Haunted Spaces and Spooky Places: Vance Building

Staff Photo by Elizabeth Lane

This is the fifth entry in the Haunted Spaces and Spooky Places series.

They say those who do not learn history are bound to repeat it. History can be found all throughout Dandridge, including a haunted history. In this edition of our favorite spooky haunts we take a look at one of the oldest buildings right in the heart of downtown Dandridge: the Vance Building.

According to sources about the preservation and history of Dandridge, the Vance building has a varied but interesting history. Built in 1823, the Vance Building originally served as the home of the first Dandridge Telephone Exchange, a post office, a furniture store along with being a funeral parlor. Several generations have lived through the transformation of the Vance Building. In recent decades it has been given a revitalization and now serves as a retail and news space for the town of Dandridge.

Although it has been given a new life, one cannot help but wonder if there are spirits around about the Vance Building. While many part of the building feel welcoming, others, like the downstairs basement, still hold the power to chill the senses. Once a funeral parlor, this part of the building now serves as storage, but any visitor can immediately feel something other worldly walking down the tiny flight of stairs to the bottom. Could it be that one of the spirits of the long deceased has decided to reclaim this part of the building for its own and is looking to ward off any unwelcomed guests? Comments on the sense of being watched are common for those that enter the basement, and some of the town’s oldest tales and rumors of hauntings surround the building.

Patrons and owners have noted that mysterious sounds can be heard throughout the entire building, especially on the ground floor. Bumps and knocks can be heard upstairs when seemingly no one is around in the retail shops. Perhaps it is customers or employees of the businesses long gone that have been housed within the Vance Building? Do you think there are long lost visitors of the past dwelling in the Vance Building? Remember that parts of the building are open to the public, so it is possible to visit and come to your own conclusions. Whatever the conclusion, it would be impossible to doubt the historical significance of the building as it has watched over the progression of the town; be sure to add the Vance Building as a destination, whether as a sightseer, customer, or haunting enthuseast, next time you prowl the streets of Dandridge.