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September 2010_june_july_2009.qxd 29/09/2010 11:00 PM Page 25 10 Houses With Real Ghosts 25 Haunted Houses: 10 socialite of great wealth and prominence in New Internet businesswoman who wanted to Houses With Real Ghosts Orleans. Delphine and her husband, Dr. Louis renovate it and turn it into a B&B and hold “haunted mystery weekends,” but a fire in 1999 LaLaurie, would host elaborate parties at the By Diane Tuman house, but soon, stories of vicious cruelty derailed her plans. It is rumored that Franklin emerged. In one tale, Delphine was whipping Castle will be listed soon. In the market for a 1. Winchester House the child of a slave when the child broke away haunted house? Amenities include sounds of Location: San Jose, CA and ran to the roof, falling to her death. But the footsteps, babies crying, and doors slamming … Notable ghost: Sarah Winchester turning point came when a fire broke out in the and no one’s there. How many agents dare to mansion and when help arrived, they witnessed appear for this broker’s open house? As one of two homes in California horrific scenes of punishment and torture sanctioned by the U.S. Commerce Department inflicted on the slaves. Delphine fled, never to 6. Sprague Mansion as being haunted (the other is the Whaley be seen again. The home has undergone many Location: Cranston, RI House, below), the magnificent Winchester changes and owners over the years, with one of Notable ghosts: Amasa Sprague, Charlie the House stands alone as perhaps the most bizarre the most recent owners actor Nicolas Cage. butler haunted home in the U.S. It was inspired and Cage said of the LaLaurie house, “… You know, designed by Sarah Winchester (photo), widow other people have beachfront property; I have One of Cranston’s most prosperous of William Winchester, founder of Winchester ghost-front property… ” Unfortunately, Cage families, the Sprague family, owned Cranston rifles. Legend goes that Sarah was deeply lost the property in a foreclosure auction. Read Print Works, a textile mill that was the first to affected by the deaths of her daughter, Annie, in the chronology of the LaLaurie House by the make calico prints and help pioneer chemical 1866 and then her husband, William, in 1881. New Orleans Times-Picayune. bleaching. When William Sprague died in 1836, Sarah consulted a medium who instructed her to he left the business to his two sons, Amasa build a house to ward off evil spirits. 4. White House (photo) and William II. Amasa concentrated on Construction on the Winchester House started in Location: Washington, DC the family business while William II focused on 1884 and continued for 38 years — until Sarah’s Notable ghosts: Abigail Adams, Abraham politics, serving as a U.S. Representative, death in 1922. Sarah reportedly held nightly Lincoln Governor and United States Senator. On Dec. seances to gain guidance from spirits and her 31, 1843, Amasa was found shot and beaten on dead husband for the home’s design. What It makes sense that a home this old and the road between his textile mill and his resulted was a maze-like residence full of with so much history has a lot of ghosts. Abigail mansion. A man was hanged for the crime, but twisting and turning hallways, dead-ends, secret Adams, wife of second president John Adams, later found to be innocent. The true killer was panels, a window built into a floor, staircases is considered to be the “oldest” ghost in the never found. The Sprague family’s fortunes leading to nowhere, doors that open to walls, White House since she and John were the first eventually faded and the Sprague Mansion upside-down columns, and rooms built, then to live in the big, drafty home that was still changed ownership many times until the intentionally closed off — all to ward off and unfinished when they moved in on Nov. 1, Cranston Historical Society saved it from confuse evil spirits. Read more about Sarah and 1800. She was known to hang her laundry in the demolition in 1967. Hauntings of the mansion the fascinating Winchester House. East Room and is still “spotted” there to this most often observed include Amasa in the wine day. But perhaps the most notable ghost is 16th cellar and a spirit thought to be “Charlie the 2. Lizzie Borden House president Abraham Lincoln who reportedly had butler” descending the main stairway. Legend Location: Fall River, MA psychic powers and even anticipated his goes that Charlie’s hopes and dreams of riches Notable ghosts: Andrew and Abby Borden assassination days before. Many former were dashed when his daughter did not marry presidents, residents and heads of state have the wealthy homeowner’s son. Read more about Who killed Andrew and Abby Borden seen Lincoln or felt his presence throughout the the Sprague Mansion ghosts. with an ax on the morning of Aug. 4, 1892 in White House, including British Prime Minister this Fall River, MA home? To this day, no one Winston Churchill and Queen Wilhelmina of 7. Chambers Mansion truly knows. Lizzie Borden, the daughter of the Netherlands, who fainted at the sight of him. Location: San Francisco, CA Andrew and step-daughter of Abby, became the Other famous ghosts include Dolley Madison Notable ghost: Claudia prime suspect and eventually, the subject of a who stands watch over her Rose Garden; 7th popular children’s rhyme. Andrew was a president Andrew Jackson has been heard In the prestigious Pacific Heights widowed cabinet-maker and had two daughters, laughing in the Rose Bedroom; 3rd president neighborhood of San Francisco is the Chambers Lizzie (photo) and Emma Lenora. In 1865, he Thomas Jefferson plays his violin in the Yellow Mansion, which was built in 1887 and named married Abby Durfee Gray and then in 1872, he Oval Room; 9th president William Henry after its first owner, Richard Chambers, who bought the home pictured above so he could be Harrison haunts the White House attic; and was a silver mine tycoon. Legend goes that closer to the city’s downtown district. Reports British soldiers are seen walking the hallways. Chambers lived here with his two nieces who say the Bordens were not a loving family unit hated each other. When Chambers died in 1901, and the stresses of step relatives created much 5. Franklin Castle the nieces inherited the mansion. One tension in the house, which were only escalated Location: Cleveland, OH reportedly bought the house next door and by the Borden girls’ fears that their father was Notable ghosts: Babies crying moved in while the other sister, Claudia, stayed. bequeathing his assets and property to the step- Claudia reportedly loved pigs but met her fate mother’s side of the family. Lizzie was indicted Finally, a haunted home that really looks one day when she was nearly cut in half from for the crime, and then acquitted by a jury. It haunted. Complete with a tower, turrets, what her family called a “farm implementation was the trial of the century. She and her sister balconies, stone outcroppings, gargoyles, accident.” Ghost expert Jim Fassbinder, who eventually moved to a home on French Street, wrought-iron fixtures and fences, this imposing, conducts haunted home tours in San Francisco, and the murder home is now a bed and breakfast Gothic-style Franklin Castle is said to be Ohio’s “… claims that an insane member of the where Andrew and Abby are said to still roam. most haunted home. It was built in 1860 for Chambers family, who was kept in the attic, Need a room for the night? Hannes Tiedemann (photo), an immigrant from chased Claudia downstairs into the Josephine Germany who became a wholesale grocer- room and killed her.” The mansion was 3. LaLaurie Mansion turned-banker. Depending on who you believe, eventually converted to the Mansion Hotel in Location: New Orleans, LA Tiedemann was either an evil tyrant who had a 1977, where celebs such as Barbra Streisand, Notable ghosts: Victims of Madame hand in mysterious deaths that occurred in the Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams stayed. LaLaurie home between 1865-1895 — including the Many guests have reported strange occurrences deaths of three babies — or he was a decent and while staying there. Horrific stories of torture and abuse hard-working man, but faced unfortunate inflicted on slaves who worked in this house circumstances. There have been many owners (This story is Continued on Page 26.) were reported in the 1830s and the abuser was of the home including a German singing society said to be Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a and a church group. Presently, it is owned by an Checkout www.xzonepodcast.com