Haunted Mansions

The Real Bailey Mansion

This is the supposed “Bailey Mansion” that the photojournalist known by the pseudonym Seph Lawless shared in his book, ‘An American Horror Story.’ The photo of this building is said to be in Hartford, Connecticut, but there is zero information pointing to a home of this resemblance in Hartford or any evidence of a true story behind “The Bailey Mansion.” The mansion is said to be the inspiration for American Horror Story’s inaugural season “Murder House.”

Is there a Bailey House in Hartford, CT?

We searched high and low for the truth behind this Bailey Mansion photo, but all we could find was a single comment that pointed us to an address on Google Maps with a strikingly similar home in near exact decay. The big difference is that it’s in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

You will find a lot of searches on other haunted websites that refer to “The Bailey House” which is located in Lowell, MI. This is not to be confused with the supposed Bailey Mansion in these photos nor the inspiration of Murder House.

Where is the Real Bailey Mansion?

The Bailey Mansion is actually at 545 Shaw Ave in McKeesport PA. The Maps details in the above photo is slightly inaccurate showing it as 536.

The real Bailey Mansion is located at 545 Shaw Ave McKeesport, Pennsylvania 15132 as far as we could find. Now we say that with a grain of salt, because the term “Bailey Mansion” may not even be the name of this home. But McKeesport would be the location of what everyone is calling the Bailey Mansion that supposedly inspired American Horror Story’s: Murder House. There is no mention of any haunted history at the McKeesport, PA location. However, if you want to see the place “people say” was the inspiration for the first American Horror Story season, your best bet would be 545 Shaw Ave McKeesport, Pennsylvania 15132 if the building is still standing. Here’s the Google Maps link just in case you are curious.

After all of this investigation around the actual location and story, we have to wonder if this was a clever PR stunt by American Horror Story that we missed or if it’s a legit mistake. Especially after all the hubbub with American Horror Story: Roanoke.

And to point out one more very important thing, there is absolutely no parking in front of that telephone pole!

Photo Credits: Seph Lawless & Google Maps

About the House

Whispers Estate was built in 1894 (earliest discovered records).

In 1899 (or 1901, depending on which source you reference), Dr John and Jessie Gibbons purchased the house from the original owners, Dr George and Sarah White. Dr John and Jessie Gibbons reportedly adopted abandoned/orphaned children. One of these children, a 10-year old girl named Rachael, started a fire in the front parlor, being badly burned, and died 2 days later in one of the upstairs bedrooms. But, you can still hear, and sometimes see, her running around the house today.

A 10-month infant, Elizabeth, died in the master bedroom of unknown causes, but there’s still the scent of baby powder, and you can sometimes still hear her cries.

Jessie died in that same bedroom after a bout with double-pneumonia. Guests sleeping in that room often awake to labored breathing and coughing. Some even report feeling as if someone is sitting on their chest. The most common paranormal activity in this room is the closet doorknob will frequently jiggle for a few moments, stop suddenly, and the closet door will pop open. The maximum reported count for repeatable occurrences is 5 within a couple minutes. this of course required persons in the room to close the door each time.

Dr Gibbons was a prominent doctor in town, having his office in the 1st floor rooms in the house. Given the time period and medical field, it is likely many patients died there during his practice of ~26 years.

Stories of subsequent owners/occupants suggest others have encountered their own demise, such as a gentlemen in the 50s/60s that died in the upstairs bathroom, a young boy that died from falling down the front staircase (recently spoke with the relatives of this little boy; got name and keywords), and more.

In 2006, The previous owner bought the house after being vacant for a few years. During its restoration, strange activity started to occur. Activity in the house continued, and even increased, subsequently earning the name ‘Whispers Estate’ after guests repeatedly reported hearing disembodied voices whispering in their ears.

The current owner 1st visited the house in September 2007 as part of an event night for the Mid-South Paranormal Convention.  5½ hours into the investigation not a damn thing had occurred. Then, without wanring, the fit-hit-the-shan and they almost soiled themselves twice that night! They returned almost every other weekend for the next 4 months, at which point they contacted the then-owner about purchasing the house

Since 2006, the house has been investigated by numerous paranormal groups as well as visited by psychics & demonologists.  It has been featured on numerous TV shows, multiple documentaries, specials, radio shows, etc.

There are supposedly 4 graves in the backyard, not including, what psychics have called, a pit-grave which they say contain amputated limbs, internal organs, aborted fetuses, etc…

There is reportedly a portal/vortex which runs up through the house from the front parlor into the 3rd floor room/attic. the room in the attic is said to be the heart of the house. Guests that are brave enough to sleep in this 3rd floor room report horrible nightmares and sometimes hear something trying to get in the room via the door (door knob jiggling).

Visitors have reported sighting a shadow, which is now called ‘Big Black’, an entity which psychics says ‘is not of this world’. While most commonly encountered in the doctor’s rooms, it has been seen throughout the house.

Guests have experienced earthquake-like tremors while in Doctor’s bathroom… No… not ‘those kinds’ of tremors… we’re referring to tremors of a paranormal origin.

EVP sessions have revealed many entities in the house at any given time, But you don’t always need recording equipment to hear these disembodied voices at Whispers Estate. Many young women have reported hearing Dr Gibbons whisper in their ears, as well sometimes grabbing/gropping them.

Guests claim to see the beds/couches visible shake, while still others sleeping on beds and couches have reported having them shake violently…..

(Often, guests decide they’d rather sleep as close to the front door as possible, just in case…)

Investigators often do ’rounds’ throughout the house at different times throughout a night. Sometimes, upon leaving the servant’s quarters, just after the last person exists the room, the solid, heavy, wooden door slams with unrestrained force by unseen presence.

There are times when guests notice pleasant smells of baby power drift throughout the house, but the scent of pungent cologne/aftershave, cigar/tobacco, rancid meat/cabbage, dirty medical bandages, and more are not uncommon.

Guest have reported their recording camcorders being moved by an unseen presence, thereby disturbing the viewpoint of the intended target.

If you’re not completely freaked out, and think you have what it takes to spend a night here, please contact us to make a reservation, to have for yourself,
…a paranormal experience at Whispers Estate.

READINGS BY CELEBRITY PSYCHIC WITCH MADAM DELLA-CALL TO RESERVE

$20 General Admission (14 and up)

$10 Youth, Under age 14

$15 VIP Upgrade

Halloween Haunt Days:

October 16, 17, 23, 24 and 30th 2015 ( 6:30 pm til 11pm each night. )

October 31st – Halloween ball only, no haunt.

Is the 1880 Union Hotel haunted?

This haunted 1880 Union Hotel in Los Alamos, CA has reported several paranormal happenings over the years, especially in the tavern. An “Old West” era hotel established in 1880 with 14 rooms to rent, the 1880 Union has quite a history as well as a very unique aura. The old hotel looks and breathes much of what you’d see in an old John Wayne flick. The hotel features a great tavern which has been said to be haunted by many guests. A great creepy stay. Watch the quick video to see some of the unique spooky decor.

The Haunted Thornewood Castle Inn in Lakewood, Washington

Fans of Stephen King will recognize Thornewood Castle Inn as the location of the creepy film Rose Red, which was a television miniseries released in 2002. The location of the film wasn’t a fluke. The castle has been the home to many ghost sightings, hauntings, floating orbs and mysterious happenings.

Chester Thorne built the castle for his bride, Anna. They raised their daughter Anita in the mansion. She lived there with her first and second husbands for many years too. After the violent death of Anita’s second husband in 1959, Anita sold the castle. There have been several owners in the years since it was sold outside the family.

Haunted Bed & Breakfast

The castle is currently a bed and breakfast as well as being on the National Register of Historic Places. Guests at the haunted castle have reported numerous mysterious happenings. The owners, Deanna and Wayne Robinson, have seen Chester Thorne’s ghostly apparition on many occasions. The gardener and guests have seen him around the castle too.

Thorne has been known to unscrew light bulbs in the rooms. The owner asked him to write her a note instead of unscrewing the light bulbs. In the time since the request, Deanna Robinson says that he only touches the light bulbs when he’s particularly happy or unhappy about something she’s done.

The Ghost of Anna

Guests of the castle have seen Anna Thorne’s ghostly form sitting at a window overlooking the garden. One of the rooms is called “Anna’s Room” where her ghost has been sighted often. There’s an antique mirror in the room, which is said to be original to the home. In this mirror, guests have seen the reflection of Anna. Brides have said to see Anna brushing her hair.

Ghost sightings and Paranormal Activity

The Thornes’ son-in-law shot himself in the gun room of the castle, and that ghost has made appearances too. While many of the sightings can be scary or startling, the apparitions in the castle seem to be calm and playful.

At a wedding shot on the grounds and in the castle, a photographer and his wife saw floating orbs while trying to take pictures of a newly married couple having their first dance at the reception. The wife had experience with sightings before and asked the spirits to dance elsewhere. Instantly, the orbs disappeared from the viewfinder.

A previous owner’s child drowned in the small lake, and guests have reported seeing a small child down by the lake. When they arrive, the child is nowhere to be found.

The owners, staff and guests have reported sightings in many of the rooms in the castle. Chester Thorne’s former smoking room sees a lot of activity from Thorne himself. There are 28 bedrooms and 22 bathrooms in the castle. Guests have reported various unexplained lights, orbs and activities in many of the rooms.

Angry Apparition

The only startling, scary report came from a guest who says that at 3:33 a. m. his locked room door began to open and slam repeatedly. After four slams, the ghost ceased its violent activity. This guest also reported after he left the haunted mansion, he developed the pictures from his stay in the castle, and the film showed full apparitions in them.

It’s not surprising that the ghost’s of the Thornes would linger in their beloved castle. When Thorne built the castle for his bride, Anna, he had much of the bricks transported from a manor in England. The oak paneling and staircase as well as the stained glass were brought over by ship from another castle in England too. After four years of loving construction, the Thornes spent their entire married life in the castle and raised their daughter there.

Haunted Captain Lord Mansion B&B in Kennebunkport, Maine

Kennebunkport is known as a quaint coastal town, with a rich history dating back to the 1600s. Many ship captains settled here and built their homes ages ago. In 1812, Captain Nathaniel Lord built his mansion with his wife, who many suggest still lives there. Captain Lord himself, did not live long enough to enjoy his mansion with his wife. Guests who stay in the “Lincoln Room” often tell of their encounters with a woman dressed in 1800’s clothing watching them. The Lincoln Room was original called “The Wisteria Room” which means “Remembrance of the Dead.” That has since been changed. Guests have encountered the Captain Lord’s wife’s spirit in the room and on the spiral staircase of the mansion. She must really enjoy the view!

The haunted mansion stayed in Captain Lord’s family until 1972, when it became a boarding house for elderly ladies. In 1978, it was remodeled and became the Captain Lord Mansion Bed and Breakfast that we know today.

Haunted Myrtles Plantation

Built in 1796, The Myrtles Plantation is located near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In the 1970’s, the mansion was converted into a Bed & Breakfast. Those who visit are treated to the splendor of 1790’s southern architecture, with the grandeur of a traditional plantation-style home. In addition to opulent chandeliers, a vast veranda, and ornamental furnishings, the Bed & Breakfast also offers a ghastly history full of violence and scandal. Visitors experience the mystery firsthand via daily guided tours… and firsthand while they sleep.

History of the Myrtles Plantation AKA Laurel House

The stairs where William Drew Winters died on the 17th step. Listen for Winters’ ghostly footsteps.

Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville Louisiana certainly has one of the most intricate histories dating back to the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790’s. The house was built by General David Bradford in 1796; it was originally called “Laurel house” and lies on 600 acres. The plantation was passed down to General David’s son-in-law, and eventually came to be owned by Ruffin Gray Stirling and his family, who changed the name; it is now casually referred to as “The Myrtles.”

When Ruffin Gray Stirling died in 1854, his wife Mary Cobb Sterling was left to manage the property. She enlisted the help of attorney William Drew Winter, who would later marry her daughter Sarah; they had several children, one of whom died at the age of 3 of typhoid fever. In 1871, William Drew Winter was shot while standing on the front porch of the Myrtles home. He is said to have stumbled inside the home and climbed the staircase, making it only to the 17th step before succumbing to his wounds. His murder has never been solved.

The Hauntings Begins

Over the following decades, the Myrtles Plantation changed hands several times. Eventually the house and property were purchased by Marjorie Munson, who reported “odd happenings” within the home. Her accounts were just the beginning of a long list of reports of paranormal activity taking place on the plantation over the following century. These stories have been given new life in the form of the Bed & Breakfast’s “Mystery Tour,” and by numerous accounts of guests brave enough to spend the night within its haunted walls.

Guests who stay in the mansion have reported paranormal activity happening in the night: While some have had their bedsheets mysteriously removed while they slept, others have been violently pushed from their beds! And in the notoriously creepy “Fannie Williams Room” also known as the “Doll Room,” visitors have awoken to finding ceramic dolls inexplicable tossed across the room!

Fannie Williams Doll Room in the haunted Myrtles Plantation

Ghost Story: A Slave to Vengeance

The most infamous report of paranormal activity involves a young slave who was said to have been owned by previous plantation owners, Clark and Sara Woodruff. The slave girl, who was named Chloe, was taken as a mistress by Woodruff. The affair went on for some time, but eventually ended and when it did, Chloe began to spy on the family; driven by her fear of being banished to working the fields. One day Woodruff discovered the young slave lurking outside his study and cut off her ear as punishment. Chloe became known for wearing a green turban to hide her unsightly scars.

In a quest for vengeance, Chloe is said to have poisoned the family with a cake containing boiled oleander leaves. While Clark failed to consume the poisonous pastry, Sara and two of her young daughters who ate the cake were sickened and died within hours. Chloe was consequently hanged by fellow slaves who feared the ripple effect of her treachery. To this day, visitors report ghost sightings of the “girl in the green turban” hiding in shadows throughout the plantation.

Many ghost sightings of Chloe have been reported over the years.

Clark Woodruff’s revenge did not go unpunished. Residents and visitors alike have long reported sightings of his wife Sara and their children trapped within a 200-year-old parlor mirror in the mansion. Hand prints and drip marks are visible and appear to be inside the mirror, as no amount of cleaning has been able to remove them.

Murderous History

As many as 10 murders have been reported to have occurred in the Myrtles Plantation home, but the most famous is that of William Drew Winter in 1871, who you’ll remember was shot while standing on the front porch of the Myrtles mansion. Over the last hundred years, residents and visitors have reported hearing his ghostly footsteps ascending the staircase in the night, always climbing no further than the 17th step.

In the 1970’s the plantation’s owner Frances Kermeen published a book about the mansion, calling it “the most haunted house in America.” The plantation has more recently gained notoriety through several television features including Unsolved Mysteries (2002), Ghost Hunters (2005), Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, and even an episode Oprah.

The Myrtles was recently mentioned as a “bucklet list must,” for those interested in historical and paranormal mysteries. The author encourages visitors to take the guided tour, but aptly advises against eating the cake…

Is the Nottoway Plantation Haunted?

The Nottoway Plantation is one of the largest plantation houses in the South. Built in 1858-1859, it has 64 rooms and resides on the Mississippi River. The ghost of a coachman is said to still keep watch over the plantation. The story goes, the young slave stayed at his post ensuring the safety of the occupants during a Civil War attack.

The Nottaway’s Ghost Coachman

Guests have heard ringing bells, presumably for the coachman, and other odd experiences. Looking for a haunted plantation to stay in during your Louisiana trip, the plantation is a great bed and breakfast to consider, with luxury accommodations and they even have murder mystery dinners from time to time. Lots of history and if you’re lucky, you’ll see the ghost of the coachman.