What Midtown myth has a ghost story and a treasure hunt? Read the legend of Highland Hills
Although not as substantiated as some of the other stories, the legend of Mr. Ellis’ fortune at Highland Hall has a special place in Columbus lore.
Many Columbus residents will recognize the florist shop known as David Benefield at Highland Hall, but it has a fairly nefarious past.
Originally owned by the Ellis family in 1857, it was a beautiful Greek revival in the heart of what we know now as Midtown Columbus. The Ellis family sold it for $700 in 1878 and it changed hands several times before it was purchased by Estelle Collins in 1905.
The tale of Mr. Ellis’ gold
The tale of Mr. Ellis, identified only by his last name, was memorialized in a story written by Elton Camp after he rented a room that he claims was in Highland Hills. In the story, the narrator is terrorized by the ghost of Mr. Ellis, who allegedly was murdered in the very room he was renting in Highland Hall.
According to Camp’s story, Mr. Ellis was a very wealthy businessman, who owned many slaves and was rumored to have buried a sizable portion of his wealth in gold in the acreage around the main house.
When the servants reported to work one day, they found Mr. Ellis on the threshold of the front door with his throat gruesomely slashed. It appeared he was trying to get help when he bled to death in the doorway, according to the story.
The narrator in the story claims to have been terrorized by the ghost of Mr. Ellis, warning him away from searching for his gold. In the tale, there is still a blood stain on the floor of his bedroom that can’t be removed.
The ghosts of Highland Hall today
Although the story of Highland Hall may seem a little more fantastical than the others, David Benefield tells stories of strange things happening in the shop and his living quarters above it.
He told the Ledger-Enquirer in 2019 that Mr. Ellis still haunts the home, however, he hasn’t had much luck finding the buried fortune. “I’ve been digging in the yard every day and haven’t found anything,” Benefield said.
This story was originally published October 22, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
