Happy Halloween, PJ Media readers!
I thought I'd have a little fun and celebrate spooky season by researching the alleged ghosts and spirits that have haunted the White House over the years and sharing the stories I found with you. Sadly, I couldn't find Cornpop or the ghosts of any of the Democrats' dignity, but I did find some interesting tidbits. Some even say it's the most haunted "house" in the United States.
So, pop some popcorn or grab some of your kids' or grandkids' trick-or-treat candy haul, and settle in for some ghost stories that could keep even Sleepy Joe awake at night.
The Ghost of Lincoln
Of all the major players said to haunt the White House, Abraham Lincoln is, without a doubt, the most commonly seen. First Lady Grace Coolidge claimed she saw him looking out a window. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands said she heard footsteps and a knock on her bedroom door while visiting the White House in 1942, and when she opened the door, Lincoln's ghost stood before her. Rumor has it, she fainted.
One legend suggests that Winston Churchill was taking a bath when he stood up, fully naked, and went into the bedroom, where he saw Lincoln standing at the fireplace. "Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage," the British prime minster allegedly said, not missing a beat.
Abe typically appears in the Lincoln Bedroom and Yellow Oval Room. As a matter of fact, Ronald and Nancy Reagan swore their dog Rex refused to go into the Lincoln Bedroom and would growl when he stood at the door. Theodore Roosevelt's dog, Fala, would also bark at something mysterious that Eleanor Roosevelt felt was Lincoln's presence, and one day, Eleanor's secretary claimed she saw Lincoln sitting on a bed and ran from the room screaming.
Abigail Adams and Her Laundry
When First Lady Abigail Adams lived in the White House, it wasn't quite as glamorous as it is now. After all, her husband, John, was the first president to live there. The story goes that Abigail was frustrated because she couldn't find a suitable place to hang her laundry to dry. She finally settled on the East Room. These days, White House staffers claim they see her ghost headed toward the room, and even those who don't claim they experience random whiffs of wet laundry and/or lavender when they're there. I'd hate to think that I'd spend any time in the afterlife doing laundry, but I guess that was her thing.
Andrew Jackson's Loud Ghost
Andrew Jackson's ghost is apparently just as strong-willed and quick-tempered as the late president was. Mary Lincoln swore she heard him stomping around and swearing at times. Others have claimed that they sometimes hear laughter from the room where he slept — the Queen's Bedroom. Mrs. Lincoln held seances in the White House after her son, Willie, died, and those who believe in that sort of thing feel like she somehow conjured up Jackson's ghost.
Taft and "The Thing"
This is the story that kind of creeped me out. In 1911, when William Howard Taft was president, an unidentified 15-year old boy reportedly haunted the White House, often terrifying various staff members. According to White House History, Taft's military aide, Major Archibald Butt, wrote a letter to his sister, Clara, that said, "The ghost, it seems, is a young boy about fourteen or fifteen years old... They say that the first knowledge one has of the presence of the Thing is a slight pressure on the shoulder, as if someone were leaning over your shoulder to see what you might be doing."
First Lady Helen Taft’s maid, Florence Marsh, claimed she saw him and that he had messy hair and sad blue eyes. The ghost became known as "The Thing," but the president didn't like to hear about it and was afraid it would make him look bad if it became public. He sent a message to his staff, promising to fire anyone who repeated stories of an encounter with it.
Dolley Madison and the Rose Garden
Many people claim the late first lady Dolley Madison planted the first official Rose Garden at the White House. However, during her husband's presidency, the British set fire to the building, so it's not clear whether any of her hard work survived. Even so, the Rose Garden has seen numerous changes over the years, and apparently Mrs. Madison presides over them. Rumor has it that when Woodrow Wilson’s wife, Edith, asked employees to move the garden to a new location, Dolley's ghost scared them off, and she scrapped the plans.
Other Ghosts
There have been other reported ghost sightings at the White House over the years. The ghost of an unidentified old man supposedly haunted President Ulysses S. Grant, and there was a feeling of electricity in the air whenever he was around. There have been numerous reports that one of the British soldiers who helped set fire to the White House died on the grounds, and his ghost is said to remain there to this day. George W. Bush's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, claim they heard phantom sounds in the White House, including phones ringing and 1920s-era music coming from a fireplace.
Some have even claimed to see Thomas Jefferson playing his violin in the Yellow Oval Room. David Burnes, the man who owned the land on which the White House was built, supposedly haunts that room, as well. And many say that the ghost of Ann Surratt, daughter of Lincoln assassination conspirator Mary Surratt, knocks on the White House door, still hoping to save her mother.
