Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008

The Whaley House

Even hardened government skeptics apparently couldn't refute the evidence that this home in San Diego's Old Town neighborhood harbors spirits: in the 1960s, the U.S. Commerce Department classified the Whaley House as haunted. The Travel Channel has also dubbed it America's most supernatural home (obviously, they're experts). Its earliest ghost was "Yankee" Jim Robinson, who was hanged on the site in 1852. When James Whaley built the house — which in the mid-19th century served as a granary, courthouse and general store — in 1857, he claimed to hear Robinson padding loudly through the halls. Whaley and his wife are also said to inhabit the house, announcing their presence with cigar smoke and perfume. Visitors have also reported sightings of a startlingly lifelike young girl in a long dress lounging in the dining room.