In a town as old as Murfreesboro, tales of entities and paranormal activity are recurrent, and most inhabitants of the town can recall an unexplainable encounter or at least know someone who has. Stories of hauntings have become so plentiful that ghost hunting societies have set up shop around town to examine these paranormal events more closely.
While haunted homes and haunted fields are most common when hunting ghostly spirits, one local business breaks the trend.
Sugaree’s is a women’s clothing boutique that not only houses vintage apparel, but is also the home to a paranormal entity that goes by the name “Jackson,” according to the store’s owner Stacy Higdon. Higdon has owned Sugaree’s for 10 years, but only seven years ago moved to its current location in the Courtyard Square.
Before moving into the new location, the previous owners of the space informed Higdon about the haunted nature of the building. She didn’t think much about the idea of a “presence” residing in her boutique until she and her employees started encountering events that could not be explained.
Shoes would shift across the room, clothing racks would sway without any provocation and the back room would have a pungent smell of cigar smoke surrounding it. After experiencing these events, Higdon decided it would be best to bring in experts to decipher the events happening at her store.
Uncovering the unknown
The clairvoyant who visited the store provided Higdon with crucial information to her manage a business with an entity residing there. The owner relayed that Jackson mainly stays in the back of the store in a supply room, and by taking advice from the clairvoyant, Higdon leaves a glass of water on a table in the storeroom for the ghostly spirit and greets him everyday.
Jackson is friendly toward the owner and her patrons and doesn’t really disturb business for the most part. She’s understanding and respectful when it comes to dealing with the entity that resides in her store. Because of the peaceful nature between Higdon and Jackson, she has begun to embrace the idea of her boutique housing the spirit, but occasionally has her reservations about the prospect.
A haunted reputation
“Being labeled ‘haunted’ is a mixed bag,” Higdon notes. She recalls an instance when a more sensitive patron of the store was browsing, felt a presence and had to take a moment outside of the store. Other visitors to the store who have a keen sense for the paranormal have been able to detect the entity upon entering.
Higdon has also noticed that the reputation of being a haunted location has helped with business during the fall season. Historical societies as well as local ghost hunting groups have made Sugaree’s a regular stop when showing others about the hauntings and paranormal events of Murfreesboro, which isn’t bothering Higdon one bit.
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