Asbury United Methodist Church
Greeneville
In 1875, a mysterious and eerie encounter in Greeneville set the stage for the founding of a beloved local church, all thanks to a chilling ghostly visit. The legend begins with Adelaide E. “Ada” Jordan-Ripley (1836–1902), who would become the key figure in making the original church a reality. But Ada’s involvement was tied to a strange and supernatural series of events that unfolded just the year before.
In 1874, a traveling Methodist preacher made his way to Greeneville and, in need of shelter, spent the night in an abandoned home near Barton Ridge, a house with a dark reputation, said to be haunted. That night, the preacher encountered a restless spirit, the ghost of a young lady in white. She revealed that she had been murdered in the very house, her life taken by intruders who demanded the location of her hidden money. Refusing to betray the secret, she was slain, her life cut short.
In a twist of fate, the ghost made an unusual deal with the preacher. She told him that, should he agree to share her hidden treasure with her surviving brother, he could keep half of it. Moved by the spirit’s tale and the promise of the money, the preacher accepted. True to his word, he gave Ada $800 of the treasure, which she, in turn, donated to Reverend James A. Mitchell for the construction of the church.
Thus, thanks to a ghostly encounter and a long-lost treasure, the church found its beginnings, founded not just on the generosity of Ada, but also on a tale of love, betrayal, and spirits still seeking justice from beyond the grave.