Is the old Moore Academy building at Pine Apple haunted by ghosts?

Moore Academy at Pine Apple, Alabama.

Today – June 30 – marks 27 years since Moore Academy at Pine Apple was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 1995.

As chance would have it, I was passing through Pine Apple the other day and took a few minutes to stop at the old school for a brief look around. Moore Academy is located on the west side of State Highway 10, and when I first stepped out of my truck, my eye was drawn to the historical marker near the sidewalk. That marker reads as follows:

“MOORE ACADEMY – ‘A Great Adventure of the Mind’ – Founded in 1882 by John Trotwood Moore, who became a famous author, archeologist and poet laureate of the State of Tennessee, the original two-story wood frame building served the Pine Apple area from 1882 until the present brick structure was completed in 1923. The style is eclectic and typical of early 20th century educational facilities with a T-shaped plan, central arched entrance, bracketed eaves and decorative brickwork at each end of the façade. Moore Academy was widely acclaimed as one of the preeminent educational facilities in Alabama until its closing in 1989. The buildings and grounds were donated to the Moore Academy Alumni Association, Inc. in 1994, and restoration began in 1995. This marker is dedicated to those students, teachers and administrators who have passed through these doors, and in the words of John Trotwood Moore, ‘To him that will, faith finds a pathway home.’ Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage – June 30, 1995.”

As I stood there looking at the building, I thought about some of the unusual tales I’ve heard about this old school. In The Progressive Era’s Halloween edition for the past five years, I’ve presented readers with my annual list of “Spookiest Places in Wilcox County.” I compile this list each year after discussing Wilcox County’s “haunted history” with longtime county residents and with local history buffs. Almost every year, someone will tell me that Moore Academy should be on the list.

Over the years, I’ve had people tell me that they’ve seen unusual lights at night coming from the second-floor windows of the school. When investigated, the building would be locked up tight and no one would be inside. Others have told me that they’ve heard unusual sounds inside the building that they could not explain, and others have reported unusual smells.

One man I talked to theorized that John Trotwood Moore, who was a noted archeologist, may have dug up an old Indian relic or skull that caused the school building to become haunted. Moore, who went on to found the Tennessee Archaeological Society, may have stored these artifacts at the school for a time, which is why it’s supposedly haunted today. I personally don’t put much stock in such tales, but who’s to say there isn’t some nugget of truth to the story?

In the end, past graduates and former Moore Academy students can be found all over, and I’m sure that more than a few of them have interesting stories to share. If you’ve had an unusual experience at the school or witnessed something hard to explain, please let me hear from you. I’m also interested in any ghost stories, local legends and Indian lore from anywhere in the Pine Apple area, so if you have a story to share along these lines, please let me know.