Georgette may have been my first brush with the spirit realm, but she would hardly be my last. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still all science and data and atoms. The ether still isn’t real, but my beliefs have mellowed into something resembling spiritual agnosticism. Whether it’s seeing Georgette standing dry in the rain or experiencing a shared dream with a close friend, I’ve come to believe that ghosts are real, or at least something we experience as ghosts exist.

I grew up wondering who “Annette” was. When we’d visit Monroe, Louisiana, my mother, Carol Layton Parsons, would point at the four poster she slept in and say it had belonged to Annette - who had been enslaved and then stayed with the family after the Civil War, helping to look after several generations of Layton children. That was all Mom knew about Annette, as she was born a few years after Annette died.

Through the University of Louisiana Monroe, I worked at Layton Castle (originally called Mulberry Grove Plantation) in Monroe, Louisiana. For one of my assigned tasks, I was asked to transcribe many slave-related documents (bills of sale, farm ledgers, copy book letters, etc.) and index their names on a Google Sheet.

Nancy Tennille was born in Washington County, Georgia, the daughter of Benjamin Tennille, who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He is buried in the Tennille Cemetery across the bayou from University of Louisiana - Monroe.

Isaac Henry Bry immigrated to America from Geneva, Switzerland in 1801 and arrived in Ouachita Parish in 1803 (the year of the Louisiana Purchase) and fell in love with the area.

From 1814 to 1915, Layton Castle underwent many renovations and additions. To this day, our family works diligently to preserve history while making improvements so the castle is comfortable for visitors and residents.

Carol Merrill Flower Layton was a local woman of many talents. From dancing, acting, teaching, and even marksmanship, she could do it all. Carol was born in Rapides Parish in 1899 to parents Charles Mulholland Flower and Caroline Merrill Flower. From a young age, she was excitingly independent and knew how to impress a crowd.