“The mausoleum is the burial place of four members of the Craigmiles family, each of whom died tragically. Its white surface is marred by streaks of red, a red the color of blood. Some residents of Cleveland say the stains appeared after deaths in the family, and the story is that the dark spots are reminders of the sorrow marked by their lives.””
Elegy In Marble
Cleveland, Tennessee is home to a unique piece of local lore. Just behind St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is a beautiful white mausoleum where a young girl named Nina Craigmiles was buried. But according to legend, the white marble does not stay perfectly white for long, as the tomb purportedly bleeds.
Nina Craigmiles was only seven years old when she was killed in a tragic buggy accident. While riding with her grandfather, the cart’s horse was spooked while at a railroad crossing, causing the buggy to be struck by an oncoming train. As can be expected her family felt profound grief. Yet the Craigmiles family were unlike others in Cleveland— they were one of the wealhiest. So not long after her funeral, Nina’s father began making plans to memorialize his beloved daughter.
The Craigmiles did more than just build a beautiful mausoleum for their daughter, they also built a church. It was named St. Luke’s Episcopal, and it was christened on St. Luke’s Day— the anniversary of Nina’s death. Yet as beautiful as the church is, the local legend that claims her mausoleum bleeds with her tears is one of Tennessee’s most infamous urban legends.
ADDITIONAL LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE:
Sources:
Bolivar Bulletin (Bolivar, TN). “Memorial Church at Cleveland, Tennessee.” November 6, 1874. Newspapers.com.
Brown, Alan. Tennessee Legends and Lore. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2023.
Christian, Lee. “Elegy in Marble: An odd tale haunts the Cleveland tomb of Nina Craigmiles.” The Tennessean. April 16, 1950. Newspapers.com.
Episcopal Church, Diocese of Tennessee. Journal of Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Tennessee. Memphis, TN: Boyle & Chapman, 1875.
Kazek, Kelly. Forgotten Tales of Tennessee. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2011.
Knoxville Daily Chronicle. “Little Nina.” October 20, 1871. Newspapers.com.
Knoxville Daily Chronicle. “The Mausoleum.” November 3, 1872. Newspapers.com.
The Southwestern Reporter, Vol. 59. St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co., 1901.
Windham, Kathryn Tucker. Thirteen Tennessee Ghosts and Jeffrey. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press, 2016.
