PICKENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE

The 'Pickens County Courthouse' in Carrollton, Alabama (, right) is a courthouse in west Alabama famous for a ghostly image that can be seen in one of its windows. The image is said to be the face of Henry Wells, who, as legend has it, was falsely accused of burning down the town's previous courthouse, and lynched on a stormy night in 1878.

Contents

The Story of the Face in the Window

The Image on the Window

Origins of the Story

Racial Aspects of the Story

Spreading the Story

References

The Story of the Face in the Window

''What follows is the commonly told story of how the face appeared in the window. For the actual events see the section "Origins of the Story," below.''
On November 16, 1876, the people of Carrollton, Alabama watched helplessly as their courthouse burned to the ground. The Pickens County Courthouse had been a source of pride for the people of Carrollton. Their first courthouse had been burned down by invading Union Army troops during the American Civil War, an act that seemed to serve no purpose other than to inflict humiliation on the town. In the difficult days of the Reconstruction, when materials were scarce and money was even scarcer, rebuilding the courthouse seemed to be an impossible task. Yet, through hard work and deep personal sacrifices, the courthouse was somehow rebuilt. It stood as a testament to the perseverance of the town, and a symbol of defiance even in the face of defeat at the hands of the Union soldiers.
Yet, less than twelve years after Union troops had set fire to their first courthouse, the new one burned to a pile of smoldering ruin, apparently the result of a burglary gone wrong. Even as work began on a third courthouse, the townspeople demanded accountablity for the horrible act.
Henry Wells was no angel. He was said to have a horrible temper, and there was no denying he had been involved in several brawls. Rumors went even further; people said he constantly carried a straight razor, and was not afraid to use it. Despite the rumors, however, there was only vague circumstantial evidence against him in the burning of the courthouse.
He was charged and arrested on four counts: arson, burglary, carrying a concealed weapon and assault with intent to murder.
As word spread through the town of Wells' arrest, the sheriff could sense trouble brewing. The sheriff removed Wells from the local jail and hid him in the attic of the courthouse. He went to the window, and looked down on the crowd. He yelled defiantly, at the top of his lungs, "I am innocent. If you kill me, I am going to haunt you for the rest of your lives!" Just then, a bolt of lightning struck nearby, flashing the image of Wells' face, contorted with fear, to the crowd below.
Wells was eventually placed on trial in Carrollton for the crime. He died in jail after confessing to the charges.
The face remains in the courthouse window to this very day. No amount of washing has been able to remove it.

The Image on the Window

The image on the window (, left) is easily seen, although it is more face-like from some angles than from others. It is said that the image is only visible from outside the courthouse; from inside the pane appears to be a normal pane of glass.
Since this photo was taken, the city of Carrollton has installed, on the exterior of the courthouse, a reflective highway sign with an arrow pointing to the pane where the image appears. There are permanent binoculars installed across the street from the window for people who wish to get a closer look.
In 2001, the courthouse was threatened with demolition but due to a public campaign to save the face in the window, the courthouse is slowly being remodeled as money becomes available.

Origins of the Story

The story of the appearance of the face in the courthouse window seems to be a combination of two actual events, that of the lynching of Nathaniel Pierce, and that of the capture of Henry Wells, who later confessed to burning down the courthouse.
According to the West Alabamian, which was Carrollton's only newspaper at the time of the events, Nathaniel Pierce, a white man, was being held for a vicious murder when, on September 26, 1877, an armed mob forced their way into the jail where Pierce was being held, took him outside the city, and killed him. There was no indication that Pierce’s lynching had anything to do with the burning of the courthouse.
In fact, the town already suspected Henry Wells and an accomplice, Bill Buckhalter, of the crime. A story in the West Alabamian on December 13, 1876 said that Henry Wells and Bill Buckhalter were suspected of robbing a store on the night the courtroom was burned. The story also reported that stolen merchandise from the store was found in their homes.
Wells’ accomplice, Buckhalter, was finally arrested in January of 1878. Buckhalter confessed to the burglary, and blamed Wells for the burning of the courthouse. Wells was caught a few days later. When confronted by the police, he tried to flee, and was shot twice. He confessed to burning the courthouse, and died from his wounds five days later.

Racial Aspects of the Story

In addition to the testimony of his accomplice, Wells eventually confessed to the crime, although his confession couldn't be seen as completely conclusive, given the circumstances under which it was given.

Spreading the Story

Although the story was popular locally almost immediately, the story of the face in the courthouse window became widely known throughout the southeastern United States due to Kathryn Tucker Windham’s famous book of Alabama ghost stories, 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey. Yet, Ms. Windham's account along with accounts in “Phantom Army of the Civil War and Other Southern Ghost Stories,” edited by Frank Spaeth, and “Ghost Stories from the American South,” edited by W.K. McNeil contain incorrect information.
The town of Carrollton has become well known throughout the southern United States because of the story. Many people, including school classes on field trips, have come from all over Alabama and even surrounding states to see the ghostly image.

References

1. National Register Information System


★ '13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey', , Kathryn Tucker, Windham, The University of Alabama Press, 1969, ISBN 0-8173-0376-6

★ Skeptical Inquirer - The glaring garret ghost

★ Lightning Portrait of Henry Wells

★ Pickens County Courthouse