HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
Built in 1823, this Huntsville mansion has been linked to the ghost of Sally Carter, a 15-year-old who died here in 1837, since before the Civil War — one of the oldest continuously reported hauntings in Alabama.
6 Drake Ave SW, Huntsville, AL 35801
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Private residence / exterior only; no admission fee. Viewable from the street.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Exterior viewing from sidewalk and street only. Property is not publicly accessible.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1823 · One of Huntsville's oldest surviving antebellum homes, built 1823 · Site of one of Alabama's oldest continuously documented ghost legends (pre-Civil War accounts) · Sally Carter death on November 28, 1837, is historically documented
Cedarhurst Mansion was built in 1823, making it one of the earliest surviving structures in Huntsville's historic residential landscape. The house passed through several prominent North Alabama families in its early decades, and its ghost story took root well before the Civil War.
Sally Carter died in the house on November 28, 1837, at age 15. The circumstances of her death are not specified in available sources, but accounts of a phantom teenage girl near the house's outbuildings began circulating in local oral tradition within years of her death. Alabama Heritage Magazine's April 2024 analysis, 'The Myth of Sally Carter,' traced the legend's textual history and found documentation of the accounts predating post-Civil War Southern ghost-story collections — placing this among the more historically grounded Huntsville hauntings in terms of provenance.
The mansion has been a private residence for most of its history and is not open to the public, but it appears regularly on Huntsville ghost walk routes and is viewed from the street. Hauntworld.com's coverage lists it among Alabama's most notable real haunted houses, reflecting its standing in the broader commercial paranormal tourism sphere.
Sources
The Sally Carter legend is one of the few Huntsville ghost stories with a demonstrable 19th-century paper trail. Alabama Heritage Magazine's April 2024 investigation found accounts of a phantom girl near the Cedarhurst outbuildings dating to before the Civil War — a span of nearly 190 years of continuous local reporting from the same site.
The apparition is consistently described as a teenage girl, matching Carter's age at death. Sightings concentrate near the outbuildings and grounds rather than the main house, a detail that has remained consistent across accounts separated by generations. The figure is typically reported at dusk or in low light, sometimes described as dressed in period clothing.
Hauntworld.com's coverage, which aggregates commercial and community paranormal reports, lists Cedarhurst as one of Alabama's most recognized real haunted houses. The house appears on Huntsville ghost walk itineraries, where the Sally Carter story is told in the context of the city's antebellum history.
Notable Entities
The mansion is viewable from the public street and appears on Huntsville ghost walk itineraries. The legend of Sally Carter is one of the city's oldest documented ghost stories, with accounts dating to the 1800s.
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