The Rawls Hotel is in the Southern most part of Alabama. It is located in Enterprise, Alabama far from the larger cities like Birmingham or Mobile. Its history doesn't seem to be marred by murder or tragedy. Its story is the story of a normal historic, small town hotel. Japheth Rawls was a developer who had made some profit from turpentine plants. He decided to invest his money in a small hotel. He and his wife built the Rawls Hotel in 1903 and named it the McGee Hotel. It was a small building in the Spanish Mission style. In 1928, when Japheth passed away, Jesse Rawls took over the hotel and began remodeling it. He added two three-story wings to the structure and the Rawls Hotel evolved into a town center. It was elegant and pretty and many gatherings and meetings were held in the building. The Hotel was conveniently placed next to the railroad so travelers to Enterprise could enjoy a pleasant night in a luxurious hotel. In the 1970s, the hotel fell into disrepair and may have been forgotten if it weren't for Hayden Pursley. Pursley purchased the building and renovated it. The Rawls is now a bed and breakfast that is famous for its hauntings and ghosts.
It is my hope to travel down to the Rawls some time in the next several months to learn more about the ghosts that are said to linger in its halls. The stories say that there are many children ghosts in the old hotel, but I don't know where they come from. None of the stories seem to explain the presence of so many children ghosts in the hotel. There is a little girl who has been seen by many visitors and the voices of children are said to come from the wine cellar. Orbs are frequently seen in photographs and visitors describe feeling a presence in the hotel.
Mr. Rawls is also said to haunt this old hotel and many have described seeing him in the halls. He is said to stand by and watch decoration and renovation of the building and his spirit is thought to be interested in the well being of the hotel. Many of the apparitions of the Rawls are said to linger on the third and forth floor. The Rawls is listed as one of the most haunted hotels in Alabama. Hopefully, I will discover why some day in the near future.
Comments
Online Hotel Reservations
Courtney...I hope I find out too!
Jeffrey... A couple of paranormal investigators have been through there and seem to think it is a real haunting although you never know.....
Shalini... Thanks!!
Online Hotel Reservations
Club punta Arabi
I was born and raised in Enterprise, Alabama. We are not a town in decline nor is our water polluted. You must have researched the wrong Enterprise. Ft. Rucker, an army base, is right next door to Enterprise, so the town is definitely not anywhere close to decline. Enterprise continues to grow and flourish. I have also been drinking this water my entire life and so has my family. No one has died from polluted water here. I have never heard of any "toxic chemical spills" or "a legacy of illness from Turpentine manufacture." Your facts are wrong. Many generations of my family have lived here and none of them faced any these either. The Rawls Hotel is, in fact, haunted with numerous different ghosts. However, that is besides the point. Please make sure your facts are straight before you start spreading false rumors about a town that you have never even visited.
Have you visited the Rawls Hotel yet???