Unraveling the Mystery of Pink Lizzie | Encore Episode

Southern Gothic

Southern Gothic Media LLC

History, True Crime, Society & Culture, Documentary

4.7 • 976 Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2026

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1871, Clara Robertson’s life was forever altered by an encounter with a ghost. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl witnessed a haunting vision of a transparent, emaciated young girl in a tattered pink dress while practicing piano upstairs at the Brinkley Female College in Memphis, Tennessee. The sensational series of events that followed was widely covered in the media of the day, causing a frenzy in town and making the tale of Pink Lizzie one of the most infamous hauntings in Memphis history. Key Highlights Brinkley Female College’s short history. The First Encounter of Pink Lizzie, the emaciated looking ghost of a young girl. The Ghost’s Wishes for Clara to take action that will help give her family justice. Séances and Revelations with Mrs. Nourse, the spiritualist attempting to assist the family. The Public Excavation of the spirit’s purported treasure. Fact vs. Fiction, and the legitimacy of the tales. This episode is sponsored by Hello Fresh, America’s #1 Meal Kit. Visit ⁠HelloFresh.com/GothicFree⁠ and use code “gothicfree” for FREE breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while the subscription is active! Want to Listen to Southern Gothic Ad-Free? ⁠Patreon: Ad-Free Episodes, Premium Releases, Bonus Content & More⁠ ⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Spotify⁠ ⁠Southern Gothic Premium on Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Into History: History Without Interruption⁠ Additional Resources for This Episode: ⁠Haunted Memphis⁠ by Laura Cunningham ⁠Myths and Mysteries of Tennessee⁠ by Susan Sawyer Connect with Southern Gothic Media: Website:⁠ SouthernGothicMedia.com⁠ Merch Store:⁠ https://www.southerngothicmedia.com/merch⁠ Pinterest:⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠ Facebook:⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠ Instagram:⁠ @SouthernGothicMedia⁠ X:⁠ @SoGoPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Josh Spiegel, host of the podcast, Lunatic in the Newsroom.
0:04.8	It's news like you've never heard before.
0:07.7	We'll talk about things like a possible ban on recreational pot,
0:11.3	Americans giving up on dressing like civilized human beings,
0:14.9	and a call for fraternities to be outlawed.
0:17.6	If you enjoy wild overthinking, lunatic in the newsroom is for you. It's funny,
0:23.0	informative, and emotionally unstable. Lunatic in the newsroom. Listen today. Southern Gothic is a podcast that explores the history behind some of the American South's darkest days,
0:46.5	greatest mysteries, and most chilling ghost stories. The
0:57.0	The In June of 1972,
1:23.6	Wreckers began dismantling an old dilapidated two-story mansion
1:27.4	at 683 South 5th Street in Memphis, Tennessee.
1:32.3	The monumental, classical revival structure was built by Winston J. Davy on about six acres of land sometime between 1856 and 1859.
1:47.0	But by the time the wreckers arrived,
1:50.7	the old building had been left in disrepair for so long that the commercial appeal reported in 1939
1:53.7	over three decades prior that, quote,
1:57.7	nothing remains today except the dingy and dilapidated old mansion with tall columns and big windows.
2:05.7	The gray of its framed walls is so drab and blotched that even the remaining chips of paint are practically drained of color.
2:14.2	Dulled to a lifeless gray are the majestic old columns fronting the wide veranda that knew the rustle of hoop skirts and the faint perfume of lavender and old lace in a bygone day.
2:29.3	Of course, the mansion wasn't always this way. As reported, the building was once a grand estate sitting atop a small hill surrounded by trees.
2:41.4	It featured a stately portico with six tall ionic columns across the front, a brick foundation,
2:48.5	and a painted wood exterior. The inside boasted a central hall which was flanked by two rooms,
2:55.6	including a double parlor and a staircase that, along with many other interior features,
	...

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