While some old, empty estates are open books, other derelict dwellings aren’t quite as easy to decipher. From enigmatic former residents and ghostly goings-on to unexplained architecture and intriguing legends, America’s most mysterious abandoned homes stand shrouded in secrecy.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Perched high on a hill above the town of Chattanooga, Tennessee, this mystery mansion has seen its fair share of scandal. The brainchild of entertainment tycoon Billy Hull, the opulent home was completed in 1972 – but it wouldn’t be his home for long.
Decades later, photographer Leland Kent from Abandoned Southeast captured striking images of the mansion in all its derelict glory.
So, what caused Hull to desert his dream home just a year after it was built?
Club owner Billy Hull’s vision was for a sprawling, tiki-style mansion complete with luxury marble bathrooms, mirrored lounges and the crowning glory: a huge swimming pool with tiled tunnels leading to the opulent bedroom suites.
He contracted architect Ed Ball to design the home, which took 14 months to build, and Billy celebrated its completion with an extravagant house party.
When the mansion was first built, this living space would have been impressive, with marble-clad walls framing grand floor-to-ceiling arched mirrors.
Money was no object for Hull and he planned to build the most opulent home Chattanooga had ever seen, encompassing 5,600 square feet (520sqm), along with three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
The home was designed for entertaining and in the 12 months following its completion, the palatial property played host to numerous decadent celebrations.
Painted pastel pink with mirrored cabinets and gilded beams, the master bedroom had an Art Deco vibe, but despite the glitz and glamour, the space hid a sinister secret.
In May 1973, just a year after the house was finally finished, a man named Roland Hargis was killed as he left the Tradewinds Night Club in Chattanooga. Hargis had been allegedly having an affair with Billy’s wife, Gloria.
Larry Parker, a good friend of Billy’s, alleged that Hull had contracted him to carry out the revenge killing. Billy Hull was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement. This was the first in a string of allegations, leading to Hull’s eventual bankruptcy in the 1980s after a conviction for tax evasion. With no one left to run the party mansion, it fell into disrepair.
Sadly for the mysterious mansion, it proved to be as ill-fated as its former owner. While several families lived in the home after Hull was sent down, it was listed for sale in 2014 but no buyer could be found. The tiki palace, infamous and unwanted, fell into foreclosure and was eventually seized by the City of Chattanooga for unpaid taxes.
The fabled home was demolished in September 2017, but we wonder whether the ghost of Billy Hull – who died in 1989 – still wanders the site, dancing to music no one else can hear…