A 1938 downtown Dothan commercial block where a purported 1950s killing gave rise to 'Rachel,' an alleged presence blamed for crashing dishes and switching lights.
N Foster St at Troy Hwy, Dothan, AL 36301
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free to view exterior; any commercial tenants set their own hours
Access
Wheelchair OK
Downtown commercial block; level sidewalks
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1938 · 1938 commercial building · Former J.C. Penney anchor store · Downtown Dothan commercial history
The building at the corner of N Foster Street and Troy Highway in downtown Dothan was constructed in 1938 as a J.C. Penney department store, a common anchor for mid-century Southern commercial districts. After J.C. Penney's departure the structure continued as a mixed commercial building and has housed ground-floor restaurants and retail tenants through subsequent decades.
Dothan's downtown core underwent periods of disinvestment and redevelopment across the latter twentieth century, typical of mid-sized Alabama cities where suburban sprawl pulled retail away from historic commercial districts. The Colby Building survived intact through these cycles and remains a functioning commercial address.
The building's upper floors were office and storage space during most of its commercial history. No official historical society documentation connects the building to a named homicide, and no court records have been independently located to corroborate the alleged 1950s death story.
Sources
Ground-floor restaurant employees at the Colby Building have described a pattern of unexplained activity: dishes reportedly crashing to the floor without being touched, overhead lights cycling on and off without anyone at the switch, hanging lamps swaying in still air, and staff hearing their names spoken clearly when no one else is present. The Dothan Eagle reported in 2015 that the Circle City Ghost Hunters conducted a formal paranormal investigation of the building and recorded claimed activity consistent with these accounts.
The tradition holds that the presence is a woman named 'Rachel,' allegedly killed in a top-floor office during the 1950s. Neither the Southern Spirit Guide account nor the Dothan Eagle coverage identifies a police report, court record, or newspaper obituary confirming a homicide at this address. The story circulates as local oral tradition. The killing itself, as a factual matter, has not been independently corroborated through primary records.
Exterior viewing of the Colby Building in downtown Dothan. The building is a commercial structure; access to upper floors is not open to the public. The street-level experience is a drive-by or short walk from adjacent parking.
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