Ghosts of the White House
Wednesday October 31, 2007 8:06 AM
When I was a kid, I often visited Washington, D.C. with my mother to walk the mall and visit the many museums. It was our thing — hop on the metro, get off beneath the mall and head right over to the museums of the Smithsonian and our favorite, the National Gallery of Art.
One autumn, my mother and I decided to question some staff members at the National Gallery of Art about whether or not the various buildings were haunted. A watchman informed us that he regularly said "goodnight" to his favorite artists when leaving his shift. One night, he said, he was in a room with several Van Gogh paintings, said goodnight specifically to "Mr. Van Gogh," and someone answered, "Goodnight!" Apparently the watchman rushed out of the room pretty quick. However, he was thrilled to be able to share the occurrence with us. His story really inspired my fascination with all the history in Washington, D.C. and the many ghosts that must still linger there.
There is a building in D.C., though, that seems to have more stories than any other in the city and it's located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. On October 13th, 1792, construction of The White House began. President John Adams and his wife Abigail Adams were the first to live in the Presidential Mansion in 1800. The White House has long been a building of extreme curiosity and wonder for those seeking really great ghost stories. It's not surprising considering the myriad number of powerful individuals who have either lived or visited there since its construction.
Legend has it that Winston Churchill refused to sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom after he purportedly witnessed the ghost of Abraham Lincoln walking around. In fact, out of the many people that have stayed in the Lincoln bedroom over the years, quite a few claim to have felt a presence there. One of these witnesses included Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Maids, butlers and employees claim to have seen Lincoln too, one of whom described Lincoln as removing his boots over the bed.
According to various White House staff, Abigail Adams still does her laundry in the East Room. In 1814, during James Madison's presidency, the White House was burned by the British. It wasn't until the building was repaired and repainted white that it was called "The White House." There are claims that a British soldier carrying a torch occasionally roams the halls. Certain doors are said to close by themselves. When the wife of President Woodrow Wilson, First Lady Ellen Wilson, wanted to dig up the rose garden, the spirit of former First Lady Dolley Madison supposedly manifested and told the workmen not to ruin the garden.
Gary J. Walters has served as the White House Chief Usher since being appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. Although he has never seen an apparition, he and several police officers shared a strange experience. "I was standing at the state floor of the White House adjacent to the staircase that comes up from the ground floor. The police officers and I felt a cool rush of air pass between us and then two doors that stand open closed by themselves. I have never seen these doors move before without somebody specifically closing them by hand. It was quite remarkable." Several other White House employees have witnessed strange things and have had weird experiences in the building.
Despite the building's incredible history and the large volume of stories, a paranormal investigative team has never been to the building. I think it's about time that changes.
