Galloway Hall, Hendrix College

As Hendrix students, we could not ignore the ghost stories from our own campus. Most notably, Galloway Hall is the center of a few creepy tales that students continue to pass on. Built in 1913, the dorm was named after Charles Betts Galloway, who was the namesake of the Methodist-affiliated Galloway Female College. The women’s college merged with Hendrix in 1933. Today, the building is a women’s dorm and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982.

Naturally, a building as old as Galloway Hall has its share of stories. According to legend, the ghost of a woman, dubbed the “Galloway Virgin,” haunts the attic; students claim to hear noises from above and sense a presence in the halls late at night. Some claim to experience intense sadness when ascending the stairs toward the attic. 

The stairwell to the attic.

We know friends that have lived in or spent time in Galloway, and these tales are common knowledge among them. One believes to have felt a presence in one of the staircases. Recently, we walked through Galloway ourselves (although this is hardly the first time we’ve visited the hall during our time at Hendrix) to get a feel for the atmosphere. The building is cozy with a large parlor that represents the history of the dorm. We took the south staircase up to the third floor where the attic entrance is. Neither of us felt “sad” while approaching the final level. The door to the attic is sealed off with a padlock – a sign warns people not to break the lock as bats reside in the loft. 

While we did not notice anything paranormal, students continue to remember the ghost stories that persist around Galloway Hall. The building has a long history, and the school maintains that atmosphere by preserving the parlor, which is a popular place for events on campus. Galloway may not be the oldest building at Hendrix, but its ties to the defunct women’s college and place on the National Register of Historic Places makes it somewhat unique among the campus buildings (only Martin Hall and Ellis Hall share a place on the historic registry with Galloway). Perhaps the eerie tales about Galloway are a product of this past; the name given to the ghost reflects its past associations with a religious women’s college. This may be one way that students remember the campus’ long history.

UPDATE:
We managed to track down a copy of the Profile (Hendrix's student newspaper) that highlighted the legends and folklore on campus. Published in December 2013, this issue made note of the Galloway ghost and brought another to our attention as well.

Hulen Hall, located in the center of campus, is the former student center. Today, the building stands mostly abandoned, used primarily for storage. Some students claim to have seen moving shadows in the attic windows. In the past, there was an Indian statue in the loft that people would say moved on its own. 

Besides hauntings, other somewhat-spooky traditions have arisen over the years. Martin Hall, one of the men's dorms, ritually dances and drinks around the rock that marks the grave of Captain Martin, a Civil War officer. Capt. Martin was buried near the southwestern corner of campus. He was a teetotaler, so the celebration is a playful jab at the namesake of their dorm.