Haunted Kentucky: Madison Middle School in Richmond

 

Madison Middle School - Photo from the Richmond Register

Richmond, Kentucky is full of haunted tales. Some of the stories surround the city's Madison Middle School, which has quite a long history.

In 1858, Richmond was a thriving community. A large home close to downtown was the top choice for a new women's school. The city took over the property and added to it, creating the Madison Female Institute. Much of the land once used by the home's residents became tennis courts and gardens for both students and locals. Young women came from across Kentucky and other states to attend classes.

The Battle of Richmond took place in 1862 and left many wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War behind. Students and faculty members sprung into action, giving up space inside the building to house a new hospital. Following the Civil War, the school once again became the Madison Female Institute, which served as a finishing school for young women. You'll find photos of the old institute here.

Though the Richmond City Board of Education took over the old school in 1919, it wouldn't become a high school for several more years. It served as Madison High School up through the 60s when the federal court ruled against segregated schools. Madison High School became Madison Middle School and is still open today.

There are so many stories told about this old school that it's clear this is one of the most haunted buildings in Richmond – if not the most haunted. Some talk about the grisly murder of a young student.

The unnamed woman was a cheerleader and quite popular among her peers. As much as some loved her, others hated her. They thought she was stuck up and snobby. No one knows if her murderer was someone who loved or hated her. While the other cheerleaders left after practice, she stuck around to grab some things out of her locker. The poor woman didn't hear the man who slide behind her. He grabbed her and dragged her to the girls' restroom on the third floor where he raped and killed her.

Some say she was getting ready in the bathroom for a date with her boyfriend when the man grabbed her. Regardless of her fate, many students hate using that bathroom today. They claim to feel something weird in the room, whether they're alone or with others. People in the stalls occasionally hear hushed noises that sound like someone trying to keep quiet. Other noises include a woman softly crying.

Another claim concerns the last stall. Girls using the bathroom will hear someone walk into the stall and both close and lock the door. When they step out, the stall door is wide open and there's no proof anyone was ever there. This is allegedly the stall where the murder occurred.

Stories talk about the death of a teacher in Madison Middle School, too. In the 1940s, a teacher stayed late to catch up on some work and fell asleep at his desk. He woke to a strange noise in the room, which turned out to be his killer. Though he fought back, it wasn't enough. Others arrived in the morning to find his bloody and beaten body on the floor of Room 306 with a clock lying next to him. The force of the attack was so brutal it caused the clock to fall and shatter, marking his death at 1:03 am.

The ghosts of Madison Middle School make their presence known in different ways. Students claim the school has many spots that cause them to feel anxious and nervous, even if they were fine just minutes earlier. Others came across cold spots where the temperature drops by multiple degrees on the warmest of days. To go along with those spots are screams and moans heard coming from both rooms along with dark shadows.

Students report similar experiences in the girls' locker room and the basement. They say the rooms feel so dark and heavy that they try to avoid going in them. Both the bathroom and locker doors open and close on their own as do stall doors. A few people talked about hearing people argue outside of the bathroom. When they entered the hall, it was empty and no one else heard a peep. There is even allegedly a photo taken outside at night that shows one or more ghosts in the windows of Madison Middle School.

I wanted to mention one of the lesser-known stories, too. Some say that during the Civil War, locals were tasked with finding spaces to bury the soldiers who didn't make it. As the school had a dirt basement that no one used, they turned it into a makeshift cemetery. When they had no use for the space any longer, the school filled in the basement. There are claims some of the old soldiers still haunt the property.

And then there's the random little girl with red hair. No one knows if she was a student or someone who lived nearby. She usually appears in different places around the school. Teachers often spot her in the early morning hours before students arrive. They walk into classrooms on the third floor and see a girl with long red hair rush by. Of course, when they try to find her, she's gone. Others see her run into the girls' bathroom where she quickly disappears.

Another death concerns a young student who was the victim of bullying. No matter what she did, she just couldn't get the other girl to leave her alone. After an altercation in the restroom, the bully shoved the girl, causing her to hit her head on the sink and die. I've found reports this is the “true story” behind the death of the cheerleader and that they were two different girls.

If you live in or around Richmond and know anything about this haunted school, leave a comment! Madison Middle School is at 101 Summit St. in Richmond, Kentucky.