Tennessee

Knoxville

Baker Peters Jazz Club

Where the club sits now was once a Civil War era residence. Dr. James Harvey Baker built the home and his allegiance at the time is still an unanswered question. His son, Abner fought on the side of the Confederacy.

The haunting of the building seems to go back to the 1860s. Dr. Baker used his home as a hospital and was treating wounded Confederate soldiers here when the Union army invaded the area. The Union officers demanded the surrender of those in the house but the Doctor refused.

Taking refuge in an upstairs bedroom, he was found and shot by Union soldiers. The fate of the soldiers the doctor was treating is a matter of opinion. Most people believe some of the hauntings in this building are the ghosts of some of these wounded, then murdered men.

When the twenty-two year old son, Abner returned home, he vowed revenge on those responsible for his father’s death, including the person who informed the Union army of the Confederate soldiers harbored in his home.
He eventually learned it was the postmaster and he killed him. A short time later, the postmaster’s friends killed Abner as an act of revenge.

Legend has it that Abner has refused to leave the house that he and his family fought so hard to retain. The house had many owners in its past before becoming a jazz bar and it appears the ghosts do not appreciate the music.

Baker Peters has a picture of Abner’s ghostly reflection posted somewhere in the restaurant. Staff members report chills, hearing whispers, and objects thrown and moved about. In the early days of the house, hanging candelabra in the dining room had the candles holders twisted so they faced downward instead of upward. A picture of Confederate soldier who roams the club also verifies the existence of ghost in the building.

Visitors to the house can see the room where Baker was killed which is now a dentist's office and examine the original bullet holes still left in the doorway. The club is located upstairs to the right of the dining room and features live jazz every night of the week. The haunted club is located at 9000 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN.

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