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Today, I visited the Soules Chapel Cemetery in Somerset, Kentucky. Told by many, this cemetery is haunted. As I walked through the cemetery snapping photographs I felt sad. Afraid, I was not. Captivated by the stories, I was. There were tombstone’s pushed over and broken, sink holes throughout the gravesite and tall grass that covered the entire cemetery. No erie feelings, no ghostly shadows, nothing but an overwhelming feeling of sadness that someone could come in there and destroy such a sacred area of rest. The stories behind this are many, but few are different as you can follow the links for more information. Here is one story with some information.
Somerset Kentucky is one of those places that you very seldom think would have a dark side to it. Of course all the residents of the area try to dissuade visitors from thinking negative thoughts thinking it will hurt the booming tourism trade that helps bring the town to life. But there is a dark secret, one especially darker than most places. Soule’s Chapel lies waiting for the adventurous to come in and visit to see if they can withstand the feeling of evil and its ghosts that live there.
Soule’s Chapel itself was a historic landmark. The chapel itself was the second oldest Methodist church in Somerset and had one of the oldest cemeteries. It stopped being used for services sometime around the 1930’s, caught fire and was saved in the late 70’s and was finally burned down by two high-schoolers around 2005. This is all the known history but sometimes people get carried away and soon you can’t tell the real history from the made up.
Facts attributed to the chapel include it being a civil war hospital due to the fact Somerset was taken over multiple times (unfortunately I must disprove this one myself well, at least the Somerset take over part, only one real battle, The Battle of Mill Springs, was ever fought near Somerset and did not remotely lead to a takeover). This story also reports that the Chapel floor was soaked in blood which forms the basis of the next part of our story.
Enter the unknown Reverend, little is known of the actual man or church to this day but we can make an estimate as to him being there just before the turn of the century and when the church went unused. This is the man the most people refer to when telling this ghastly tale of woe. This was no ordinary Reverend and how he ended up in the rural little town of Somerset can be clearly seen. Satanists aren’t really welcome most places.
From the start he tried to slowly turn his flock. It started simple enough with a few rituals here and there. Pentagrams drawn on the floor to evoke demons (please note the tale makes not differentials between the
As all this was going on the city of Somerset began to grow suspicious of the new Reverend. Eventually word leaked out, whether by one of his followers or by some other means no one to this day knows. But what is known is soon a mob was formed marched out to the church and hung the Reverend in the building from the roof beams.
Even if this story is not true the below is. Almost every ghost hunter and would be satanist have heard of this site in the tri-county area and more from very much farther away. The rituals and ghost hunting practices that go on there keep the place red hot with paranormal activity. Whether the above tale is true I cannot say. I’m just repeating the legend that I have heard from the many who have visited.
Cited Sources:
Oral Legend of Somerset Kentucky
Message Board
unexplained-mysteries.com
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=93870
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2103395/the_evil_of_soules_chapel_pg2.html?cat=37
http://www.kentuckyspirithunters.com/?p=5
http://www.k-r-o-s.com/soules_chapel_062608.htm
To Come and Go Like Magic
Kentucky_Heir's Blog 
I really appreciate the fact that you are talking of the sadness that surrounds the deformation of the cemetery. All of my paternal ancestors are buried there and my beloved grandfather was buried there only three years ago this week. When people post ignorant rumors and talk of some “Evil” it is very hurtful to the families that have laid their loved ones there to rest. It also encourages other ignorant people to come to the cemetery and vandalize . Thanks for being the only sensible person left in area.
Thank you!
I Just visited this site today to seek out my relatives and found the Cemetery a shambles. While there, a government official showed up to take photos (Stephen B Kelly Jr. county Judge Executive) for exploring a plan for cleaning up of the site. It felt good that I was there as an example there are those of us that are visiting the site because of family. I came all the way from Western NY. My Great-Great Grandfather was J.P. Ridings who bought Greggs chapple in 1857 and oversaw the the build of the newer Soule Chapel which burned in early 2000’s.
i have visited soules chapel cemetery several times it also make me sick how idiots can destroy a place for rest its a beautiful place
I completely agree.
The desecration has only gotten worse over the past several months. My grandmother just recently passed and we are afraid to lay her to rest with her ancestors until after Halloween because of all this ridiculous ghost hunting nonsense. People should truly be ashamed of themselves.
Paula, yes the amount of desecration and vandalization that has been done to the cemetery, chapel and property over the years is VERY saddening. But the people who ghost hunts there, isn’t the people who has desecrated and vandalized the cemetery, chapel and property over the years. It’s vandals whose done this. Everyone that I know that has been there to ghost hunt (including myself), has been respectful to the cemetery, property, ghosts and spirits. We even want to clean up the litter and fix some of the damaged headstones. Why do you think ghost hunting is ridiculous and nonsense? Some ghosts ask for help and we help them cross over in to the light so that they’re no longer trapped in our plane of existence.
For a Trye account of Soules Chapel speak to historian Ruth Ledford of Somerset. She is well into her 90’s and a fountain of factual information…
Thanks
Hi I have family in Somerset and my uncle owned a cemetery in whitley called Angel Cemetery. I was wondering if i could use this article about the graveyard on my blog http://www.niktofobic.com Its a new blog i give reviews and I’m looking for guest articles
Sure as long as it’s a link to my article page.
Yes
My great grandfather was the minister of Soul’s Chapel at the turn of the century. His name was Joseph Rogers Armstrong Richards