Persons thinking they hear something going bump in the night are not alone in Winnsboro. According to Susan Yenner with the Winnsboro Woman’s Club, there are a great many houses in Winnsboro on Congress Street and in the Mt. Zion School community that are haunted.

Residents, friends and family members are invited to explore some of those haunts by lantern light on at 7 p.m. and at 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20. The eighth annual Ghost and Legends Lantern Tour includes a new twist this year. In addition to sharing ghostly and historical legends, this year period dress and period food will be used in the event.

Yenner said the event takes place each year thanks to the dedicated work of Lisa Cathcart, who puts the stories together, and to Andi Phipps who leads tours.

The Pinetree Players will portray historical characters, this year as Confederate soldiers.

Tour participants will get to sample hard tack and jerky if they so desire.

The walking tour begins at Songbird Manor, home of the Yenners, at 116 North Zion street.Tours begin at 7 p.m. and at 8:45 p.m. Refreshments will be served at the Songbird Manor. Later in the tour, tea will be served at the Cornwallis House. Jenny Fraser and Christina Fair will serve some of their specially blended teas to keep with the theme of historical period dress and food.

The Zion Street and Mt. Zion school area has been associated with ghosts and ghost appearances for centuries. In 1780 General Charles Cornwallis encamped in that area. The area also later served as a hospital building during the Civil War.

Next year, Yenner said that the group will work the other side of Congress Street to show of haunted houses there. It its eighth year, the Ghost Walk brings people in to Winnsboro who might not otherwise come to the area, according to Yenner. She said that each year they

Reservations are preferred so that Woman’s Club members can limit each tour group to around 15 persons. Simultaneous tours can be arranged if there is a large crowd, but the event planners would like to know in advance. Please call 635-6963 or email lac635@truvista.net for reservations. Advance tickets may be purchased at Vanity Stylon at 218 Congress St. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children age 8-13. The tour is not appropriate for small children.

In addition to hosting the ghost walk, each year the Winnsboro Woman’s Club awards a college scholarship to one senior each from Richard Winn and Fairfield Central High School. The group has a close relationship with the Pinetree Players, hosting the players’ 40th birthday party earlier this year.