Welcome to Merle House, a twenty-bedroom wellness retreat set on over a hundred acres of wooded land. Founded by Samantha Merle, yoga instructor and wellness expert, this spacious historic property has a complicated history. But Samantha Merle says that its history, even the dark chapters, make it even more appropriate as the sanctuary she hopes it will become.
“Everyone has darkness in their lives, times when they suffer,” Merle says. “But that doesn’t mean that we can’t heal and move into the light to live better than ever before.”
At one time on these grounds stood a home for troubled teens called Havenwood, where under the direction of Dr. Archibald Arkmann, many children were tortured, killed, or lost, never to be found. Years later, the remains of Amelia March, a young girl who went missing in 1995, were found in the basement of the ruins of this old facility, allegedly murdered by Matthew Merle, the great-great-great-nephew of Arkmann.
“There has been a terrible darkness on this land,” says Samantha Merle. “Bad things have happened here, just like bad things happen in our lives. But we have razed Havenwood, and will let the burn site return to the land. And we have employed Ian Randall, founder of Home Energy Cleanse and Repair, to help us heal and restore the lands with his specialized techniques, including energy work, talisman placement, prayer, and shamanic blessing.”
The acreage on which Merle House and Havenwood stood was once named in Adventure and Relaxation Magazine as an entry in their “Most Haunted Land in America” series. But Merle says that she doesn’t believe in ghosts, and in her time on the property has never seen anything that couldn’t be explained. “People see what they want to see. I think it’s been fun for teenagers to sneak up here on dares, to explore Havenwood and cover it with graffiti, use it as a place to hang out. And superstitions and old wives’ tales can run rampant in a small town like this one. But the biggest problem I’ve had to deal with at Merle House is a leaky roof.”
Also on staff is Dr. Claire Allen, a psychiatrist who specializes in depression, addiction recovery, and post-traumatic stress disorder. “This is a place of healing,” says Merle. “Come to retreat from the toxicity of modern life, or to recover from painful events, to face your minor addictions and move on from them, or just to deepen your yoga practice, maybe work on your novel. Why you come is entirely up to you. We have a fully trained staff to meet your every need.”
Guests will be able to attend daily yoga classes, chakra-balancing sessions, Reiki healing, massage, detoxifying body treatments, guided meditation, and more. Meals will be prepared and served by Penny Grann, whose family has served the Merle land for generations and, at one point in history, even owned it. Likewise, Pastor Mason Brandt, Penny’s nephew, is on staff for spiritual counseling, and also doubles as the groundskeeper, giving classes on landscaping, as well as organic herb and vegetable gardening.
Guests at Merle House are welcome to walk the miles and miles of newly cleared and carefully maintained nature trails. Wildlife abounds. The property is a safe haven for over a hundred species of birds—including hawks and bald eagles—as well as deer, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, rabbits, and more. Merle House is home to a large murder of crows, who have been on the property as long as anyone can remember.
“Crows are misunderstood birds,” says Merle. “They are maligned and feared. But they are intelligent and funny, if a bit mischievous, and a treasured feature of Merle House. We have even worked their image into our logo. The birds, like everything in nature, understood or otherwise, are welcome to make their home here. And we celebrate them.”
When asked about the dark events in her own life, Merle declines to comment. Her ex-husband is on trial for his crimes—the murder of two young women, twenty years apart. He, like other young people in this area over the years, has claimed that the Dark Man made him do it. But Samantha Merle tries to look toward the future. “I’ve tried to take a troubled place and give it a new life. And in doing that, I’m trying to build a better future for myself and my daughter, all while honoring the legacy of Merle House.”
So far, no guests have registered for the upcoming opening weekend. But she remains hopeful that, over time, more people will come to see the beauty of a place that has a dark history.
“We all deserve a chance to heal ourselves,” Merle says. “Don’t we?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Unger is the New York Times bestselling author of Confessions on the 7:45 and many other books. Her short story The Sleep Tight Motel and her novel Under My Skin were nominated for the Edgar Award, and her story Let Her Be was selected for The Best American Mystery and Suspense.
