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Happy Halloween! Take a Look Inside #HauntedWH

October 31, 2016 at 1:51 PM ET by Jazmin Kay
Summary: 
This Halloween take a spooky look inside the history of the East Wing of the White House.

Trick-or-Treat with the President and First Lady at the White House:

Abraham Lincoln interpreter Richard "Fritz" Klein of Springfield, Ill., talks with student visitors during their tour in the State Dining Room of the White House, Oct. 28, 2016.
Abraham Lincoln interpreter Richard "Fritz" Klein of Springfield, Ill., talks with student visitors during their tour in the State Dining Room of the White House, Oct. 28, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Since its founding at the turn of the 19th century, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been one of the most famous addresses in America. However, few know of its haunted past. Residents of the White House and staffers alike have reported everything from mysterious noises to ghostly apparitions.

Last Friday, the White House opened its doors for the first-ever haunted Halloween tour. Check it out:

Take a look inside the tour:

President Barack Obama visits with Abraham Lincoln interpreter Richard "Fritz" Klein of Springfield, Illinois, in the Oval Office, Oct. 28, 2016.
President Barack Obama visits with Abraham Lincoln interpreter Richard "Fritz" Klein of Springfield, Illinois, in the Oval Office, Oct. 28, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

White House Haunted Tour

White House Haunted Tour

White House Haunted Tour

Read some of the spooky ghost stories… if you dare. 

David Burnes, the original owner of part of the land on which the White House now stands, sold his land in 1792 to make room for the White House. Mr. Burnes’ ghost has been seen and heard looming inside the White House.

In late August of 1814, the White House was burned by British troops. A British soldier who died during the war has been seen roaming around the White House grounds with a torch.

In 1911, President Taft’s military aide, Major Archibald Butt, wrote a letter to his sister referencing the ghost of a young teenage boy that a White House maid had encountered. The maid felt a slight pressure on her shoulder, as if someone were leaning over her. When the Major began to investigate her account, President Taft told him that the first member of the White House staff to repeat the ghost story would be fired.

John Tyler, the 10th President of the United States, is said to haunt the Blue Room of the White House with his second wife, Julia Gardiner. Following the death of President Tyler’s first wife, he proposed to Ms. Gardiner at Washington’s Birthday Ball.

John F. Kennedy’s portrait was painted by Aaron Shikler following the President’s assassination. Shikler was inspired by a photograph of Bobby Kennedy grieving after his brother’s untimely death. Bobby’s head was bowed and his arms crossed across his chest.

It is rumored that long-deceased ushers and doormen can be seen manning their posts to this day. However, the most storied visitor of the North Portico is the ghost of Anna Surratt. Anna’s mother Mary was hanged in 1865 for assisting John Wilkes Booth with the assassination of President Lincoln. Each year on July 7th, the anniversary of Mary’s execution, Anna is said to sit on the front steps. There have also been many sightings of Anna banging on the White House doors, pleading for her mother’s release.

 

Jazmin Kay is an intern in the Office of Digital Strategy.