The Ghosts of the White House
With two hundred years since it was built, the White House has a very rich history. From housing past and present presidents, to drawing tourists in from all over, the White House is one of the symbols that defines the United States. The White House is one of the iconic buildings in America. With stately columns and a stark white façade, the White House is a sight to be seen. Housing 132 rooms over six floors, it’s no wonder those walls have produced some mysterious stories. With rumors of secret passages and secret bunkers, it’s no wonder that the White House has produced some paranormal stories. There is rumored to be not one ghost, but at least ten different ghosts roaming the halls of the famous house.
The majority of the rumored poltergists are members of presidential families. However, there is one ghost that was not connected to any president, but the land itself. David Burns was a Scotsman who owned part of the land that was bought to become Washington D.C., part of his plantation extended into the land that is now the White House. He passed away in his cottage that rested on the land and is now said to haunt the White House that he never really liked. Lillian Parks, a seamstress to the Presidents recorded a story of an instance when the phrase, “I’m Mr. Burns,” long and drawn out came from one of the rooms, with no speaker found.
The first residents of the White House, First Lady Abigail Adams, is said to still reside in the house. The East Room is said to be her favorite haunt. Moving into the house in 1800, John and Abigail Adams were the first family to live in the presidential house. The house wasn’t even finished when they moved in, and the house was very cold. When she was alive, Abigail Adams used the East Room to dry laundry as it was the warmest part of the house. Witnesses have claimed seeing her in her cap and shawl with arms out, carrying an invisible load of laundry.
Haunting the outside of the White House is another First Lady. Dolley Madison is said to protect the Rose Garden, her pride and joy. The story goes that when President Woodrow Wilson took office, his wife ordered the Rose Garden to be changed. When gardeners went to follow the order, they reportedly saw Dolley Madison’s ghost, and refused to work.
Another early member of the White House, President Andrew Jackson stayed in the house longer than his term. With several people reportedly hearing his swearing and his recognizable laugh. One of the most famous stories is that First Lady Mary Lincoln held a séance and said she heard him in the Rose Room, his old bedroom. He was swearing and stomping around the room in a terrible mood, in death as he was in life.
The youngest member of the ghostly members of the White House is a spirit referred to as the Thing. Given the nickname by Major Butt, from the Taft administration. The Thing was known for peering over shoulders. The ghost, seemingly a teenager, is unknown, but apparently frightened President Taft so badly that he forbad his staff to repeat anything about the mysterious spirit.
The most famous ghost of the White House is none other than President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln’s stay in the White House was surrounded in the paranormal. First Lady Mary Lincoln was very involved in the supernatural after the death of their son. President Lincoln even recounted times where he saw his own death in a dream. He saw a double image of his face in his mirror. Even on the day he was killed he said “I have had a dream, the same dream that I have had three times before. I am in a boat, alone on an ocean. I have no oars, no rudder. I am in helpless. Adrift.” A dark foreshadowing of what was to come.
Many believe it was the shortness of his term that keeps him in the White House Several members of first families have reported seeing the former president. First Lady Grace Coolidge claimed to have seen him looking out a window. First Lady Bird Johnson said she felt him when she was watching a documentary about him. A visitor to the White House, Queen Wilhelmina heard a knock on her door and opened the door to find President Lincoln in his top hat waiting outside her door. The most famous story of President Lincoln’s ghost comes from Prime Minister Winston Churchill who emerged from the bathroom to see President Lincoln standing by the fireplace. After staring at each other, President Lincoln vanished. With so many different stories, it begs the question, who else could be lurking in the White House?
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