THE HAUNTING AT MILLENNIUM MANOR

The Haunting at Millennium Manor

Note: Most of the information about this house was pulled from websites I have found. You will find links at the end of this post. I want to give credit where it is due.

This is a story that reminds me of the story of Sarah Winchester, and the Winchester Mansion. They are not identical but there are parallels. I want to tell you about this freaky, creepy and very beautiful house that is practically in my neighborhood.

What is so cool about this place is that it’s practically right up the road from my house!! In fact, I drive by it on my way to work if I take the scenic route and have some time to kill. It is Located on Wright Road in Alcoa, TN. It is known as the Old Stone House, or Millennium Manor. This house was the home of William Andrew Nicholson, who constructed the house, and his wife, Fair. It was designed to withstand Armageddon, the return of Christ. According to some, Nicholson claimed to have been told by God to build the house and that for as long as he continued construction on the house that he would never die, and he planned to live in that house for a thousand years or eternity. He and his wife believed that as long as they kept on working on the stone house that they would never die. (1)

History:
Millennium Manor was built from 1938 to December, 1946, by William Andrew Nicholson and his wife Fair. They had moved to Alcoa, Tennessee, from Pickens County, Georgia, where he was a mason and carpenter. In 1937 he got a job with the Alcoa plant as a replacement for striking workers. Mr. Nicholson started construction of Millennium Manor at the age of 61 while maintaining a full time job at the Alcoa plant across the street.

Millennium Manor was built to survive Armageddon and a thousand years beyond. If any structure can endure that fate, it is this one. Millennium Manor was built using Roman architecture which can still be seen standing in structures after more than 2,000 years. The light colored stone of Millennium Manor is Tennessee Pink Marble found in nearby Friendsville, Tennessee. The "Arch and Keystone" visible over doors and windows continues throughout the entire house, including the floor and roof. First built was a wooden "form," shaped like the inside of the building. A rubber tarp was laid over this form. Stone was stacked on top of the form and a "Keystone" inserted. (At this point in the construction, the wooden form could have been pulled completely out, and the roof would still stand on its own without any mortar). Cement was poured over the stacked marble rock, and the cement sifted through to the rubber tarp and hardened. Wrinkles in the rubber sheet can still be seen on the inside ceiling The form was then removed, at which point that part of the roof (or floor) was finished. In theory, it should be possible to remove ALL cement from the entire building and have it continue to stand, since the only function of the mortar was to hold the rock in place and not to bear a load.

Over 4,000 bags of cement were used, and in some places agricultural lime was used instead of sand for less water seepage. The thinnest inside wall is 19 inches. The thinnest outside wall is 25 inches. The roof is greater than 3 feet thick, and the floor is greater than 4 feet thick. The roof alone supposedly weighs 423 tons. All walls are load bearing. There are 14 rooms and a two-car underground garage, for a total of about 3,000 square feet under roof. The upstairs has 7 chimney flues. A six-story deep well is 5 feet in diameter.(2)

That is some house, huh? And what an amazing story behind it!! Sadly, in 1950, his wife passed away. Nicholson felt that Fair had lost her faith and that as a result she died. Her death devastated him, but he continued with the belief that he would live forever if he kept building.

He lived in the house until his death in 1965.

Urban legend has it that his wife was buried within the walls of the house. This is not true, and in fact both she and Nicholson are buried in Clarks Grove Cemetery, their graves are unmarked. Another rumor had it that William Nicholson was a devil worshipper and a cruel man, but that was far from the truth. He was more of an eccentric man with ideas that he could live forever, and many found that to be odd and started making false claims about him.

There are folks who believe that Mr. Nicholson’s ghost is residing in the house. There are claims where people have seen strange and unexplainable lights in the house and heard activity going on when the house in uninhabited, even during the day time.

I also came across a cool picture taken at the Millennium Manor (3) . Take it as you may. There could be many explanations for the face in the window. Our eyes and mind play many tricks on us, so tell me what you think.

What is your take on this house or the picture above? Have you ever been there? Share any thoughts or experiences you might have. I plan on visiting this house and doing my own investigating (after I get the okay from the owner).

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(1 & 2) STRANGE USA


(3) UNEXPLAINED MYSTERIES