Pickens County Courthouse (Carrollton, AL)

The Pickens County Courthouse is known for a mysterious face that can always be seen in one of its garret windows. Many people believe this is the ghostly image of Henry Wells, a freedman who died in 1878 under suspicious circumstances. The legend says that lightning struck the window as Wells looked down at an angry mob, leaving his terrified face etched into the glass forever.

Built in 1877-1878 in Carrollton, Alabama, the courthouse is now one of the South’s most famous haunted places. The face in the window remains visible, even after many tries to clean it with acid, soap, gasoline, and lye.

---

---

Overview

Attribute	Details
Name	Pickens County Courthouse
Other Names	The Face in the Window, Face in the Courthouse Window
Address	20 Phoenix Avenue, Carrollton, Alabama 35447
Country	United States
Coordinates	33.2619° N, 88.0950° W
Nearest City	Carrollton, Alabama
Property Type	Historic courthouse (1877-1878 construction)
Built / Established	1877-1878
Closed/Abandoned	Still in use
Owner	Pickens County, Alabama
Type of Haunting	Residual, Intelligent, Apparitions
Manifestations	Face permanently visible in window pane, cold spots, equipment malfunctions, heavy oppressive feelings, lights turning on and off, spirit box responses, unexplained footsteps, phantom voices
Tragic Events & Causes	First courthouse burned by Union troops (1865), Second courthouse burned (1876), Henry Wells shot and died (1878), Nathaniel Pierce lynched (1877), Mass lynching of five African Americans (1893), Total of 15 lynchings in Pickens County (1877-1917), Reconstruction-era racial violence
Known Entities	Henry Wells (freedman accused of arson), Face in the window (unidentified but attributed to Wells)
Fear Rating	6/10 (Moderately Frightening) [See Explanation]
First Recorded Sighting	1878 (immediately following Henry Wells’ death, when mob member allegedly saw face in window)
Most Recent Sighting	2019-present – visitors and paranormal investigators continue to photograph and observe the face in the window; Ghost Girls investigation in February 2019 reported significant activity including lights turning on and off and spirit box responses
Activity Level	5/10 (Moderate Activity) [See Explanation]
Current Status	Active courthouse with ongoing preservation efforts; paranormal tours conducted periodically
Open to the Public?	Yes – the exterior and face in the window are visible from the town square at any time. Guided tours and paranormal investigations are occasionally available during special events or by request through organizations like Southern Ghost Girls. The play “The Face in the Courthouse Window” is performed annually in the courtroom.
Best Time to Visit	Year-round for viewing the face from outside; April-May for the annual theatrical performance; October for Halloween-season paranormal investigations
Danger Warning	Active courthouse – respect operating hours and government property; do not attempt interior access without permission; paranormal investigations require official authorization
Similar Haunted Locations	Tombstone Courthouse (Arizona), Old Presidio County Courthouse (Texas), Union County Courthouse (New Jersey), Otero County Courthouse (New Mexico), Allegheny County Courthouse (Pennsylvania), Louisiana Supreme Court Building (New Orleans), Old Jail Museum (St. Augustine, Florida), Eastern State Penitentiary (Pennsylvania), West Virginia Penitentiary (Moundsville), Old Parish Prison (New Orleans), Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (West Virginia), Mansfield Reformatory (Ohio), Moundsville Penitentiary (West Virginia), Old Carrollton Jail (Alabama), Old Mobile County Courthouse (Alabama), Madison County Courthouse (Alabama), Morgan County Courthouse (Alabama), Talladega County Courthouse (Alabama)

Pickens County Courthouse’s Haunted History

The Pickens County Courthouse in Carrollton, Alabama, is a reminder of the violent and tragic Reconstruction era. The current building, completed in 1878, is the third courthouse built at this location.

The first courthouse burned down on April 5, 1865, when Union troops led by General John T. Croxton set it on fire during Wilson’s Raid. After the war, the community, facing hard times, worked together to gather materials and donations to build a second courthouse, which cost about $18,000 to $20,000.

The second courthouse became a symbol of Southern resilience after the war. But on November 16, 1876, it burned down again, this time under suspicious circumstances. Many believed it was arson, possibly linked to a burglary.

Important records and legal documents were lost in the fire. Even though there was little evidence, people quickly blamed Henry Wells, a freedman living near Carrollton, and his supposed accomplice, Bill Burkhalter. Wells had a criminal record and had been in fights before. In August 1876, he was reportedly shot in the legs during a dispute.

When work started on the third courthouse, the townspeople wanted justice for the arson. Bill Burkhalter was arrested on January 6, 1878, near Tuscaloosa. During questioning, he admitted to several burglaries. He said that Wells had set the courthouse on fire by lighting a candle, searching the probate office, and then starting the blaze.

Police caught Henry Wells on January 29, 1878, at Bill McConner’s plantation near Fairfield. When they tried to arrest him, Wells tried to run and was shot twice. He was taken to jail and reportedly confessed to burning the courthouse. However, this was likely forced due to the harsh interrogation methods of the time. Wells died from his wounds on February 3, 1878, five days after his arrest.

This period was marked by severe racial violence in Pickens County. A 2015 study by the Equal Justice Initiative found 15 documented lynchings of African Americans in the county between 1877 and 1917, the fifth-highest number in Alabama.

Before Wells died, on September 26, 1877, a white man named Nathaniel Pierce was in jail for murder when a mob broke in, took him outside the city, and lynched him. Two weeks before the mass lynching in September 1893, Joe Floyd, an African American worker, was also lynched in Carrollton without a trial.

The worst event happened on September 14, 1893, when a white mob broke into the county jail and shot five African Americans in their cells: Paul Archer, Will Archer, Emma Fair, Ed Guyton, and Paul Hill. They had been arrested for allegedly burning a white man’s mill and gin house, but there was no trial.

These lynchings took place during times of political unrest and tension in the county. On August 28, 1907, John Gibson, an African American, was hanged in the courthouse square, continuing the era’s pattern of racial violence.

This history of violence, injustice, and racial persecution is the dark background for the courthouse’s haunted reputation. Many believe the building has absorbed years of fear, anger, grief, and desperation, and that these emotions still show up as paranormal activity today.

Local Legends

The Pickens County Courthouse has inspired many lasting legends about the mysterious face in the garret window. While the details change from story to story, they all center on Henry Wells’s death and the strange events that followed. However, historical records contradict several key aspects of these legends.

The garret windows were not installed until February and March 1878, weeks after Wells died on February 3, 1878. This means lightning could not have struck the window while he was alive. Also, Wells was not lynched by a mob; he died in custody from gunshot wounds. Despite these historical errors, the legends persist in local stories, media, visitor accounts, and books such as Kathryn Tucker Windham’s “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey” (1969).

The Lightning Strike and the Curse

The most widely told version of the legend has it that in January 1878, following Wells’ arrest on charges of arson, burglary, carrying a concealed weapon, and assault with intent to murder, he was taken to the sheriff’s office inside the newly completed courthouse to await trial.

As news of his arrest spread through Carrollton, the sheriff sensed trouble coming. Dark storm clouds gathered in the late afternoon, matching the tense mood in town. When the first drunken men started heading toward the courthouse, the sheriff took Wells up to the high garret and told him to stay quiet.

As an angry mob gathered below, Wells became overwhelmed with fear. He went to the north-facing garret window and looked down at the crowd in the courthouse square. According to the legend, he shouted, “I am innocent. If you kill me, I am going to haunt you for the rest of your lives!”

At that moment, during the thunderstorm, a bolt of lightning struck nearby. Some versions say it hit a tree and then jumped to the courthouse, lighting up Wells’s terrified face for the crowd below. In other versions, the lightning hits the window directly. At the same time, Wells’s face is pressed against the glass, leaving his anguished features permanently on the windowpane.

The legend says the lynch mob, despite the lightning or being briefly scattered by the storm, eventually forced its way into the courthouse. They dragged Wells outside, even as he kept proclaiming his innocence, and lynched him. Early the next morning, a member of the mob walked by the courthouse and looked up at the garret window.

He was shocked to see Wells’s face looking down at him, just as it had the night before when the lightning flashed. He rubbed his eyes and blamed his hangover, but when he looked again, the face was still there. He screamed, and as others arrived, they all remembered Wells’s warning: “If you kill me, I am going to haunt you for the rest of your lives!”

Variations in the Legend

There are many versions of this legend in local folklore. In some, Wells is trapped in the garret instead of being taken outside. In others, the lightning strikes while he is shouting his curse from the window, and the electrical charge supposedly photographs his face onto the glass through a process called “lightning photography.” However, this phenomenon, while theoretically possible under rare conditions, has never been scientifically proven.

One version specifies the date as January 29, 1878 (the actual date of his arrest), while another places it on January 30, 1878.

Some stories call Wells a “notorious colored outlaw” (as reported in the Daily Inquirer, a Georgia newspaper, on February 6, 1878), while others see him as a freedman trying to survive in a hostile, racially tense place. The mob’s reasons also change depending on the version. Some say they were angry about the lost courthouse records and deeds. In contrast, others focus on racial hatred and a desire for revenge, regardless of Wells’s guilt.

The Conflation Theory

Researchers and historians have pointed out that the legend of the face in the window seems to combine two separate events: the lynching of Nathaniel Pierce in September 1877 and the arrest and death of Henry Wells in early 1878.

Pierce, a white man held on murder charges, was lynched by a mob. Wells, however, died from gunshot wounds in custody before he could be tried. Neither man could have been the source of the face in the window as described in the story, since Pierce died before the third courthouse was finished, and Wells died before the garret windows were installed.

This blending of stories may have helped the white community cope with guilt over racial violence and injustice by giving their actions a supernatural consequence. The legend is both a ghost story and a warning about the results of lynching and racial terror.

Reported Ghosts

Along with the famous face in the window, people have reported seeing other ghosts at the Pickens County Courthouse over the years. The face is the most consistent and visible sign, and it can be seen from outside almost any time of day. Paranormal investigators and visitors have also recorded other ghostly activity.

If the face in the window is truly Henry Wells’s spirit, it seems to be both a lasting imprint and an active presence. The face appears as a permanent mark, a haunting that remains in the glass. Still, some investigators believe Wells’s spirit is active in the courthouse, especially in the garret where he was said to be held before he died.

People have reported feeling a strong, heavy presence in the upper part of the building, along with deep sadness and fear. Some psychics say they have contacted Wells’s spirit and sensed his continued claims of innocence and anger about the injustice he suffered. Cold spots are often found on the upper floor near the window with the face. These sudden temperature drops happen for no clear reason, even on hot summer days.

Paranormal investigators using EMF readers, which detect electromagnetic fields, have found strange spikes near the window, suggesting the presence of spiritual energy. Equipment problems are common during investigations. Cameras, voice recorders, and other devices often lose power or stop working for no clear reason near the haunted window.

During paranormal investigations conducted by groups such as the Ghost Girls (Lesley Hyde and Heather Lawrence) in February 2019, investigators reported significant activity, including lights being turned on and off without physical contact, which was described as unusual even for experienced ghost hunters.

Spirit box sessions produced numerous responses that investigators interpreted as communication attempts. The Ghost Girls characterized the courthouse as “probably one of the most haunted places” they had investigated at that time.

Other strange events include hearing footsteps in empty hallways, especially at night when the building is closed. Some people have reported hearing the sounds of trials, like voices arguing, gavels hitting, and doors opening and closing in empty courtrooms.

Some visitors say they feel as if they are being watched or judged, and this feeling intensifies near the window. A few investigators believe they have encountered the spirits of others who died violently in or near the courthouse. However, these ghosts are less distinct than the one believed to be Wells.

The hardest part of the haunting to ignore is that the face in the window never disappears. Unlike most ghosts, which come and go, this image has remained visible for over 145 years. It has survived many cleaning attempts and even window replacements.

Local stories say that a severe hailstorm on December 30, 1927, broke every window in the courthouse except the one with the face. Over the years, as the window pane has been replaced, visitors say the face returns in the new glass, which is hard to explain and seems to be more than just damage or a stain.

Documented Sightings Timeline

Witness	Date	Details
Lynch mob member	February 4, 1878	Early morning following Wells’ death, a member of the mob glanced up at the garret window and saw Wells’ face looking down, identical to how it appeared the night before. He screamed and called others who confirmed seeing the face.
Townspeople	February-March 1878	Multiple Carrollton residents reported seeing the mysterious face in the north garret window, sparking immediate superstition and fear that Wells’ curse was real.
“Responsible men”	1920s	Concerned citizens enlisted several “responsible men” to examine the pane. The window was washed in acid and returned to its frame. The face remained unchanged.
Newspaper documentation	1928	A newspaper article noted that “many explanations have been given for its presence and many are the stories that have been told about its mysterious appearance,” confirming 50 years of consistent sightings.
Courthouse staff and visitors	1940s-1960s	Continuous reports of the face being visible in the window. Some witnesses reported the image appeared clearer at certain times of day or in specific lighting conditions.
Probate Judge John Harding Curry	Late 1960s-early 1970s	During civil rights demonstrations, Judge Curry expressed concern that protesters might damage the courthouse window, indicating the face was still prominently visible and considered historically significant despite its connection to racial terror.
Carol M. Highsmith	May 23, 2010	Renowned photographer documented the courthouse and the face in the window as part of The George F. Landegger Collection of Alabama Photographs, now housed in the Library of Congress.
Alabama Historical Association	1974	Erected a historical marker on the courthouse grounds commemorating the legend and confirming the face’s persistent visibility.
Tourist visitors	1980s-1990s	Countless tourists reported seeing the face from the street level. Many noted that binoculars or telephoto lenses provided clearer views of the facial features.
Photographer with 400mm lens	1985-2000	A photographer who traveled through Carrollton periodically over 15 years took several photographs using a 400mm telephoto lens on an SLR camera. The photographer noted the “ghostly image would shift on the glass,” suggesting movement or changes in appearance.
CBS 42 News team and Mayor Craig Patterson	October 30, 2020	During a news segment on Alabama ghost stories, Patterson (Gordo Mayor and courthouse caretaker) confirmed ongoing paranormal activity including “strange things that happen here,” with the face in the window being the primary manifestation.
Play audience members	2010-present (annually in April)	Attendees of the annual theatrical performance “The Face in the Courthouse Window” by Barry Bradford, performed in the actual courthouse courtroom, report seeing the face and experiencing eerie sensations during performances.
Ghost Girls paranormal investigation team (Lesley Hyde and Heather Lawrence)	February 9, 2019	Conducted three separate ghost hunt tours with public participants. Reported “a lot of activity,” including lights turning on and off without explanation, and significant spirit box responses. Characterized the courthouse as among the most haunted locations they had investigated.
Southern Ghost Girls tour participants	2019-present	Ongoing paranormal investigation tours led by Southern Ghost Girls have produced numerous reports from participants of seeing the face, feeling cold spots, hearing unexplained sounds, and experiencing equipment malfunctions.
TripAdvisor reviewers	2015-2025	Multiple reviews document visitors specifically traveling to Carrollton to see the face in the window. Reviewers consistently report being able to see “something” or a face-like image in the glass, with visibility depending on viewing angle and lighting.
Recent paranormal investigators	2023-2025	Various paranormal investigation teams using modern equipment (EMF readers, spirit boxes, thermal cameras) continue to document unexplained phenomena, particularly on the upper floor near the window.

Paranormal Activity

The Pickens County Courthouse has shown steady paranormal activity for almost 150 years, which is unusual because most haunted places see reports fade or change over time. The activity includes permanent visual signs, environment changes, and interactive spiritual events.

The most important and clear part of the haunting is that the face in the window is always there. Unlike ghosts, which appear and disappear, this image has remained visible since 1878. The face is easiest to see from ground level, just as the lynch mob would have seen it.

From inside the garret, the window looks normal and clear, but the image is only visible from outside. This one-way visibility adds to the mystery and makes people think it might be supernatural rather than just a physical mark. The image is said to be most visible in the late afternoon around 4:00 PM, but it can be seen all day.

Over the years, people have noticed patterns in the intensity and timing of other paranormal events. Activity seems to increase in the evenings and on the anniversaries of the courthouse burnings, Wells’s arrest and death, and the lynchings in Pickens County. When the courthouse is busy during the day, some activity seems to be hidden. Still, more dramatic events happen when the building is closed and empty.

The upper floor and garret are known as the most haunted parts of the courthouse. Besides the face in the window, this area often has unexplained cold spots that persist even in summer and don’t respond to normal heating. Many people have described a heavy, oppressive feeling there, which some think is leftover emotional energy from Wells’s last hours. Some investigators believe this is a type of haunting where Wells’s fear and anger are permanently left in the building.

Equipment often stops working near the haunted window, from basic flashlights to advanced ghost-hunting tools. Batteries can suddenly die, even when new. Cameras sometimes can’t focus on the window or take blurry pictures, even though they work fine elsewhere in the building. These problems are common in areas with strong paranormal activity and may suggest the presence is energy that affects electronics.

During ghost investigations, people have tried to communicate with spirits using devices like spirit boxes and EVP recorders. Investigators believe they have received responses, which are often short and hard to understand. These responses suggest an intelligent haunting, meaning a conscious spirit is present rather than just a replay of past events.

The most mysterious part is that the face cannot be removed and even returns after the window is replaced. Over the years, people have tried to clean the window with soap, gasoline, lye, and acid, but nothing has worked. When the window pane has been replaced, the face is said to reappear in the new glass, which is hard to explain and seems truly supernatural.

Notable Investigations

The Pickens County Courthouse has been investigated for ghosts many times, from casual ghost hunts to organized research by paranormal groups. Although it hasn’t been featured on major TV shows like Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures, it is well known among regional ghost hunters and is often studied by local groups.

The best-known investigation was done by the Ghost Girls, Lesley Hyde and Heather Lawrence, on February 9, 2019. It was their first time at the Historic Pickens County Courthouse, and they did not know in advance if they would find any paranormal activity. The investigation included three separate tours on Saturday night, with paying guests joining as active observers. Hyde and Lawrence gave the participants ghost-hunting equipment so they could help collect evidence.

The Ghost Girls found several important things during their investigation. Lawrence said she was “impressed with the activity exhibited” during all three tours and added, “I think we had a lot of activity here. I think this is probably one of the most haunted places that we’ve been.” The team also recorded strange responses on their spirit box, which could be spirit communication.

Most notably, they saw lights turn on and off by themselves, which Lawrence said was “not something that happens on every tour, so that was pretty awesome.” The fact that all three tours had similar activity suggests these events are reliable and not just random.

The investigation was done with help from local officials, including Mayor Craig Patterson of Gordo, Alabama, who is also the courthouse caretaker and a local historian. Patterson shared the courthouse’s history and the story of Henry Wells with the investigators. Part of the ticket sales went to the Pickens County Courthouse Preservation Foundation, showing community support for both the building and its haunted history.

Southern Ghost Girls Tours and Paranormal Investigations, connected to the original Ghost Girls, has continued to investigate the courthouse through 2025. They offer both history tours and interactive ghost investigations.

These events usually take place in the evening when the courthouse is closed, so investigators can use the whole building. The group advertises these as “ONE of A KIND EVENT” experiences where people use “the latest Paranormal Investigation Equipment” and can “take part in this special tour and Paranormal Investigation.”

Various independent paranormal investigation teams and individual ghost hunters have visited the courthouse over the years. However, many of these investigations are not documented in official records.

Local newspaper articles from the 1920s through 1940s reference attempts to scientifically examine or explain the face in the window. However, these efforts focused more on the physical phenomenon than on traditional ghost hunting. The courthouse’s status as an active government building limits extensive overnight investigations without special permission, which has prevented some larger paranormal investigation organizations from conducting in-depth studies.

Psychics and mediums have been consulted periodically to attempt communication with spirits believed to “live” in the courthouse. While the specific names and dates of these consultations are not well documented, several have claimed to have made contact with what they believe is Henry Wells’ spirit, reporting messages of innocence, anger, and an inability to move on due to injustice. These spiritual consultations, while not constituting formal investigations, contribute to the body of paranormal claims associated with the location.

The consistent reports of paranormal events over decades, from many independent witnesses and investigation teams, add credibility to the courthouse’s reputation. Unlike some haunted places where claims change or are proven false, the Pickens County Courthouse has a steady set of reported events that match historical facts and continue across generations.

---

Tags:

---

---