Road Trip Into The Unknown: The “Lively” Ghosts Of DC

Most paranormal researchers agree that hauntings are caused by intense emotions, suffering and energy expelled in a location and Washington DC, our nation’s capital has definately seen these and so much more over it’s long and tumultuous history. DC is a place where deals are made and can be broken in a matter of moments and matters of state and foreign policy have caused not a few people to lose their lives over the years. Although many locations in the DC metropoliton area can claim a haunting reputation I have decided to focus on just three of the most well attested and interesting haunts of our nations capital.

The White House

When President Elect Obama takes possession of the most famous executive mansion in the world on Janurary 20, he may want to consider creating a new cabinet post to look into the strange goings on that have been reported in the mansion during it’s history. I’m thinking He could possibly call the new post, Secretary of Otherworldy Affairs because if the stories of the mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue are true he is going to need it.

During the War of 1812, British troops succeded in beaking through the security of the white house and burned the mansion to the ground sending the first family and all those who lived and worked there fleeing into the night. Since that time many who have worked and visited the White House including tourists, Presidents and foreign heads of state have all reported seeing what they described as a British soldier dressed in full early 19th century military uniform, the redcoat, wandering around the grounds of the south lawn. He has been witnessed so many times people believe him to be a reenactor of some kind however when they learn that no such thing is allowed at the White House for security reasons they must come to come to terms with the fact that they have witnessed something otherworldly.

Believe it or not there was a time when the first lady had to do her own house work and the specter of Abigail Adams in proof of that. The Ghost of Abigail Adams has been seen by many a White House staffer in the Green Room standing over a wash basin doing hers and President’s laundry. Those who have witnessed the ghost say they have seen her for only a fleeting moment and then the image is gone. One other First Lady who allegedly still calls the Mansion home is the spirit of Dolley Madison. During the administration of Woodrow Wilson, First Lady Ellen Wilson received the shock of her life when a very angry Dolley appeared to her and gave her the scolding of her life.

As the story goes, Ellen Wilson absolutely hated the rose garden that years before Dolley Madison personally planted, cultivated and loved more than anything in her life and apparently in her afterlife. One day as Ellen Wilson and worker who was hired to destroy the rose garden toured the grounds the spirit of Dolley Madison appeared before Ellen and yelled at her telling her she had no right to tear out her beloved roses. The worker never saw the spirit the only thing he witnessed was the look of fear in Ellen Wilson’s face and her hitting the ground. Needless to say the roses are still there.

Perhaps the strangest spirit said to call the White House home is a phantom black cat that is said to not only roam the White House basement but the cat has been known to tell the future. Over the last two hundred years right before the country has gone to war or been involved in some kind of conflict where a body count is involved this phantom black cat is said to appear and wander aroung the basement scaring the hell out of people until the conflict begins.

There is one ghost who has put in appearance so many times at the the Executive Mansion he can almost be considered it’s own personal otherworldly mascot of course I speak of, Abraham Lincoln. Almost immediately following his assassination in 1865, staffers, presidents and visitors alike all have said that they have either seen or felt the presense of the great emancipator. One night watchman claimed that as he was turning the lights off he watched as the lights to the Lincoln bedroom came back on. Thinking that perhaps he may have missed that one he went back to make sure he turned it off. As he approached the door he heard what sounded like heavy breathing and when he peaked around the door he claimed to see the image of Lincoln sitting on the bed struggling to put his boots on. The night watchman watched as the image dissipated in the air.

Perhaps the most dramatic episode of Lincoln’s ghost occurred during the administration of Franklin Roosevelt. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands had come for a visit and requested to sleep in the Lincoln bedroom because of her great admiration for the former president. Sometime in the middle of the night the queen was awakened from her slumber by a loud and urgent knock at the door. When the Queen threw open the door she was shocked to see the tall lanky form of President Lincoln standing before her. Queen Wilhelmina never had a chance to ask her favorite American Leader a question she fainted it was not until the next morning when the First Lady found her crumpled form and she was able to recount her tale.

Sadly it is also believed that Lincoln appeared to John F Kennedy a week before his tragic trip to Texas. Supposedly JFK opened the door to the Oval Office to see the form of Lincoln standing at the windows looking out over the trees and the lawn. Was this a warning to the young president? I guess we will never know.

The Stephen Decatur House

Stephen Decatur was perhaps our greatest Naval hero. He won numerous decisive battles during the war of 1812 that brought the American forces victory over the British and he kicked the tails of the Barbary pirates. It is said that Stephan Decatur may have had his eye on the presidency if tragedy had not struck when his life was taken by the hands of a former friend.

In 1816, Decatur and his wife Susan, had a beautiful three floored mansion built by famed architect Stephen Latrobe, because believed that she and her famous husband needed a proper home to properly entertain guests. However one unwelcome guest, James Barron, came calling one day and would forever change the lives of the Decatur family.

Thirteen Years earlier, Decatur was instrumental in having his friend and former College roommate drummed out of the Navy for some crime. Barron never forgave his friend, Decatur who believed that honor was greater than friendship never felt guilty about having his former friend kicked out of the Navy however Barron had other plans. On the morning that Barron came calling he issued a challenge, pistols at high noon along the Potomoc. Although Susan, Decatur’s wife cried and pleaded with her husband not to go Decatur believed that he could never show his face again in polite society if he did not defend his honor. A few hours later as Susan wept in the parlor Decatur rushed out the back door and had his date with with destiny.

Decatur met his foe on the field of honor and hopelessly lost. Although both men were injured Decatur succumbed to his injury a wound to the gut, an hour after the duel Stephen Decatur great American hero died. However those who have visited the Decatur house which is now a museum have a much different story to tell.

The spirit of Stephen Decatur has been seen on numerous occassion walking the halls of the stately old mansion as well as rushing out the back door of the mansion to keep his date with honor. Others have said that they can here the weeping of a female in the parlor as well as other parts of the house. Many believe this to be the spirit of Susan weeping for her husband as he rushes away to his duel with Barron.

The Octagon House

Our third and final stop of our ghostly tour of Washington DC takes us to the infamous Octagon House. Built in 1801 for the John Tayloe III family this home has seen much tragedy. The Tayloes were said to have an amazing fifteen children and they doted love and affection on each one except for one that Tayloe never quite got along with. The story that John Tayloe and this one daughter had constant fights over the kind of men she liked to date. One night as the two had a particulary explosive fight over her flirting with a British soldier the daughter is said to have fell to her death at the bottom of the stairs. One other daughter died in a similar fashion several months later. Tayloe was cleared of any wrong doing in the matter of his first daughter’s tragic death it was declared a death by misadventure.

However this has not stopped the Octogon House from being known as one of the most haunted homes in the DC area. Those who have worked at the house which is now a museum have heard what they described as a diembodied female scream at the top of the stairs and what sounds like a body falling down and hitting the floor at the bottom of the steps. Others have witnessed the bizarre ghost of what they describe as a candle shaped apparition ascending the stairs. Others have claimed to see the apparition of Dolley Madison dancing in the parlor. During the war of 1812, President Madison and his wife lived at the Octagon after the White House was burned down by British soldiers and during it’s subsequent rebuilding. It is said that Dolley loved the home so much she almost had to be forced to leave.

Washington DC, as we can see, may very well be one of the most haunted cities in the world. Is it really any wonder when considers the great price so many have paid for the freedoms that we now enjoy? And by the way, uh Mr Obama, I’m Just throwing it out there, but if your looking for someone to look into those hauntings I’m your man.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com