Mary Virginia Terhune (1830 – 1922) was the original domestic goddess. She became a famous best-selling author who settled on the pen name Marion Harland in 1853. She officially became a published author in 1854 with her first novel titled “Alone.”
She focused on writing books about cooking and etiquette. Harland also became an accomplished lecturer and the first woman elected to the Virginia Historical Society. Although considered the Martha Stewart of her generation, Harland kept an amazing secret she didn’t share until much later in her life.
Her secret involved a ghost that had haunted her family for over 30 years. Marion first faced the mysterious ghost as a teenager. After she said goodbye to a guest, she locked the front door. With a lamp, Marion then moved through a passageway between the two first floor bedrooms. She became startled when a petite woman dressed in gray moved along the wall and vanished.
The ghostly woman kept her head in her hands and wore a tortoiseshell comb in her hair. At first, Marion thought she may have simply imagined the ghostly woman. She visited her parents in their room to discuss the strange encounter. She said to her parents, “If there is such a thing as a ghost, I have just seen one!”
Her father comforted her and sent her to bed. The next day, he discussed the ghost with Marion and confirmed her story. He asked her not to discuss the matter with anyone until further notice.
Sometime later, the ghostly woman appeared before Marion’s mother for the first time. She saw it in the same place as her daughter—near the front door. Eventually, Marion’s sister Mea and a cousin named Alice both saw the ghost. The girls witnessed a white ghostly figure in high heels moving down the stairs until it vanished before their eyes. The site of a vanishing ghost terrified the young girls.
The next day, Marion’s father held a family meeting and shared details about the resident ghost. He knew the ghost existed, but said nothing because he didn’t want to scare anyone. He came clean since the ghost began appearing to other family members.
Family members agreed to keep the ghost a secret among family only. The family just accepted their fate as having a ghost as a permanent houseguest. So who was this mysterious ghost woman dressed in gray? No one ever found out.
Another strange occurrence involved a visiting family member. One night he stood in front of the window in his room gazing at the moon. He said he felt two hands grab his elbow and spin him around. The terrified man left the next morning. This in itself appeared strange because the relative typically stayed for several days. After his experience with the ghostly gray lady, he said he would never step foot in that room again.
As someone who has read many books and articles about ghosts, my opinion is that ghosts have unfinished business. Perhaps someone murdered them or they were so engrossed with their lives they couldn’t move on. Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church eventually bought Marion Harland’s family home and converted it into an orphanage. During construction, workers made a strange discovery.
Near the front door about four feet below the ground remained the skeleton of a tiny woman. She had a tortoiseshell comb underneath her skull. Workers found no coffin or any signs of a woman receiving a decent burial. The consensus was that someone had murdered her since the burial site didn’t have any records.
Once the unidentified woman received a proper burial, her ghost never reappeared. Most likely, she couldn’t rest until after a proper burial. Once the workers found her remains, her spirit could finally rest.
Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and avid reader. He can be contacted through his website at www.themarcabe.com, through Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarcabe or his Twitter account @themarcabe. And be sure to listen to his podcast at www.spreaker.com/show/the-marcabe.