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Meeting Steam
Washington DC Ghosts & Hauntings Page
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Official Statements
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I would like to thank the officials who spoke to me about their sites. Your help and honesty were much appreciated.
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I'm always being told "the Nat'l Park Service this and that" when it comes to hauntings at historical sites & parks so I thought I'd ask them myself!
1/12/01
Terry Hall, Public Affairs, National Park Service, after my asking "What is the NPS' official statement on ghosts & hauntings at its sites?":
"It's not considered scientific, so I suppose it is that we don't believe in them. I got a blank look when I asked that question. I suppose we don't have one!"
They referred me to Matt Graves, Chief of Interpretation, Harpers Ferry Historic Nat'l Park:
"I'm sure it's different at every park--esp. the historic sites such as the battlefields." I asked him about how some sites are known unofficially and are well-documented, such as Pt. Lookout's log of unusual sightings (he laughed in recognition at the mention of Pt. Lookout--easily one of Maryland's most haunted places). "Here at Harper's Ferry, we don't have a position on it. There's no scientific foundation, so it's not necessarily something we'd fund. I've only been here about 4.5 months, so I haven't learned all the stories yet and I haven't been on one of those tours yet. If those things exist, I don't see why they wouldn't be here. People have died violently...the Civil War...
It's not something we interpret here because it's not one of our themes. If it was a reason the park was established, then we'd probably have a position. We here in the park have no position on it."
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On the Hampton Mansion:
12/00
I know for a fact that the Hampton Mansion denies its hauntings and you are not allowed to use your equipment inside either. I was on a regular tour by myself--which is the only way to view the interior--and at the end asked the guide about the hauntings:
"I knew somehow you were getting around to that. I don't believe them and the NPS (Nat'l Park Service) feels that since there are so many real historical stories to tell, that those should be the focus. There's a booklet available in the gift shop (L.H.: which I do own). It's believed that the historical society was using those as a marketing tool to get people interested in the site." The hole in that is that the NPS, as documented in Historic Haunted America, had some unusual experiences themselves that are not in the "official" booklet. Harpischord music had been heard, display racks being used for an exhibition in the Great Hall had been thrown to the floor in the middle of the night, and rangers had heard chains banging and saddles & harnesses swaying in the old tack room.
(As we walked under the chandeliers in the Great Hall):
"That story never happened. They never fell."
L.H.: Of course they never fell. The originals--which are kept in storage--didn't either. It was always the SOUND of their falling that signaled the death of the house matriarch.
One of my ghost hunting colleagues teases me about my visit that day because I had a really nasty spill down the very steep, hilly driveway on the way to my car and cites it as an example of why you should take someone. "But I wasn't on a hunt! I was just there to pick up a booklet!!!!", I argued.
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On the Inaugural Day haunting at the Renaissance Mayflower:
Lisa Colburn
Public Relations Regional Director, Marriott Hotels
2/7/01
In response to my question as to if anything happened this inaugural year:
"I'm really interested in knowing myself. The hotel is actually looking into that right now--if any occurrences happened this year--and they're also trying to find someone who may've had something unusual happen to them. I should know something by the end of the week...If you don't hear anything from us, we haven't found anything."
(L.H.: "Is it OK if I go and speak to people there?")
L.C.: "I prefer if I go with you. You might not have much luck by yourself."
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On the Omni Shoreham's "Ghost Suite":
Ted Hibler,
Director of Marketing, The Omni Shoreham Hotel
2/7/01
"It's a famous moniker--as to whether or not it's haunted or not--it's a fun, historical thing." (L.H.: I'd like to verify the room number, if you don't mind.) "Well, let's just call it the Ghost Suite." (L.H.: Sir, I already know the number and it's posted on the Travelocity site.) "I'll have to verify that."
"There is a prominent plaque outside of the room. It goes back to 1930...the origin of the hotel. It was a residence hotel. It was more to live in--not transient as it is today. There was a wealthy family living there. It was truly a wealthy person's domicile. It was 6000 sq. ft., 5-6 BR apt. They had a hotel staff housekeeper with her own BR. She died unexpectedly and was discovered by the family. They also had an adopted daughter who also died unexpectedly--or was surmised it was suicide. It was hushed up back them because the family was wealthy. The couple moved moved out and they rented it out.
When it was made more into a hotel, we stopped renting and the space was converted into a large storage space and was unused for many years. People started...the rooms were converted into guest bedrooms. People stayed in the bedrooms that supposedly the maid and daughter died in."
L.H.: What unusual occurrences have been said to take place?
T.H.: "Televisions blaring...music where there was no piano. We renovated the hotel (L.H.: as of 2000). We gutted the space. It is now our largest suite--3 BR, $3000/night. We debated to keep the "Ghost Suite" name. It was called that by the employees who for many years reported an eerie presence. They had no prior knowledge of the history of the rooms. Nobody's reported anything since the renovation."
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