Ghostly Happenings in Washington DC

Ghostly Spirits of Lincoln and Former Actors

One of the most horrific incidents in American history is associated with the magnificent Ford’s Theater. It was here that the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated. On the evening of April 14, 1865, Lincoln was attending a play when Wilkes Booth, an assassin, shot him. He passed away the next day.

Now within the theater, Lincoln’s ghostly spirit can be seen. There is also the ghostly presence of former actors who continue to perform.

The Ghostly Spirit of Marian Hooper Adams, or “Clover”

Once two separate houses, one was the home of John Hay and the other of Henry Adams, who were active statesmen. The houses were converted into the Hay-Adams Hotel with luxury accommodations. The hotel opened in 1928 on the site of townhouses for John Hay and Henry Adams.

On December 6, 1885, the wife of Adams, Marian, who was a photographer, committed suicide by taking potassium cyanide used for developing her photographic work. Fighting a bout of depression, she swallowed a lethal amount. Now her ghostly spirit can be seen walking along the corridors of the hotel, leaving behind the odor of potassium cyanide, particularly around the month of December on the anniversary of her death.

The Ghost of Philip Barton Key III

Lafayette Square Park is a haunted landmark situated across the street from the White House. It is a tree-lined square with a statue of Andrew Jackson in the center. (pictured above)

The square became the site of a gruesome killing when Congressman Daniel Sickles shot US District Attorney Philip Barton Key II, who was the son of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the lyrics for the national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner. Sickles accused him of having an affair with his wife.

Daniel Sickle was also the first person to use the defense of temporary insanity successfully and got away with the crime he committed. Then the haunting began with the ghostly spirit of Barton being seen even in daylight in the park.

The park is also known for ghostly soldiers, ghostly presidents, and supernatural occurrences.

Lafayette Square is not only a haunted site but also a key location for political gatherings and protests.

Ghostly Happenings

Soon after the White House burned down during the War of 1812, then-President James Madison and his wife, Dolly, moved to live in the Octagon House. The unusually shaped structure was built for Colonel John Taylor and his family.

Visitors here have heard a young girl screaming and bells ringing for no apparent reason. The screams might be the ghostly spirit of Colonel Taylor’s daughter, who died falling over a stairwell railing and crashing to the octagonal wood floor below.

The Ghosts of John Quincy Adams and a Black Cat

The US Capitol is a building that has seen many members of Congress die over the years.

Among the most notable is the 6th President of the US, John Quincy Adams, who suffered a stroke and died in the Speaker’s rooms. Now his ghostly spirit haunts the chambers, and at times he can be heard yelling, “No! ”.

There is also the ghost of a black cat that stalks the halls of the capitol. The cat is said to appear in foretelling of Adams’ death.

The sighting of this black cat foretells of bad things to be happening, such as the Stock Market crash of 1929 and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, so the cat has been around for quite a while. If dark times are ahead, you can bet that a black cat appears on the Capitol grounds.

The Haunting of the White House

The White House was home to 44 of the 45 US Presidents, and only George Washington didn’t live at the White House. Its address, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, is a very haunted location.

Dolly Madison, the wife of President James Madison, has been seen in the halls.

You can see the tall, ghostly figure of Abraham Lincoln in silhouette. He can be seen and felt around the Lincoln Bedroom, where even Eleanor Roosevelt felt his presence, and the Roosevelt dog, Fala, would bark for no apparent reason.

Also, Mary Todd Lincoln has been seen as a ghostly spirit. She used to hold seances in the White House.

Staff and guests have reported hearing strange sounds and feeling ghostly presences throughout the building.