An uninvited guest may have attended a Lexington couple's wedding day - something that appears supernatural appears in multiple wedding day photographs.
It happened at Madison County's White Hall Mansion. LEX 18's Adam Winer visited the mansion for "Mystery Monday."
Misidawn Covey said it was it was a dream ceremony at a dream location. "I think I had 11 bridesmaids and (my husband) had 12 groomsmen," she said. "It was beautiful on the outside, with the big steps and the columns.
Covey had the "Gone With The Wind" wedding she'd always wanted. "In my other life, I pretend I'm Scarlett O'Hara anyway, back from when things were so much different."
Covey also wanted to see inside the mansion. "We were originally told we couldn't get in there," she said. But, the rules were bent just this one time.
"We took advantage of it," said Covey. "and it's just beautiful inside. But had no idea what we would end up with in our photos."
Then, their photographer called . He was really creeped out. "At first, I was very kind of, 'oh my goodness, what is that?'" said Covey. "The more I thought about it, it was sort of like, 'umm, who is that? And why is he in our wedding pictures?'"
Her theory is that it's the ghost of Cassius Clay. "Well its interesting in the photo," said Covey. "It is in the parlor area where they did a lot of the entertaining. And right behind us in the photo which is on the front wall of the house, is a picture of Cassius Clay."
This is hardly the first time something strange has happened in the White Hall mansion. Ever since Cassius, the man who originally owned the house, passed away in 1903 there have been stories about the house being haunted," said White Hall estate's curator Lashe Mullins, who has worked at the mansion for 18 years. "When I first started working here I honestly didn't really believe in anything like that. But I've had enough experiences that make me kind of lean more toward the other direction."
Too many mysterious things have happened in the building for her to rule out the supernatural. "Of course, there is another explanation," said Mullins. Prisms throughout the room, including the chandelier, could have created the image that we see in the photo."
That's Mullins' theory, but she admits it can be a strange place.
Even Covey says she's skeptical of everyday ghost tales. "But when it shows up in pictures and there's not really a way to explain it I'm very open minded to think, 'what if? And why not?'"
The White Hall State Historical Site is hosting a night of "Scandals and Ghost Stories" during the next two weekends. You can find more information by calling (859) 623-9178. Admission is $7, and admission is by paid reservation only.
