EDITOR’S NOTE: Strangeville explores the legends, folklore, and unexplained history of Western North Carolina. From Cherokee mythology and Appalachian ghost stories to Bigfoot sightings and UFO encounters, the Blue Ridge Mountains have long been a hotspot for the strange and mysterious. Join us as we dig into the past and uncover the truth behind the region’s most curious tales.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Is Old Craggy Prison haunted? There’s no clear answer. Just opinions and stories passed down by locals.

The former state prison operated for more than six decades. The building off Riverside Drive in Asheville earned its name from its location near the Craggy Bridge. Abandoned for decades, the facility’s reputation endures and some believe spirits of those connected to the old prison still linger here.

Today, the three-story structure sits behind a chain-link fence on a 20-acre site. It’s boarded up, crumbling, and weather-beaten. For those who remember what went on inside, it’s the past that makes the place feel uneasy.

Built in 1924, Old Craggy State Prison was a medium-security facility that housed inmates from across Western North Carolina. Most were assigned to labor-intensive jobs – laundering uniforms or working road crews. Pay was minimal. Conditions were rough. With no air conditioning and limited heat, Craggy Prison quickly earned a reputation as a punishing place to serve time.

Craggy was also the first prison in North Carolina to install an electronic perimeter alert system, a response to decades of frequent escapes.

Abandoned Southeast’s Leland Kent explored Old Craggy Prison in 2019. View images from his gallery and visit Abandoned Southeast to see more images of his explorations across the South. Photos used with permission of Abandoned Southeast.

Over the years, incidents of violence, riots, and jailbreaks made headlines. In 1945, 14 inmates sawed through a window and fled into the woods. A 1964 escape left a guard injured after an attack with a bush axe. In 1973, 13 prisoners staged a coordinated breakout, stole cars, and briefly took hostages. The most chaotic event came in 1975, when a full-scale riot broke out. A dorm was set on fire, and one inmate escaped with a homemade gun.

In 1987, the North Carolina General Assembly approved nearly $30 million to upgrade or rebuild prison facilities statewide. About $8.5 million was allocated for a new Craggy Correctional Center. Construction began soon after, and by 1989, the original facility was shut down and replaced by a new prison located just down the road.

Operations moved on. The building did not.

Today, the remains of Old Craggy Prison are locked away and left to decay. Its walls are cracked. Windows are shattered. Asbestos and lead paint have stalled any attempt to demolish or rehabilitate the property. Though technically empty, some say it’s not entirely unoccupied.

Drone footage shows interior decay of Abandoned Craggy Prison, via Youtube @StevenSpencerCodes

Despite its long history, there is little public documentation of deaths inside the prison. But stories from locals suggest otherwise.

Some say they’ve seen figures moving behind broken windows. Others report footsteps, voices, or the metallic echo of slamming doors in a building that hasn’t held inmates in more than 30 years.

Then there’s the tale of the woman in white. A figure said to walk down the hillside from the Church of the Redeemer and vanish near the prison’s rear fence. No one seems to know who she is, or why her path ends at a place like Craggy.

The property remains sealed off due to environmental hazards and structural decay. Despite this, the site continues to draw attention from explorers, ghost hunters, and those simply curious about the past.

Whether it’s haunted is still up for debate. The history is undeniable and for many who pass by – that’s unsettling enough.

Old Craggy Prison in Asheville, North Carolina