Haunted Lawrence tour is a spooky success

Julia Stringfellow led the Haunted Lawrence tour this year. Photo courtesy of Emily Mohr
Grace Christiansen

Julia Stringfellow led the Haunted Lawrence tour this year. Photo courtesy of Emily Mohr (emily mohr)

Last Sunday, at least 65 Lawrentians and members of the Appleton community gathered at Memorial Hall to take part in the annual Haunted Lawrence tour. The tour, which for the past three years has been led by Lawrence archivist Julia Stringfellow, took participants to several places on campus not commonly open to the public, including the attic of Ormsby Hall and the cupola of Main Hall.
While most of the thrills of the tour came from experiencing these usually forbidden spaces, there were also a few decidedly creepy moments. In a darkened Stansbury Theatre, Stringfellow described how people often hear voices and even see ghosts when alone in the theater at night. Security officer Dell Cook shared that she feels “a creepy aura” when she turns out the lights in the conservatory’s downstairs bathroom.
“It’s a fun and spooky way to see LU,” said senior and tour participant Emily Mohr. “There are tunnels everywhere! And Julia Stringfellow is a fantastic tour guide – she knows all the scary stories and is a great story teller.”
Stringfellow’s favorite tale is that of Lewis Charles Voss, an 1898 graduate of Lawrence. Voss was on the pole-vaulting team and after injuring himself, he had to have his leg amputated. Recently, Voss’ family has contacted Stringfellow and informed her that said leg was buried somewhere around Main Hall. Stringfellow encouraged her tourists to think of that the next time they are rushing to class.
The Haunted Lawrence tour is an annual event, so if you missed it this year, make sure to go next Halloween – if only to ensure that you make it to the cupola before you graduate.

Julia Stringfellow led the Haunted Lawrence tour this year. Photo courtesy of Emily Mohr (emily mohr)