Book: 'Haunted Houses of Louisville'

The truth behind some of Louisville's ghosts

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The homes of Louisville have always fascinated architect and local historian Steve Wiser. For years, he has investigated and written about the city's most fascinating houses and places.

While doing research for his first three books, Wiser says he stumbled across stories and information he hadn't expected. "I have written about modern, distinctive and historic houses in Louisville and sometimes while interviewing the homeowners I would hear stories about uninvited guests living there. I've heard a lot of Louisville ghost stories," said Wiser.

During a family gathering, Wiser recounted a few of those ghost sightings to his niece Laura Walker Berube, and she suggested he write about them. "She said, 'Uncle Steve, I believe you have your fourth book,' " and that, says Wiser is how Haunted Houses of Louisville was added to his list of published books which include Distinctive Houses of Louisville, Modern Houses of Louisville and Historic Houses of Louisville.

Thirty ghostly stories make up Haunted Houses of Louisville plus ghost stories at the Palace Theater, the Seelbach and Brown hotels, Belle of Louisville and more. Because Wiser is an architect and historian, he includes more than just information on the ghostly sightings. He details family backgrounds, unique characteristics of the homes, and any type bizarre or tragic event which might have lead to a building's ghost.

Ghostly sightings in Crescent Hill. One of those ghosts, The Lady in White has been reported numerous times by the catering staff and others who spend time around the historic Peterson-Dumesnil House in the Crescent Hill neighborhood. To uncover who The Lady in White could be, Wiser researched the lives of the four women who had occupied, or been associated with, the home. "Usually, there has been a violent death or some other tragic end to a persons life when a ghost is present, but I wasn't finding anything like that associated with the women who had lived at the Peterson-Dumesnil House," said Wiser. But he says he knew there had to be something to explain the Lady in White who frequently "visits" the home. Wiser, who is also a guide at Cave Hill Cemetery began going through burial records, which helped him connect the dots and discover who he believes must be the ghost called The Lady in White at the Peterson-Dumesnil House.

So who was The Lady in White? Wiser answers that question in his book, and he'll talk more about The Lady in White along with other Louisville ghosts from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, October 19, in the very home where the haunting occurs, the Peterson-Dumesnil House. He will also discuss other Louisville ghosts and the history behind the locations they haunt. "Even though you might not believe in ghosts,” Wiser says, “you'll enjoy learning about all the fascinating heritage of Louisville. This talk will be informative on both the known – and unknown – history of Louisville."

This event is a “fun-raiser” for the Peterson-Dumesnil House. It costs $10 per person to attend and seating is limited, RSVP by clicking the link below:

www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-houses-of-louisville-author-lecture-book-signing-tickets-802955662

Source: Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, October 3, 2014.