Drury’s three main residence halls each have their own personality, culture, and flair. From Sunderland Hall’s Living Learning Community, to Wallace Hall’s suite-style residence, to Smith Hall’s robust community, Drury’s on-campus dorms are definitely a unique part of the student experience overall. 

One residence hall, however, has quite a few more legends than the others.

The infamous Smith Hall

Smith Hall, constructed in 1966, is home to around 152 students, according to the university’s website. It houses two students per room, with four students sharing a bathroom. Smith is known and loved for its strong sense of community and connections; it is not uncommon to see most residents out in the common spaces enjoying and sharing time together. 

However, many of Smith’s residents, both past and present, are quick to share in ghost stories: some are personal encounters with the paranormal, others are legends passed down from hall to hall, year to year. With Halloween just around the corner, students are revisiting their favorite Smith tales.

Smith Hall (Photo via drury.edu)

Unusual encounters

Hannah Yates, a junior who currently lives in Smith, has her own experiences with paranormal occurrences to share. “I’ve heard steps above my room, but I’m on the third floor,” stated Yates.

A former Smith resident, senior Elizabeth Menne, remembers her days in Smith and the unsettling experiences that her suitemates shared. 

“I never experienced anything personally, but there were definitely some weird things that happened,” explained Menne. “For example, my suitemates had red handprints on their closet door and sometimes the door to the bathroom would open and close.”

Whether or not students choose to believe these stories of the many hauntings of Smith Hall is up to them to decide, but there is no denying that these legends play a large role in the community and collective identity of Smith Hall residents. Some stories, like the legend that claims a girl was killed on the grounds of Smith when she ran into a fire, have been central themes. The hall is even featured on websites that archive the places in Missouri known for having the most paranormal activity in the state. 

Sophomore Sally Masucci also has a story to tell. “I don’t know if Smith is haunted, but some weird stuff happens in Smith. Our door has definitely shut by itself after some time of it just being cracked open. The doors in the front also opened and closed and no one had walked through,” recalled Masucci.

Others are more recent, and the catalog of experiences and stories is constantly growing and ever-evolving. If you find yourself spending any amount of time in Smith, watch out: its residents (paranormal or otherwise) might just make you a believer.

Written by Olive Thompson.