04/09/2019
Ghost story: This is Rotherwood Mansion in Kingsport and it is said to be haunted. The house once belonged to a man named Joshua Phipps. Phipps was a truly evil man, and almost no one liked him during his lifetime. In fact, people in Kingsport still speak of him with dread. Phipps was most notorious for his treatment of his slaves. He was extremely cruel, even having established a whipping post in the house, where he would beat the slaves. Their screams of anguish could be heard all over the Holston area, and Phipps was shunned by locals for his cruelty. It is said that when it rains, blood stains return to the floor inside Rotherwood Mansion.Joshua Phipps got his in July, 1861. He became very sick, and had to be fanned by a young slave. According to legend, as he lay in bed, a swarm of flies materialized, and filled his mouth and nostrils. Unable to breathe, Phipps suffocated.As if his death weren't dramatic enough, his funeral turned out to be even more horrifying. A huge crowd turned out for his funeral, most out of curiosity. As the hearse was being pulled up a hill by horses towards the cemetery, it became too heavy for the horses to budge. At the same time, the sky began to get dark, as if a storm were brewing. It took many horses to finally be able to move the casket. As it slowly moved up the hill, and the sky got darker and darker, a large dog emerged from the coffin and ran down the hill! Those present were terrified. Suddenly, a cloud burst and rain poured down on the onlookers. The casket was quickly buried, and everyone returned home.Today, the black dog, commonly known as the "Hound of Hell," is said to roam the area around Rotherwood Mansion. On dark and stormy nights, it's low, mournful howl can be heard throughout the area. More ghosts are also said to inhabit the area. One is the ghost of the aforementioned Joshua Phipps. This ghost is said to haunt those in the mansion by removing covers, and laughing his evil, sadistic laugh. The second is believed to be the ghost of his mistress, who was a former slave. Despite this fact, she was even more evil to the slaves than Josh (if it was possible). She was killed when the slaves rose against her, after they became sick of her torture. To avoid punishment, she was buried on the grounds. Her unmarked grave lies somewhere undiscovered on the grounds of Rotherwood Mansion.