Kirksville's second haunted seat Commonly known as the "Devil's Chair," this monument is more formally known as the Baird Chair. While the Baird Chair may not necessarily be unique, as Devil's Chairs can be found across the U.S. and and Europe, Kirksville's may be one of the most well known one. Featured on
The most common tale about the Devil's Chair says that should some brave soul sit in the chair at midnight, a hand will burst from the ground underneath them and they will be dragged straight to Hell. It should seem obvious that this just a tall tale, yet plenty of people find themselves in the Highland Park Cemetery late at night daring each other to sit in the chair and see what happens. As a result of the Baird chair's fame there is now a sign in front Highland Park telling visitor to remain respectful and "keep off". |
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The chair itself has a much more mundane history with less supernatural elements than the stories would leave you to believe. The chair was commissioned by William Baird, a prominent businessman and founder of the First National Bank of Kirksville, MO, sometime between 1882 and 1885. William commissioned Baird & Grassle marble dealership to sculpt the chair as a memorial to his brother David and sister Ana who died in 1865 and 1869, respectively. It was sculpted by Charles F. Grassle and William's brother John C. Baird, who along with being a marble cutter was also the superintendent of the Highland Park Cemetery Association. The chair was planted sometime in 1890-1891.
Unknown by most people, the chair is not actually a grave marker. It is what is known as a mourning chair and its purpose was to allow people to rest and contemplate within the cemetery. Adam Davis, a professor of English at Truman State University and Executive member of the Missouri Folklore Society, has said, “The Baird Chair is absolutely unremarkable for its period. It’s a mourning chair. 100 years ago when we were less mobile, when we expected to be born, grow up, marry, and die in a single neighborhood, we lived with our dead. You might spend a pleasant afternoon in Spring taking a walk through the cemetery, and there was nothing creepy about it. They provided benches for you to sit, and sometimes the gravestone itself was in the shape of a chair or a bench. It was a standard 19th Century practice."
The Smithsonian's information on the Baird Chair.
Unknown by most people, the chair is not actually a grave marker. It is what is known as a mourning chair and its purpose was to allow people to rest and contemplate within the cemetery. Adam Davis, a professor of English at Truman State University and Executive member of the Missouri Folklore Society, has said, “The Baird Chair is absolutely unremarkable for its period. It’s a mourning chair. 100 years ago when we were less mobile, when we expected to be born, grow up, marry, and die in a single neighborhood, we lived with our dead. You might spend a pleasant afternoon in Spring taking a walk through the cemetery, and there was nothing creepy about it. They provided benches for you to sit, and sometimes the gravestone itself was in the shape of a chair or a bench. It was a standard 19th Century practice."
The Smithsonian's information on the Baird Chair.
Last edited 4/18/16
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