Tag: Haunted Places Series

Location: Calgary, AlbertaArchitectural Style: Foursquare, aka Cornbelt CubeBuilt: 1906 In our latest installment of NPI’s Haunted Places Series, we’ll take a closer look at the Deane House, one’s of Calgary’s most intriguing haunted places. With a history marred by tragedy from its earliest construction, the Deane House has earned its reputation as a hub of ghostly activity for over a century. Fort Calgary and the Deane HouseEstablished at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers in 1875, Fort Calgary became the region’s command post of the North-West Mounted Police. Keeping order in this time period was a tough prospect, with the area populated with whiskey traders, outlaws and other colorful characters. As rail lines were laid, trade increased and the city of Calgary grew around the fort. In 1906, the fort’s superintendent, Captain Richard Deane, had a home built for his wife, Martha, on the grounds of the fort, as he believed that the existing accommodations were unfit for family living. The home was constructed by prisoners of Fort Calgary. Martha, however, wouldn’t live to see the home completed—she died of an undisclosed illness shortly before construction of the house was completed. The Deane House MovesAfter Fort Calgary closed

Location: Alton, IllinoisArchitectural Style: Italianate-VictorianBuilt: 1869-1871 McPike Mansion in Alton, Illinois is one of the most notorious purportedly haunted houses in the Midwest. With 150 years of history within its walls, McPike Mansion boasts countless tales of intrigue and good old-fashioned spookiness. Read on to learn more about the alleged hauntings of this infamous home. McPike MansionMcPike Mansion was completed in 1871 by Henry Guest McPike, a local businessman, real estate developer and horticulturist. McPike became famous for cultivating the mammoth, prize-winning McPike grape, an important species for wine-making. McPike was involved with local politics, serving as Alton’s mayor for three years. Quick fun fact: he was also close friends with Abraham Lincoln, and was by his side when he received the telegram informing him of his election to the presidency. Built on a 15-acre plot of land, McPike’s three-story, Italianate-Victorian-style home featured 16 rooms and a vaulted wine cellar—extravagant even by today’s standards. The house featured 11 marble fireplaces and intricately carved banisters and trim. In their prime, the grounds were adorned with lush gardens and orchards, home to rare trees, plants and shrubs. McPike passed away in 1910, but his family lived on at McPike Mansion until 1936.

Location: Independence, MissouriArchitectural Style: Second EmpireBuilt: 1871-1881 The Vaile Mansion has stood for nearly 140 years at 1500 North Liberty Street in Independence, Missouri. Its history has been fraught with scandal, tragedy and more than a few reported hauntings. This makes the beautiful yet foreboding Vaile Mansion perfect for our Haunted Places series! Read on as we uncover the fascinating history of this haunted home-turned-sanitarium. Meet the VailesColonel Harvey Merrick Vaile was born in 1831 in Bennington, Vermont. After building his fortune carefully for years as a lawyer, journalist and business investor, he became part owner of Star Mail Routes, a U.S. postal contractor that would run mail from St. Louis to points west in the frontier. As budding socialites in Independence, Missouri, he and his wife, Cecilia Sophia Vaile, set out to build a home reflective of their wealth and status in the community. The Vaile MansionThe Vailes’ new home was designed by renowned Kansas City architect Asa Beebe Cross in the Second Empire style, borrowing popular stylistic embellishments from French Baroque Revival architecture. Breaking ground in 1871, the Vaile Mansion was constructed over the course of 10 years and cost an astounding $150,000 ($4,000,000 in today’s dollars). The

Location: Ottawa, OntarioArchitectural Style: ItalianateBuilt: 1862 Ever wonder what it’s like to spend a night on death row? Now you can, though you probably won’t be getting much sleep. This jail-turned-hostel comes with enough history, intrigue and apparitions to send a permanent shudder down your spine. Read on as we explore this fascinating haunt in the heart of downtown Ottawa. BeginningsBuilt in 1862 and first known as the Nicholas Street Gaol, the Ottawa Jail Hostel was designed by Henry Hodge Horsey, a prominent 19th century architect who designed many civic buildings and churches in Ottawa and eastern Ontario. Constructed directly adjacent to a courthouse, the jail was the site of many executions, including the hanging of the assassin Patrick J. Whelan in February 1869, which was witnessed by a crowd of over 5,000 people. Many inmates died at the Nicholas Street Gaol over the years, from causes ranging from malnourishment to disease to generally unclean living conditions. Cells were cramped, bathrooms These prisoners were often buried in unmarked graves on the jail’s grounds. As you can imagine, this makes the building ground zero for ghostly activity. Jail as HostelIn 1972, the aging building was closed. Shortly afterward, the jail was

Location: Old Town, San Diego, CaliforniaArchitectural Style: Greek RevivalBuilt: 1857 Sure, we’ll never be able to prove the existence of ghosts, but who doesn’t love a good spooky story? To celebrate Halloween, we’re spotlighting some of North America’s most famous allegedly haunted houses every day this week till Halloween. For Day 2, we present the Whaley House in Old Town, San Diego, California. From the outside, this Greek Revival (the first brick building in California, in fact), is plain and unassuming. You would never know by its appearance that it holds a rich and sinister history. The Whaley House was built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley, a successful businessman from New York City. The fact that he was knowingly building his home on the former site of the town’s gallows didn’t deter Whaley, who settled his wife, Anna, and their six children in the home and opened a general store on-site. Not long after the family had settled into the home, their 18-month-old son, Thomas, passed away of a bout of scarlet fever. A few months later, a fire broke out in the home, destroying the general store. The Whaleys moved to San Francisco for a time to escape their

Location: Estes Park, ColoradoArchitectural Style: Colonial RevivalBuilt: 1908-1909 One of the most haunted places in America, the Stanley Hotel’s past is filled with interesting characters, remarkable coincidences and most importantly, all kinds of spooks. Read on as we delve into the fascinating history of this haunted hotel. BeginningsNestled in the Rocky Mountains 1.5 hours northwest of Denver, Colorado, The Stanley Hotel was built near the turn of the last century by Freelan Oscar Stanley, inventor of the Stanley steam-powered automobile. In 1903, Stanley moved to Denver from Massachusetts on the advice of his physician, to combat the effects of tuberculosis. In love with the clean mountain air of nearby Estes Park but put off by the overly rustic surroundings, Stanley decided to create a resort that combined the health benefits of mountain living with the modern amenities he was used to in the Northeast. Haunted RoomsFrom the beginning, odd events were frequent at the hotel. As the years wore on, ghostly sightings became common throughout the eleven buildings of the hotel complex. The ShiningMany people know about the Stanley Hotel by way of Stephen King’s landmark horror novel, The Shining. Stephen King spent the night at the Stanley on October