was accused, despite a lack of evidence, of burning down the courthouse. When the new courthouse was completed in 1878, public pressured forces the sherrif to arrest Wells, and he was taken to the garrett in the new courthouse. As a thunderstorm approached the town, an angry crowd gathered below demanding justice. Wells went to the garrett window and yelled to the crowd that if they killed him he would want them for the rest of their lives. Suddenly a lightning bolt flashed nearby, allowing the crowd to see Wells' fearful face in the window. The crowd forced their way into the courthouse, dragged Wells outside of the building, and killed him.
The next morning townspeople were shocked to see Wells' face still looking down at them. Supposedly, no amount washing has been able to remove the face. Even when the window pane was replaced, the face returned. It can still be seen today.
The story that is commonly told is based only partly on fact, and partly on imaginations. It appears to be a conglomeration of a couple different factual events. But what about the window? There's no question that the face is really there.
If you want to read more about Henry Wells and the face in the window, check out (
visit link) and (
visit link) You can also read the book "13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey" by Kathryn Windham Tucker and Margaret Gillis Figh.