Hull House began as a private residence built by Charles Hull in 1856 and later blossomed into a bustling welfare center under Jane Addams in 1889. The transformation brought a steady stream of visitors, volunteers, and new ideas to the house on the corner of Halsted Street in Chicago. Not long after Addams settled in, whispers circulated about the ghost of Mrs. Hull pacing the second floor, a quiet presence that lingered in the woodwork and staircases. The tale sharpened in 1913 when the Devil Baby reportedly arrived, quickly becoming the focal point of attention long after the lamps were lit.
Today Hull House stands as a museum in Chicago, a stone’s throw from the busy lanes that once swelled with newcomers seeking help and education. The ghostly footsteps of Mrs. Hull are said to drift along the second floor, cooling the rooms where she once moved. Witnesses recall seeing her at the foot of beds during restless nights, a figure glimpsed in the corner of the eye. The Devil Baby drew crowds while the house functioned as a center for change, and even when the doors were closed, rumors lingered about the attic and the stare of a hidden watcher.
Under a stern line of belief, a religious woman married a man whose views stood in stark contrast to hers. When their baby was born in 1913, many feared it signified punishment for the husband’s faith. The infant reportedly bore scaly skin, cloven feet, pointed ears, a long tail and horns. The husband, overwhelmed by fear, carried the child away and never returned, leaving it at Hull House to be cared for by others.
Addams welcomed the child, but the creature’s behavior proved difficult to manage. It would laugh with a jarring echo and move with a wild energy that unsettled the house, so the infant was kept in the attic for safety. Word spread and within weeks hundreds traveled from as far as Wisconsin to glimpse the Devil Baby. Most were turned away, yet many claimed to have seen the creature staring out from the attic window, a ghastly silhouette against the light.
Fate intertwined the figures with time. Alongside the Devil Baby and Mrs. Hull, the legends also mention four monks seen on film roaming the second floor. The fate of the infant remains unclear, but the attic window continues to be a focal point for the saga, a reminder that Hull House still holds its echoes and invites the curious to listen to what the past has to say.