The ghostly lady that haunts Willard Library was the inspiration behind a super cute book.

Willard Library

Located on First Avenue in Evansville sits a gorgeous Victorian gothic-style building that we know as Willard Library. Willard Library is one of the first public libraries opened in the state of Indiana. Of course, this library is well known for residing in a beautiful and historic building, but it's also well known for being home to Evansville's most notorious ghost, the Grey Lady.

If you're familiar with haunted Evansville history, there's no doubt you have at least heard of the Grey Lady.

Google Maps/Canva

Who is the Grey Lady?

According to Willard Library, no one truly knows who the Grey Lady is, but it is widely speculated that she is the ghost of Louise Carpenter the daughter of Willard Library founder, Willard Carpenter.

Sightings of the Grey Lady date back to the 1930s when a custodian bumped into a woman wearing a long dress and a grey shawl. Quickly though that woman faded into darkness. This was the first reported sighting of the ghost we now call the Grey Lady.

The Children's Book Inspired By Willard Library

I don't know how I missed this, but did you know that there is a book written about a haunted library? Not just any library, this book was inspired by Willard Library, and you can see a building that looks awfully similar to Willard!

Bookshop.org

Recently Willard Library shared a fun video read-along of this book saying:

The Grey Lady teams up with a young patron to save the library in this book inspired by Willard Public Library! Will the duo's fun antics save the library from closing? Find out in 'The Lady of the Library' by Angie Karcher.

If you'd like to get your hands on a copy of this book, I personally recommend shopping through a local bookstore. One easy way you can do that is through Bookshop.org. My two favorite bookstores in Evansville are Bluestocking Social and Your Brother's Bookstore.

Click here to see Bluestocking Social's Bookshop.org website

Click here to see Your Brother's Bookstore's Bookshop.org website.

Once you click one of the above links just search "Angie Karcher" in the search bar on Bookshop.org you can buy it while supporting a local bookstore.