By Kathy Murray
Built in 1800, the Octagon House in Washington, D.C., was originally owned by Colonel John Tayloe. After the White House was burned in the war of 1812, the Octagon became the temporary home of President James Madison and his wife Dolley. It was sold from the Tayloe family in 1855, and became a makeshift hospital during the Civil War. That’s quite a rich history for the first few decades alone. Could this be what makes it such a hotspot for paranormal activity?
THE FIRST LADY
Now a museum, the Octagon House seems to be Dolley Madison’s place of eternal residence. She’s been spotted by many witnesses, dressed in 19th century clothing. She has been seen dancing and at other times standing by the fireplace, but all who have come into contact with her spirit agree: she brings with her the sweet smell of lilacs.
FAMILY TRAGEDY
One of John Tayloe’s daughters also haunts the house. In life, she fell in love with a British soldier, but John wouldn’t allow the romance. After a particularly ugly argument between father and daughter one evening, she stormed away, walking up the stairs with a lit candle. Her father then heard a bone-chilling scream, followed by a loud thud. His daughter had thrown herself over the staircase railing to her death. Ever since, on certain nights, a light, as if from a candle, can be seen going up the stairs. Then a scream is heard and a loud crash sounds from the bottom of the staircase.
RESIDUALS AND CRIES FOR HELP
Before the Civil War, a man staying on one of the upper floors was shot to death by a farmer who he had cheated, but it appears that his soul is not at rest. It reenacts the tragedy again and again. In fact, there are many residual hauntings at the Octagon. Phantom carriages are hailed by ghostly servants and dead men engage in swordfights on the property. For a whole century, thumping sounds came from behind the walls. Then one day, workers stumbled on the skeleton of a young girl, and once her body was removed from the wall and properly buried, the thumping ceased.
FOREVER HAUNTED
There are so many ghosts at the Octagon House that trying to count them all would be a futile effort. The hauntings range from poltergeist tricks, such as a carpet at the bottom of the stairs that flips on its own, to horrifying cries for help from all corners of the building. Many of these cries come from the sealed tunnels in the basement, which were once used as part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. The screams of the unfortunate slaves ring out at all hours of the day. The sound of footsteps, lights that turn off and on, and the appearance of full-bodied apparitions are just some of the sights and sounds that await those who visit D.C.’s haunted Octagon House.