Located in Huntersville, NC, Latta Place (formerly Latta Plantation) has a growing reputation for being one of the most active haunted locations in the state.
LATTA LOCATION BACKGROUND
James Latta and his family settled in the area that would become Huntersville, North Carolina, about the year 1800. Latta, a prosperous businessman at the time, bought the land with the intention of constructing a sizable cotton plantation there. The Latta Plantation was finished in a short amount of time.
There was a home for the family to live in, a smoke house, large gardens and fields, plus pens and other structures for the cattle on the 52-acre property.
It is unclear why the Latta family decided to leave the plantation, but they did so in the late 1830s. The Sample family, who had bought the plantation in 1853, managed it until 1922.
The Latta Plantation was entrusted to the hands of the people who worked the property after the Sample family had gone on.
Southern Power and Duke Energy were interested in purchasing the land because of the plantation’s massive size and the scenic rural setting. The companies collectively purchased the property but allowed workers to oversee the maintenance of the fields
and buildings until 1960.
The Latta Plantation has been well cared for despite several changes in ownership. The home’s furnishings and decor had been preserved so well that the building and its grounds are now a recognised museum.
Year after year, the site plays host to curious families and classes interested in the history of early 1800s North Carolina.
In 1972, the Latta Plantation received recognition as a National Historic Landmark. The estate and the surrounding area of more than a thousand acres are now protected as the Latta estate Nature Preserve. The Parks and Recreation Department of Mecklenburg County is responsible for the care of the property.
Latta Plantation Nature Preserve provides a wide variety of leisure opportunities in addition to paranormal encounters. The surrounding Mountain Island Lake is popular among anglers. There are many of routes to explore, all of which have beautiful vistas of the river or the surrounding forest.
The area is also home to the Carolina Raptor Centre, where visitors may see and learn about raptor rehabilitation. The preserve was established to save various endangered plant species, and it is a great site to visit for those interested in deer and other small creatures.
Spirits of Latta Place
The county has recruited the Staff and Spectres Employees to recreate past activities, pastimes, and even local wars. Numerous workers have reported spooky occurrences at the office.
While site director Matthew Waisner claims he has no personal contact with paranormal activity, several docents, volunteers, and board members have been open about their encounters with the supernatural throughout their visits to and involvement with the property. Many people claim to have heard the rearranging of furniture while both the room and the furnishings in question were obviously vacant.
Even more unsettling is the fact that some residents have reported seeing shadowy figures and hazy ghosts about the home and grounds.
The Reflector
When one worker was getting ready to leave the plantation for the day, a peculiar thing happened. While he was fiddling with the thermostat, he heard a terrible crash coming from the old family living room.
The mirror was lying on its back in the middle of the room. There was a tremendous banging sound, but there were no visible cracks in the glass. Many people who heard about the strange event blamed ghosts. It is widely believed that the Latta family, the original proprietors of the plantation, still haunt the grounds.
The Kids Are Up There
The most documented paranormal occurrences in the residence all take place up in the attic.
Repeatedly, guests report hearing the sounds of youngsters playing and laughing in the home’s attic. Above their heads, they can make out the sound of rushing feet and slamming doors. The fact that the third level of the home has no flooring makes all of this much creepier. These sounds couldn’t possibly be coming from real children.
As part of the Latta Plantation experience, the house’s Dancing Cane Tours are offered on a regular basis. The most well-known event that took place there happened during a tour.
A cane that belonged to the Latta family was on display for the tour group, which was led by a docent. The cane fell out of his hands as he was demonstrating its use to the gathering. The cane, which normally would have fallen down, stayed erect and started to travel about the room, seemingly at the behest of an invisible hand.
The Lattas Have Settled Down Here
Staff and volunteers alike have come to the conclusion that the entities are not malicious, despite the property’s history of intense and frequent paranormal phenomena. Many people think the ghosts are just the Lattas, who returned to the house they constructed so long ago to spend the rest of their lives there.
Waisner concedes that the plantation is alive and bustling, but that the home has never had a sinister or violent vibe about it.
Acceptance of the Paranormal
Board members and employees alike have come to accept paranormal occurrences as an integral part of Latta Place’s character and history. As a result, October through March is prime time for ghost walks and ghost tours.
See also: North Carolina’s Most Haunted Plantations.
You’ll learn about eyewitness tales and take a stroll around the property and the nearby forests on this tour. It should come as no surprise that strolls in this area during ghost season are not advised for youngsters.
Please be aware that as of today, March 28, 2022 (the day this was written), Latta Place has changed its name from Latta Plantation and moved to a new web address.
