The Grey Lady in Willard Library

 Morgan Pierce

When looking at this picture of the Willard Library, many see the black ball on the ground. This black ball is believed to be the Grey Lady in Willard Library. This picture, along with many others,is backup to the speculations of a ghost being in the library. Not only does the library have pictures to prove that there is a ghost in the library, but the library also has employees that have experienced her presence.

When going to a library, most people think it's going to be a nice relaxing time, not a time to be scared that a ghost is near. In the Willard Library, many claim that there is a ghost that haunts the library. The ghost has been spotted by many different people that have been to the library. Those that have spotted the ghost include both employees and people on the internet watching the ghost cameras . This camera is on the internet 24 hours a day, so anymore who wants to try to find the ghost is able to. When looking at this ghost camera, there are questionable pictures that people think is the Grey Lady, but some think it's just the shadow of someone walking.

Back in 1937, in Evansville, IN, the lady in grey made herself known to the employees at the Willard Library (Willis). It was early in the morning when a custodian of the Willard Library went to light the furnace in the basement. When walking up the stairs, his flashlight spotted a lady dressed in all grey (Willis). After the first spotting of the Grey Lady, she has been seen by many other people. Another spotting was when the security alarm went off, and when the police arrived, they spotted two ghosts sitting near the upstairs window (Hall).
Many ask, "Why is there a ghost in the Willard Library?" Many different researchers have researched this question. The answer that most of them seem to come up with is the Grey Lady is Louise Carpenter. Louise Carpenter was the daughter of the library’s founder, who sued the Library’s board of trustees on her father's behalf (Harte, et al.). Louise believed that the money the library inherited from her father, who died, should have been her money. She lost the case, which makes the researchers think this is why she haunts the library. Another theory that some researchers have is the ghost is a lady who died on the land that the library sits on today (Willis). They believe that she is searching for her son who died with her that day.

Works Cited:
Blackwood, Margret. "The Willard Library: Most Haunted Library in the Us?" Photograph. The Ghost Diaries. 22 February 2004. Web. 16 October 2015.

ghostghoul. "Ghost Picture of the Day: Willard Library Ghost." Photograph. Ghost and Ghouls. 15 December 2012. Web. 16 October 2015.

Hall, Ashley. The Ghost of Willard Library. 29 December 2012. Web. 9 October 2015
Harte, Timothy M, et al. "Willard Investigation 2". Ghost Hunters Society. N.P. 9 September 2000. Web. 7 October 2015.

Willis, Wanda Lou. "Vanderburgh." More Haunted Hoosier Trails (2004): 200-208. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Interlibrary Loan. Web. 9 October 2015

Links for further research:
Willard Library, Haunted Houses.comhttp://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/in/willard_library.htm
This website has more detail on the grey lady and the times she has been spotted.

Willard Libraryhttp://www.willard.lib.in.us/index.php
This website is the actual website for the Willard Library. There are directions on how to get there and information on what is needed to check out a book from the Willard Library.

Library offers more than periodicalshttp://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/134236208C2592C8?p=NewsBank
This website gives extra information on the Willard Library ghost, the Grey Lady. An interesting topic that it covers is the background information on Louise Carpenters father.

The Grey Lady

Author: Sheetal Choony

 The Grey Lady spotted at Willard Library

            The Willard Library is considered one of the most haunted libraries in the world. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this buzzing city has a rich history of spooky speculations. According to Willard Carpenter, the founder of The Willard Library, he stated that his library would be “a library for use of the people of all classes, races, and sexes.” In 1885, the construction of this library was finished, just two years after Willard Carpenter’s death. Most would think that Willard himself would be haunting the library. This is not the case! It has been reported that Willard’s daughter, Louise Carpenter, is the one said to haunt the library throughout history. Shortly after her father’s death, she had stated that her father was under too much pressure and excessively influenced to build this library. She even tried to sue the city council to claim her royalties. Eventually, she lost the court case and lost all rights to any of the library’s property and market value. Because of this reason, it is said that her ghost will continue to creep in this library until her name has been recognized.

            There have been many reports and sightings of her ghost around the library building. Most observers have reported the ghostly figure to sport out a grey veil and general grey Victorian-era clothing. Most librarians have stated that “The Grey Lady” lurks around the Children’s Area of the library, occasionally picking up books and propping them back on the shelves, despite her reported hatred and disgust for the library. Children are most likely to see the ghostly figures, but cases have reported that a child’s parents are unable to see her. Actual documented evidences involving pictures or movie clips have been up for controversial debate stating this legend’s legitimacy.

            One specific example that I remember from seeing all the articles is that of the janitor’s story. In 1937, the janitor of the library was there to shovel coal. It was the middle of the night, roughly around 3am, when he heard some suspicious noises. He shone his flashlight in the direction of the noise only to see a lady covered in grey. This has been reported to be the first sighting of “The Grey Lady”. The janitor quickly saw the ghost subside into a foggy mist and soon disappeared. He was so startled that that he dropped his flashlight and ran out of the library. It has been confirmed that he soon quit his job after this sighting stating that he would never return again! They Grey Lady may still lurk the ominous library hallways even today!

Works Cited:

Marimen, Mark, James A. Willis, Troy Taylor, Mark Moran, and Mark Sceurman. Weird Indiana: Your Travel Guide to the Hoosier State's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. New York: Sterling Pub., 2008. Print.

Norman, Michael. Haunted Homeland: A Definitive Collection of North American Ghost 

Stories. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2006. Print

Wolfsie, Dick. Indiana Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Guilford, CT: Morris Book LLC, 2009.