Join Appalachian Ghost Tours at the historic Maybeury Mansion for a paranormal hunt

MAYBEURY, WV (WVNS) — Appalachian Ghost Tours will hold a special Friday the 13th ghost hunt at Head of the Dragon Trail later on in September!

Paranormal enthusiasts that wish to attend can enjoy an investigation of the Maybeury Mansion, a property with an interesting past, including a coal industry philanthropist and the deaths of three individuals.

The mansion was originally erected by James Ellwood Jones, a coal industry leader. The date of completion is in the 1890s and according to records from the National Register of Historic Places, its design is a mix of “late 19th and early 20th century American movements.”

Jones was viewed as one of the most respected business leaders and advocated for health educational improvements within the area of Switchback in McDowell County. In a 2012 article , it was written, “While the home he built on Power House Hill is spectacular, his philanthropy was even more impressive… he built the gym/swimming pool building at Elkhorn High School and spent 25 years on the county commission working to bring good roads to the county.”

The Register records echo this sentiment, stating that “he is best remembered for his efforts to improve conditions in the remote county. He used his influence as a member of the court to establish the first county-wide, free dental clinic which earned nation-wide recognition.”

The record notes that in an effort to improve the educational outlook of those within his community, he also awarded ten $1,200 scholarships so that students could attend West Virginia University (WVU).

His death in 1932 from a sudden heart attack left the area feeling grief-stricken, as he was oft seen as “a godfather to thousands of men and women of all races and stations whose lives he made more pleasant and whose environment he improved in every way,” according to the register.

Not all of the history that is interwoven with the property is positive, however.

In the years after Jones’ passing, the property came into the possession of the Dale and Grace Henderson who purchased it from a sheriff’s auction, according to Archer. The couple lived there with their children Judy and David. David moved into the residence later in life with his wife Jeanette and her mother, Martha E. Barber after his parents passed away, and soon tragedy would strike.

Per court documents , David, Jeanette, and Martha were shot and killed by Stanford Tony Allen on February 14, 1998. Allen was found guilty after trial and sentenced to life in prison.

In the following years, the property would change hands and eventually come to the possession of The West Virginia Way, which still manages it today.

This is the first time the mansion will be open to investigation in this manner. Tickets for the event are $10 and it is set to run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. For more information on the event, check out the event’s Facebook page .

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