Post by Graveyardbride on Apr 21, 2017 4:50:48 GMT -5
New Orleans Haunted House for Sale
A New Orleans house built around 1852 and currently for sale comes with a lot of history – and a ghost story. Gather ‘round the Creole campfire for a spooky tale. Ghost enthusiasts consider the home at 1447 Constance Street among the 10 most haunted locations in New Orleans. And if the ghoulish back story is to be believed, the residence has earned its place.
According to local lore, when Union soldiers descended on New Orleans during the War of Northern Aggression, the invaders appropriated the small antebellum home and turned it into a combination barracks, munitions storage and jail. Two of the prisoners were Confederate deserters, who donned Union uniforms when they looted and burgled local domiciles and business establishments. When caught, they continued to pretend they were Yankees, believing their punishment would be less harsh than it would were they identified as Rebels. While in jail, they sang songs such as “John Brown’s Body” and jailers kept them supplied with whiskey and other contraband. But upon learning they were going to the gallows for their crimes, the men decided they’d rather be shot than hanged and a guard smuggled in two pistols. The tale passed down through the years has it that the two lay down on their cots in the attic and shot each other dead. Their blood soaked through the thin mattresses onto the floor and seeped through the ceiling, dripping down the walls of the room below.
After the War, the Griffin house served as a perfume bottling company, union hall, boarding house, repair shop and lamp factory. Through the years, there were numerous reports of strange noises, such as drunken off-key singing, emanating from the old building. Passersby sometimes claimed to see what appeared to be two soldiers staring out a third floor window, and on occasion, there was an illusion of blood running down the walls on the second floor.
Now, the beautiful Garden District gem has been renovated and restored by the listing agent and owner, Paul Shows, who purchased the property in 2004 and has been renovating it ever since. As for the legends, Shows claims, “The history is a little murky, except for the ghost story. In an old house you hear strange noises,” he continues. “I count that as an old house. We don’t see ghosts and don’t hear them either.” He is adamant there have been “no drunken sailor songs, no blood dripping from the ceilings.”
What drew Shows to the historic house with such a ghastly past? “Just the scale. The rooms are massive. It’s perfect for parties,” he replies. “It’s a good flow.”
The most extensive renovation took place in the chef’s kitchen and master bath. Both now have white marble counters. “Beyond that, we repaired everything,” Shows adds. The exposed bricks have been repainted and redone. Chandeliers from the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C., undergoing a renovation itself, were purchased for the home.
Beyond the multiple decks and pool, the 4,170-square-foot dwelling has three bedrooms, two full baths and a half bath. And the converted attic? “That’s where we put our guests,” Shows quips. “They don’t stay too long.”
Whether the house is haunted or not, it can be yours for $1,285,000 – $60,000 less than the original asking price.
Sources: Claudine Zap, Realtor.com, April 20, 2017; Lyn Gibson, “Haunted New Orleans - The Griffin House,” May 9, 2015; and Haunted New Orleans by Troy Taylor.