Hickory Springs is a plain , quaint white church with a cemetery around it , much like many others in the area . The church itself is more than 100 years old .
The cemetery is where the story begins . They say if you drive slowly around the cemetery , your car will be followed by red and white ghost lights . The lights will follow you until you leave , watching to ensure that the dead remain undisturbed .
If you enter the church , there is a Bible on the altar that cannot be removed from the church .
According to the legend , years ago a group of teenagers broke into the church and began to vandalize it . They painted on the walls , moved the pews and tossed the hymn books around .
When they tried to pick up the Bible , it was unnaturally heavy . The vandals tried taking it from the church , but the closer they got to the door , the heavier it became .
One of them tried carrying it at first , then a second tried to help , and then there were three of them trying to carry it . They got no further than 10 feet from the front door , and the Bible slammed itself to the ground and was unable to be moved .
The vandals fled , leaving the Bible on the floor .
To this day , the story goes , the Bible cannot be removed from the church .
In recent years , it seems the haunting has expanded . No longer is just the church haunted but the area surrounding it as well . Night-time visitors see shadows where there shouldn ’ t be any , shadows that follow you .
Supposedly , law enforcement now makes extra patrols through the area to keep people away .
Photo from The Library of Congress
October 2024 | Valdosta Scene 17