You hear marbles rolling on the top floor. You may hear a young boy say hello. You venture up the steps, however, and find no one is there.
So goes the spooky story recounted by dozens of students and staff over the years from Lucille Clement Hall, a five-floor housing unit on ETSU’s campus.
It’s the legend of “Marble Boy.” The gist: Many years ago, a young boy died falling down an elevator shaft after dropping his marbles. Now, he occupies the same building he perished in.
Yelling at the ghost to stop doesn’t seem to help, only making him angry, causing
him to drop all the marbles.
From water faucets turning on and off to the spirits of former faculty dwelling in
buildings, a slew of surveys consistently ranks ETSU as one of the most haunted campuses in the United States. In this review by the Online Schools Center, ETSU ranked No. 4 in the nation, behind only Hollins
University, Pennsylvania State University, and Ohio University.
Bottom line: If you hear marbles rolling around in Lucille Clement Hall, don’t go
investigate.
For more unnerving reading this Halloween, enjoy Elias Murphy’s article in the East Tennessean.