Charles Davis Lawson was a tobacco farmer from Stokes County North Carolina. He owned a farm on Brook Cove Road near Germantown. He lived there with his wife, Fannie (37), and their seven childre…
Charles Davis Lawson was a tobacco farmer from Stokes County North Carolina. He owned a farm on Brook Cove Road near Germantown. He lived there with his wife, Fannie (37), and their seven childre…
The Lawson family murder case is one of the most heartbreaking and gruesome stories in American history. On December 25, 1929, Charlie Lawson, a farmer in Stokes County, North Carolina, murdered hi…
What dark secret made Charlie Lawson slaughter his family on Christmas Day?
On Christmas Day in 1929, North Carolina farmer Charlie Lawson murdered his entire family before turning his gun onto himself. Almost a century has passed since this gruesome crime, but the question of motive has remained unanswered to this day.
On Christmas Day 1929 in Germanton, Charlie Lawson killed his wife and six of his seven children before killing himself. The event was nat... On Christmas Day 1929 in Germanton, Charlie Lawson killed his wife and six of his seven children before killing himself. The event was national news and 5,000 people attended the funeral. Lawson's brother Marion opened the house as a tourist attraction and charged visitors twenty-five cents. Over the years, songs were performed, books were written, and documentaries were filmed about the Lawson murders. So it really shouldn't surprise anyone that there is a small museum/shrine devoted to the murders in Madison, North Carolina. While the upstairs museum at Madison Dry Goods doesn't hold much in terms of artifacts--you can see a photo of the family, a photo of Lawson in his casket, a photo of the hearses, and two newspaper clippings--it is the museum's location that makes it notable. You see, the second floor of Madison Dry Goods was the former home of T.B. Knight Funeral Home, where the eight members of the Lawson family were embalmed. We dropped by Madison Dry Goods and owner Richard Miller showed us around the old funeral home and pointed out the embalming room, the chapel, and the viewing rooms. He also told us how he acquired some of the items in the museum. I had heard about the Charlie Lawson tragedy years ago because I lived in Stokes County. When I came here, I didn't realize there was actually a funeral home upstairs on the second floor, T.B. Knight Funeral Home. They were the embalmers and funeral director so they provided a direct link to Charlie Lawson. In fact, when I first got here, a person brought me a picture with the bodies out in front of the elevator, rolled up. I didn't know the significance, so I wish I had the picture today for my display. Because there was an interest in it because they were embalmed here, people like this one gentleman who's deceased now would say, "You've got to have this newspaper." There's not many Winston Salem Journals out there. Someone gave us the portable embalming table. It's not from Charlie Lawson, but it's from that era. It folds up like a suitcase. Someone gave us the pictures of him in the casket and the hearse. Because the building was so old and was once a funeral home, I asked him if there were any ghosts. Yes. A little girl. I've never seen her, but four people have seen her. One was a man. I was in here years ago and apparently she was looking out the window because the man wanted to know if my daughter was in here working with me. There's been three kids. One kids about three years ago grabbed his dad's arm and said, "I"m not going up there. There's a little girl standing there." I've had a couple kids who won't go down the hallway. Which naturally got us talking about ghost hunters. We had a woman who came in last week and she had just got back from Wilmington. She showed me the ghost on the ship. She wants to bring her friend up to take pictures of all the stuff. The museum is free and is open daily. But if Mr. Miller is there and has a minute, ask him about the murders and have him show you around the place. Maybe you'll even see the ghost of the little girl! What To Know Before You GoGPS Coordinates: (36.387675, -79.960118) Location: 104 West Murphy Street, Madison Rating
STOKES COUNTY, N.C. — For most people, their story ends at their grave but for the Lawson family, there were chapters still to be written. After the funeral, their home began to attract the curious. “Charlie Lawson’s brother [Marion Lawson] charged people to go in the house,” historian Kinney Rorrer said. “He charged them a […]
On Christmas Day 1929 in Germanton, Charlie Lawson killed his wife and six of his seven children before killing himself. The event was nat... On Christmas Day 1929 in Germanton, Charlie Lawson killed his wife and six of his seven children before killing himself. The event was national news and 5,000 people attended the funeral. Lawson's brother Marion opened the house as a tourist attraction and charged visitors twenty-five cents. Over the years, songs were performed, books were written, and documentaries were filmed about the Lawson murders. So it really shouldn't surprise anyone that there is a small museum/shrine devoted to the murders in Madison, North Carolina. While the upstairs museum at Madison Dry Goods doesn't hold much in terms of artifacts--you can see a photo of the family, a photo of Lawson in his casket, a photo of the hearses, and two newspaper clippings--it is the museum's location that makes it notable. You see, the second floor of Madison Dry Goods was the former home of T.B. Knight Funeral Home, where the eight members of the Lawson family were embalmed. We dropped by Madison Dry Goods and owner Richard Miller showed us around the old funeral home and pointed out the embalming room, the chapel, and the viewing rooms. He also told us how he acquired some of the items in the museum. I had heard about the Charlie Lawson tragedy years ago because I lived in Stokes County. When I came here, I didn't realize there was actually a funeral home upstairs on the second floor, T.B. Knight Funeral Home. They were the embalmers and funeral director so they provided a direct link to Charlie Lawson. In fact, when I first got here, a person brought me a picture with the bodies out in front of the elevator, rolled up. I didn't know the significance, so I wish I had the picture today for my display. Because there was an interest in it because they were embalmed here, people like this one gentleman who's deceased now would say, "You've got to have this newspaper." There's not many Winston Salem Journals out there. Someone gave us the portable embalming table. It's not from Charlie Lawson, but it's from that era. It folds up like a suitcase. Someone gave us the pictures of him in the casket and the hearse. Because the building was so old and was once a funeral home, I asked him if there were any ghosts. Yes. A little girl. I've never seen her, but four people have seen her. One was a man. I was in here years ago and apparently she was looking out the window because the man wanted to know if my daughter was in here working with me. There's been three kids. One kids about three years ago grabbed his dad's arm and said, "I"m not going up there. There's a little girl standing there." I've had a couple kids who won't go down the hallway. Which naturally got us talking about ghost hunters. We had a woman who came in last week and she had just got back from Wilmington. She showed me the ghost on the ship. She wants to bring her friend up to take pictures of all the stuff. The museum is free and is open daily. But if Mr. Miller is there and has a minute, ask him about the murders and have him show you around the place. Maybe you'll even see the ghost of the little girl! What To Know Before You GoGPS Coordinates: (36.387675, -79.960118) Location: 104 West Murphy Street, Madison Rating
STOKES COUNTY, N.C. – Tucked away in a quiet corner of the county, known as Brook Cove, you’ll find a small family cemetery. Buried here are more than just the remains of those who lived and farmed the community. There are secrets here too. Secrets of why a man named Charlie Lawson killed his wife, […]
Detailed list of famous NC murder mysteries: Lawson Family Christmas Massacre, Jeffrey MacDonald, Michael Peterson, Faith Hedgepeth, Velma Barfield, Barbara Stager & more.
On Christmas Day 1929 in Germanton, Charlie Lawson killed his wife and six of his seven children before killing himself. The event was nat... On Christmas Day 1929 in Germanton, Charlie Lawson killed his wife and six of his seven children before killing himself. The event was national news and 5,000 people attended the funeral. Lawson's brother Marion opened the house as a tourist attraction and charged visitors twenty-five cents. Over the years, songs were performed, books were written, and documentaries were filmed about the Lawson murders. So it really shouldn't surprise anyone that there is a small museum/shrine devoted to the murders in Madison, North Carolina. While the upstairs museum at Madison Dry Goods doesn't hold much in terms of artifacts--you can see a photo of the family, a photo of Lawson in his casket, a photo of the hearses, and two newspaper clippings--it is the museum's location that makes it notable. You see, the second floor of Madison Dry Goods was the former home of T.B. Knight Funeral Home, where the eight members of the Lawson family were embalmed. We dropped by Madison Dry Goods and owner Richard Miller showed us around the old funeral home and pointed out the embalming room, the chapel, and the viewing rooms. He also told us how he acquired some of the items in the museum. I had heard about the Charlie Lawson tragedy years ago because I lived in Stokes County. When I came here, I didn't realize there was actually a funeral home upstairs on the second floor, T.B. Knight Funeral Home. They were the embalmers and funeral director so they provided a direct link to Charlie Lawson. In fact, when I first got here, a person brought me a picture with the bodies out in front of the elevator, rolled up. I didn't know the significance, so I wish I had the picture today for my display. Because there was an interest in it because they were embalmed here, people like this one gentleman who's deceased now would say, "You've got to have this newspaper." There's not many Winston Salem Journals out there. Someone gave us the portable embalming table. It's not from Charlie Lawson, but it's from that era. It folds up like a suitcase. Someone gave us the pictures of him in the casket and the hearse. Because the building was so old and was once a funeral home, I asked him if there were any ghosts. Yes. A little girl. I've never seen her, but four people have seen her. One was a man. I was in here years ago and apparently she was looking out the window because the man wanted to know if my daughter was in here working with me. There's been three kids. One kids about three years ago grabbed his dad's arm and said, "I"m not going up there. There's a little girl standing there." I've had a couple kids who won't go down the hallway. Which naturally got us talking about ghost hunters. We had a woman who came in last week and she had just got back from Wilmington. She showed me the ghost on the ship. She wants to bring her friend up to take pictures of all the stuff. The museum is free and is open daily. But if Mr. Miller is there and has a minute, ask him about the murders and have him show you around the place. Maybe you'll even see the ghost of the little girl! What To Know Before You GoGPS Coordinates: (36.387675, -79.960118) Location: 104 West Murphy Street, Madison Rating