She appears in photographs with no explanation. Her footsteps echo through the halls long after midnight. And sometimes, guests say they wake to find her standing at the foot of their bed—watching.
Her name is Chloe. And if you ever spend a night at Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana… she just might come looking for you.
The American South is steeped in charm, Spanish moss, and stories—many of them beautiful. But buried beneath that beauty is a brutal past. A past that whispers through the corridors of plantation homes still standing centuries later.
One of the most infamous? The Myrtles Plantation,just outside St. Francisville, Louisiana. Called "America’s Most Haunted House," it’s a place where history and haunting walk side by side. And at the heart of its darkest legend is the ghost of Chloe, the slave girl whose tragic story never died.
Chloe’s Life and Betrayal
In the early 1800s, Chloe was enslaved by Judge Clark Woodruff and his wife, Sara Matilda. She worked in the “big house” and cared for their children—a position of relative privilege in a world of suffering. But that privilege came at a terrible cost.
Judge Woodruff, a respected man in public, had a private pattern of abusing his power. He forced himself on his female slaves. Chloe, of mixed heritage, was among those targeted. She had no choice but to endure him, fearing the punishment of being sent to the backbreaking labor of the fields.
But when the judge moved on to another woman, Chloe feared losing everything. In desperation, she baked a cake laced with oleander leaves—hoping to make the children ill just enough that they’d need her care. Instead, two of the children died.
The Tragic End and the Beginning of a Haunting
The horror that followed was swift. The other slaves, fearing collective punishment, turned on Chloe. She was hanged and her body thrown into the Mississippi River. Her life ended, but according to countless witnesses, her presence never left.
Guests and staff at the plantation have reported strange noises, disembodied voices, and sightings of a woman in a green turban—Chloe’s signature look. One famous photo taken by a later owner revealed a ghostly figure standing in the breezeway between buildings, exactly where no one was present. The image became known as the “Chloe Postcard.”
Chloe’s story isn’t just a ghost tale—it’s a painful reminder of how America’s wealth was built on stolen labor and human suffering. While the judge’s legacy faded into the background, Chloe became immortal. Perhaps it’s poetic justice that the enslaved woman whose life was stolen now defines the legacy of Myrtles Plantation far more than any of its owners ever did.
Visitors still report seeing Chloe—lifting mosquito netting in the night, appearing in photos, calling their names when no one is there. Some guests even say they’ve seen two little girls in white dresses—giggling in hallways, bouncing on beds, swinging from chandeliers. Could these be the children Chloe once cared for?
Others swear they've felt watched—especially near the sealed-off dining room, which Judge Woodruff never used again after the poisoning.
Some say the land itself is cursed. That David Bradford, the original owner, built Myrtles atop a sacred Native American burial mound. Others believe the souls lost there—through violence, slavery, and betrayal—never found peace.
With over ten recorded murders or suicides
on the property, Chloe may not be the only restless spirit wandering its haunted halls.
Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, or simply curious about the darker side of Southern history, one thing is undeniable: The legend of Chloe is woven into the very walls of Myrtles Plantation. She was silenced in life. But in death, she became a voice too loud to ignore.
So next time you’re in Louisiana, take the Mystery Tour at Myrtles Plantation. Walk the hallways. Gaze into the mirrors. Listen.
Because if Chloe is still there… she’s not just a ghost.
She’s a witness.
And she’s waiting.
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