21 October Haunted Places Series: The Littlefield House October 21, 2024 By Melisa Rana Holiday, Just for Fun entertaining, fall, haunted places series 0 HAUNTED PLACES SERIES: THE LITTLEFIELD HOUSE October 21, 2024 | Holiday, Just for Fun | entertaining, fall, haunted places series Location: Austin, Texas Architectural Style: Victorian Built: 1893 One interesting aspect of ghost stories surrounds the relationship between truth and fiction. When a neighbor swears that they know “the truth” about what happened in that old house on the east side of town, it can be tough to accuse them of lying. Besides, deep down most would rather believe the strange and obscure stories of the past, if only to make their hometowns a little more interesting. While the Halloween season might be one of our favorite times of the year, all good things must come to an end. As our paranormal investigation team packed their vans for their final tour of the year, there was a good amount of discussion about separating the facts from the folklore with this location. Of course our team prides itself on seeking truth with unbiased professionalism. But I suspect there is a chance our investigators were partially motivated to tackle this particular challenge of parsing through college campus rumors in order to catch a game at one of the premier college football venues in the country. To wrap up our 2024 Haunted Series, we visited the Littlefield House in Austin, Texas. The Littlefield Family and Their Impact When roaming the University of Texas at Austin, you might be surprised to find an old Victorian home tucked into the northwest corner of the sprawling campus, but the truth is that this house’s former owners may have been the deciding factors for the university’s current location in central Austin (as opposed to West Austin) once upon a time. Businessman, cattle herder, and former Confederate Major, George Littlefield and his wife, Alice, were well-known and well-respected inhabitants of Austin in the early 1890s when they had their home built: a beautiful rusty red or copper-colored Victorian building designed with enough room to house their many nieces and nephews. Though they believed themselves unable to have children of their own, George and Alice Littlefield both had a clear passion for youth and education, fully paying for all 29 of their nieces’ and nephews’ college educations and donating much more to the university over the years. George and Alice were both said to value intellectual pursuits, with Alice recognized as a talented painter, musician (especially the piano), and a linguist with fluency in multiple languages. Though Alice struggled with her mental health even prior to her husband’s death in 1920, she would recover and persist as a prominent social figure all the way until her own death in 1935. At the time of her death, the Littlefield home was bequeathed to the University of Texas. Today, the Littlefield House is still well-maintained, with the large tree George imported from the Himalayas growing beyond its front steps. Although not available for public tours, the home is regularly used for campus-related events and office spaces. The Littlefield’s passion for their community and the University of Texas certainly lives on even today, nearly 100 years after Alice’s passing. Urban Legends and the Paranormal While the Littlefields’ generosity and the beauty of their home is more than enough reason to visit the Littlefield House, it’s the reputation of the paranormal that drew in our investigators’ attention. Again, in this particular instance it seems difficult to separate the repeated stories and folklore from true events, but we will do our best to report our findings and leave room for judgment. According to many college students and the general Austin public, the Littlefield House is absolutely haunted by a specter, spirit, or phantasm of some kind, most agreeing that it is the ghost of Alice Littlefield herself. Phantom footsteps clattering up and down the staircases, faces peering out from the windows, and even sounds of singing and playing the piano are all, apparently, common occurrences experienced by locals and students alike. Some repeat an eerie story regarding Alice’s declining mental health, stating that George would lock his wife in the attic for protection when he would leave the home. These instances are said to be what led to her hysterics, as well as the need for three full-time nurses to assist in her care. The remaining Littlefield family denies these rumors and, based on the nature of the Littlefield hauntings, Alice does not seem to be an unhappy apparition. Just up the road from the Littlefield House lies the Littlefield Dormitory, named after Alice and her family’s contributions to the university. Alice is said to linger here long after her death, but the stories passed down are of a guardian angel rather than a ghost. With her guiding hand, students here attribute her as the force that averts near accidents throughout the school year, and many continue a tradition of holding a seance in her honor as thanks. Many hauntings are said to be due to unfinished business or a response to a terrible tragedy. For Alice Littlefield, however, her love for her city and her university may have simply extended beyond the date of her death. The Littlefield Home is unavailable for public reservations, but for those interested in learning more, consider visiting the University of Texas’ info page on the historic home. For those interested in a scare-free home inspection, be sure to stick with NPI! Comments are closed.