To read more about Gaithers spooky history, check out our previous Phantom Folklore story.
Fans may get a chill watching the CW's "Vampire Diaries," but star Nina Dobrev says the cast and crew were the ones spooked while filming at the Gaither Plantation in Covington.
Dobrev says several creepy, unexplained events took place during the 2010 shoot, including a piano seemingly playing on its own. "The ADs (assistant directors) started screaming, 'Stop! Whoever that is stop the music. We're rolling. Cameras are on,'" Dobrev says. But the actress says when they walked in the room with the piano no one was there.
At another point, the lights began flickering while she was in the bathroom. At first she thought her co-stars were playing tricks on her but she says, again, no one was nearby and "the lights were just spontaneously coming on and off." Dobrev, who plays characters Elena and Katherine in the vampire drama filmed in the Atlanta area, says everyone had a collective "weird feeling" at the site even though "nobody could pinpoint" why.
She says previously she didn't believe in the supernatural, "but all of a sudden it was kind of happening and it was kind of weird."
There have been numerous reports of ghost sightings and strange events at the 159 year-old plantation, enough to lead another television show, "Ghost Hunters," to investigate. Jason Hawes, lead investigator of the Syfy show, says that during a 2009 visit to the plantation, his team found compelling evidence of "intelligent" paranormal activity.
Dobrev says the eerie events didn't interrupt filming of the show but adds, "I don't think we've shot there since."
"Vampire Diaries" airs 8 p.m. Thursdays.