Cragfont

A 1798 frontier mansion built by General James Winchester, one of Tennessee's finest examples of late Georgian architecture, haunted by its builder's ghost.

Cragfont was built between 1798 and 1802 by General James Winchester, a Revolutionary War veteran and one of the founders of Memphis. The limestone mansion is considered one of the finest examples of late Georgian architecture in Tennessee. Winchester was captured during the War of 1812 at the River Raisin Massacre, where hundreds of his men were killed. He returned a broken man and died at Cragfont in 1826. His ghost is said to still walk the grounds, particularly near the family cemetery where he is buried. Visitors and staff at the historic house museum report hearing heavy boots on the wooden floors when no one else is in the building, doors that refuse to stay closed, and a tall male figure seen looking out the upstairs windows at dusk. Cold spots are common in Winchester's former study.