HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Huntsville is home to the oldest Masonic lodge in the State of Alabama and while this lodge is the local center for freemasons here in the area there are also rumors of this lodge -Helion Lodge #1- being haunted.
If you're from Huntsville or have lived here for a while now - you may have noticed this historic building located in Twickenham.
"We've been here since 1811, eight years before Alabama became a state in 1819." said Benny Ledford, the worshipful master at Helion Lodge #1.
Beyond dating back to the early 1800's -- this building also serves as the gathering place of local freemasons.
"We're Helion Lodge #1. We've got over 230 members, active members." said Ledford.
This lodge has been the gathering place of Helion Lodge #1 freemasons, past, present, and future.
The current worshipful master of this particular lodge, Benny Ledford, tells us of some of the odd mishaps and quite frankly - paranormal activity that's taken place here.
"We have a women's restroom, as a steward, you come in prepare meals and come in one night, doing my preparation of the meal and get ready to leave," said Ledford, "...and guess which light comes on... the women's restroom light! (I) go cut it off, get ready to walk back out again, it comes back on! It's like, 'Brother, I have to go! Can you please leave the light off!"
Ledford shared another story - one where an actual entity was spotted by Ledford himself as well as other Huntsvillians and beyond.
"Well, first time we installed our security cameras that are up now. I've actually got a picture of a Mason that standing up top stairwell, you can see is the 1800s dress and I want to presume it's the one that's seen on the ghost walk of where they've seen a Mason tip his hat." said Ledford.
Stories like these date way back at the Helion Lodge. Past masters and members know of these stories and oftentimes have experienced these mishaps themselves.
A previous master of Helion Lodge #1 in 1986, Garry Smith, has a story to tell about the lodge and what he's seen or more so, what he couldn't see.
"When I was Secretary several years ago, I was up here one afternoon probably about 3, 2:30, 3 o' clock in the afternoon, sitting here at the desk, doing some work and that door on the right opened." said Smith "Just kind of swung back... no noise, no nothing... the door opened by itself."
"You know and...it really didn't scare me. I mean, it just, you do-something like that usually makes the hair stand up on the back of the neck, back of your neck, but it didn't." Smith continued, "I got up, walked outside, walk around walk downstairs, kinda around there...never saw anybody and the door just opened by itself."
Ledford and Smith both agree that this paranormal activity must be coming from a former Mason. They believe that these spirits are not looking for trouble and that they come in peace.