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in the house. According to Fayetteville historian Bruce Daws, Stancil often related an experience with a ghostly image and a cold, icy feeling. A similar encounter occurred in the 1970s when a volunteer with the Junior League of Fayetteville, dressed in costume was leading guests on a candlelight tour of the home. The weather was not especially cold and the building was comfortably warm when the volunteer took a chill that she could not shake. The bitter cold feeling forced her to drape herself and even warm cider could not remove her chills. Only after she went outside was she able to regain a normal temperature and become comfortable again. Daws says the Kyle House was a very formal environment when it served as City Hall. “It was always immaculately Visit Curbing Creations at www.FayettevilleConcrete.com 728-8292 decorated with fancy silver and furnishings,” says Daws. “There were many grand moments there and it was always an opportunity for Fayetteville to put its best foot forward. It was an impressive place for the mayor to greet visitors.” Religious ground Today, the Kyle House is physically part of St. John’s Episcopal Church. The church bought the property from the city in 1991 and recent renovations have connected the adjacent house to the church building itself. “The adult Sunday school class uses the building,” says church administrator Bob Pinson. “And the Kyle House is sometimes used for a variety of other special occasions.” Anita Kyle says her family is just glad the house is being used. “The family is proud of the house and what it represents,” she said. “We are glad that the house is still an important part of the town’s history and focus.” Pinson says he has never personally encountered the Kyle ghost, but he is sometimes uncomfortable when he has to enter the house alone at night. “I sometimes come down to work  32 | Oct • Nov 2008 at night,” he says. “And occasionally, someone will have left a light on in the building. I have to go over and turn it off and I do it as quickly as I can.”CV

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