THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Kansas City's historic St. Mary's Episcopal Church is associated with unexplained footsteps, a floating human-like figure, phantom incense and a presence traditionally identified with controversial nineteenth-century rector Henry David Jardine.
St. Mary's Episcopal Church has occupied the corner of 13th and Holmes in downtown Kansas City since the nineteenth century. The parish itself acknowledges a longstanding body of lore surrounding former rector Henry David Jardine. Reported phenomena include unexplained footsteps and noises from apparently empty or locked areas, the sensation of being watched, the smell of incense without an obvious source and at least one account of a floating human-like figure visible on an upper floor. The identity of the reported presence as Jardine is traditional interpretation rather than established fact. Some popular retellings also incorrectly describe Jardine's remains as resting inside the present church, so this entry does not repeat that claim.