Drive-By
Exterior Architecture View
View the National Register-listed Second Empire College Hall from the public grounds and sidewalks.
- Duration:
- 30 min
Other Dark Tourism Site
College Hall (Vermont College of Fine Arts)
The 1868–1872 Second Empire landmark on the Montpelier campus now run by Vermont College of Fine Arts, long said to be haunted by Anna, a young woman murdered nearby in the sensational 1897 Brewster shooting.
36 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Active educational campus; building interior is not a public attraction. Grounds may be viewed from public areas.
Access
Limited Access
Hilltop campus with steps and slopes; exterior viewing from public sidewalks.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1872 · Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1975) for architectural significance · Site of a Civil War military hospital before becoming Vermont Seminary in 1866 · Central building of the Vermont College of Fine Arts (since 2008) · Connected to the internationally reported 1897 Brewster–Wheeler murder case
College Hall stands on a prominent hill in Montpelier, Vermont, a site used as a U.S. military hospital during the Civil War before the land passed to Vermont Seminary (founded on the site in 1866). The present four-story Second Empire building was constructed between 1868 and 1872 at a cost of about $50,000. Built of load-bearing brick on a granite-faced rubblestone foundation, it features a mansard roof, eleven bays across its street facade, round-arch windows, brick quoining, and a five-story central tower.
Over the following decades the building served a succession of institutions—Vermont Seminary, later Vermont Junior College and Vermont College—before becoming the central building of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, established on the campus in 2008. The hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance in 1975.
The building's ghost tradition is tied to a real and widely documented event. On May 29, 1897, in one of central Vermont's most sensational crimes, 20-year-old Mildred Brewster shot 17-year-old Anna Wheeler near the Montpelier Seminary (now College Hall) before turning the gun on herself; Anna died and Brewster survived. The shooting stemmed from Brewster's fixation on Anna's fiancé, Jack Wheeler (no relation). Brewster was tried in an internationally reported case and found not guilty by reason of insanity, after which she spent years at the Vermont State Asylum in Waterbury before eventually relocating to the Seattle area, where she died around age 65.
The murder's proximity to College Hall fused with the building's tower to produce the campus's enduring ghost story. The connection has been covered by Vermont Public Radio and local newspapers including The Bridge and the Times Argus.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Hall_(Montpelier,_Vermont)
- https://thebridgevt.org/2015/10/the-true-story-behind-the-legend-of-annas-ghost/
- https://www.timesargus.com/news/local/ghost-of-anna-still-haunts-vcfa/article_4dcf023c-3002-5a55-9545-f65f5b9bdcdd.html
- https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/a-haunted-murder-scene-in-each-new-england-state/
Glass breaking and pictures falling without causeDoors closing on their ownUpper-floor windows rattling or flying openPipe organ sounding chords while powered offSightings of a spectral woman in or near the tower
The campus ghost is identified as 'Anna,' after Carrie Anna Wheeler, the 17-year-old shot to death by Mildred Brewster on May 29, 1897 near what is now College Hall. According to The Bridge and the Times Argus, the legend holds that the dying Anna's last sight was the College Hall tower, and that her spirit has lingered there ever since. The story is so woven into campus life that the Vermont College of Fine Arts named its café after Anna.
Reported phenomena in and around the building include glass breaking, doors closing on their own, pictures falling from walls (sometimes described as falling 'in unison'), windows on the upper floors rattling or flying open, and the pipe organ producing chords when switched off, as recounted in local press and folklore coverage. Vermont Public Radio has also reported on the campus's ghost tradition.
The Shadowlands seed for this site included specific autopsy details (a gunshot 'behind the left ear' causing numbness) that are not supported by the documented record of the Brewster case; HauntBound has set those aside in favor of the corroborated history. The phenomena reported here are anecdotal and presented as enduring campus folklore tied to a real tragedy.
Notable Entities
'Anna' (Anna Wheeler, killed 1897)
Media Appearances
- Vermont Public Radio feature on the Vermont College ghost
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
- 1.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Hall_(Montpelier,_Vermont)
- 2.thebridgevt.org/2015/10/the-true-story-behind-the-legend-of-annas-ghost
- 3.timesargus.com/news/local/ghost-of-anna-still-haunts-vcfa/article_4dcf023c-3002-5a55-9545-f65f5b9bdcdd.html
- 4.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/a-haunted-murder-scene-in-each-new-england-state
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is College Hall (Vermont College of Fine Arts) family-friendly?
The campus exterior is a pleasant architectural and historical stop; the associated story is a real 1897 murder, so discuss it as local history. Interior is not open to casual visitors. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit College Hall (Vermont College of Fine Arts)?
Active educational campus; building interior is not a public attraction. Grounds may be viewed from public areas. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is College Hall (Vermont College of Fine Arts) wheelchair accessible?
College Hall (Vermont College of Fine Arts) has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Hilltop campus with steps and slopes; exterior viewing from public sidewalks..