EDITOR’S NOTE: Strangeville explores the curious and unexplained stories that have long defined Asheville and Western North Carolina. The region is full of unanswered questions, from old folklore and local legends to eerie encounters, unsolved moments in history, and the true-crime mysteries that still leave people wondering. Each week, we look back with an open mind and a sense of curiosity, trying to understand why some stories take hold and why some can never be explained.
Flat Rock, N.C. (828newsNOW) — St. John in the Wilderness in Flat Rock has a reputation for being haunted. Spend any time with its history and you start to wonder if haunted is even the right word.
St. John in the Wilderness is one of the oldest Episcopal churches in Western North Carolina. Founded in the early 1800s, it began as a seasonal chapel for wealthy families who came to the mountains every summer to escape the heat of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Charles and Susan Baring helped establish the church and were later buried on its grounds…