Rugby, Tn. Lived in this state for 25 years and just found out there is a Rugby, Tn. Never heard of it? Some people say it might be the most haunted town in the USA. Many agree it is in the state of Tennessee. None would argue it is the most haunted Utopian town on the continent.
The Strange Story Of Rugby
Historic Rugby is located on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, between Knoxville and Crossville. Seriously. It’s here:
In order to understand why the town is considered so haunted, one must first get to know it’s unique history.
I ran across Rugby doing research for haunted places in Tennessee. I found Rugby is not only rich in it, but also is rich in it’s unique place in history on 2 continents.
Rugby’s founder was a British gent called Thomas Hughes. Hughes was an English lawyer, judge, politician and author. He is most famous for his novel Tom Brown’s School Days (1857), a semi-autobiographical work set at Rugby School, which Hughes had attended. It had a lesser-known sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford (1861). Hughes was also a member of British Parliament.
Hughes wasn’t much of the scholar but excelled at the European baseball form known as cricket. However, upon graduation from Oriel College, Oxford became a committed social reformer, Hughes became involved in the Christian socialism movement led by Frederick Maurice, which he joined in 1848.
As a side-product he developed an interest in the model village. In 1880, he acquired the ownership of Franklin W. Smith‘s Plateau City and founded a settlement in America — Rugby, Tennessee — which was designed as an experiment in utopian living for the younger sons of the English gentry.
The idea for the colony grew out of Hughes’ concern for the younger sons of landed British families. Under the custom of primogeniture, the eldest son usually inherited everything, leaving the younger sons with only a few socially accepted occupations in England or its empire. In America, Hughes believed, these young men’s energies and talents could be directed toward community building through agriculture. The town site and surrounding lands were chosen in part because the newly built Cincinnati-Southern Railroad had just completed a major line to Chattanooga opening up this part of the Cumberland Plateau. (Source)
By 1884 Rugby seemed to be becoming the model utopian village it was always meant to be. Over 300 residents, 60-70 Victorian homes, and 2 trains a day ran to Cincinatti. Visitors came to enjoy a game of …wait for it….rugby (seriously) or croquet matches or to just swim and fish in the clear rivers of “New Jerusalem” as it became known.
But then, as life goes, tragedy struck. A typhoid epidemic, series of rough winters, and land issue problems led to poor credit ratings, and, even poorer hope among residents led to Rugby’s demise. But, not everyone left.
Rugby Thrives Still With Both Current and Past Residents
By 1900, most of the original colonists had left, many for other parts of America. It was never deserted. Individual residents, some children of original colonists, struggled over many decades to keep its fascinating heritage alive.
Rugby today is much like Rugby of yesteryear. The few people left in the sleepy village from the turn of the century into the 1960’s were descendants from the original colonists and the Appalachian families that had already settled here, as well as members of families that moved into the area in the 1930’s and 1940’s. In 1966, Brian Stagg entered the picture and helped re-vitalize the whole community. Historic Rugby, Inc . celebrates 50 years this year and looks, and in some ways acts much like what it’s founder envisioned. (See the re-vitalization story here.)
But, what about those things that go “bump in the night”? Look up Rugby on Trip Advisor and see multiple accounts from people who agree this town is haunted. In 1997 even USA Today agreed it was a must stop. According to Shadowlands Haunted Places here are some of the highlights:
There’s lots to do in this still Victorian town. It’s one of the most unique towns I have ever stumbled across in Tennessee. They have a bed and breakfast and a tavern, and in the future, I think I just might have to go check it out myself.
For all info on Rugby, Tn. www,historicrugby.com
