Some of the most famous citizens of the United States are now reported to be some of the country’s most famous ghosts. The list of famous ghosts that are thought to still be dwelling in the White House includes Andrew Jackson, John and Abigail Adams, Dolly Madison, and Abraham Lincoln. There are other tales about ghostly apparitions from haunted paintings to ships that are unmanned that persist throughout history.
Andrew Jackson
One of the most haunted areas of the White House is thought to be the Rose Room. This is where Andrew Jackson’s bed is kept. There is testimony from many visitors that they have felt Old Hickory’s presence while in the room. It is thought that perhaps Jackson still resides in this room and he just might.
About twenty years after Jackson passed away Mary Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s wife, told her friends that she could hear Jackson stomping all around the corridors of the White House and swearing.
John and Abigail Adams
President John and Abigail Adams were the first couple to occupy the White House. During his presidency the capital building moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Washington D.C. The White House was built in a swamp and Pennsylvania Avenue was unpaved. The White House was only partially completed when the Adams moved in. One of the problems that Mrs. Adams faced was that most of the rooms in the White House were not heated adequately leaving them cold and damp. She decided the best place to hang her laundry was in the East Room, where it was dry and warm. It is said that the ghost of Abigail Adams can still be seen with her arms stretched out as if she is carrying laundry on her way to the East Room.
Dolly Madison
Dorothy Madison, who went by the nickname Dolly, was James Madison’s wife. Madison was the fourth president of the United States. Dolly is recognized as being the woman who turned the dull new capital of Washington D.C. into a social scene. Dolly Madison was one of the most popular first ladies to have ever lived in the White House. Her charm and wit combined with the ability to remember names and faces endeared her to people. However, she did not like to be crossed and this is where the legend of her ghost comes in.
When Mrs. Woodrow Wilson lived in the White House she ordered the gardeners to dig up the Rose Garden. However, this plan never panned out as this was a garden that had been planted by Dolly Madison and it is rumored that when the gardeners went to dig up the Rose Garden her ghost turned up and the gardeners did not lift a shovel. The Rose Garden still blooms today as it has for nearly two hundred years.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States and is most remembered for the vital role that he played during the Civil War. Lincoln was killed tragically by a gunshot wound while taking in a play at Ford’s Theatre.
Many psychics believe that Lincoln’s spirit remains in the White House in order to help complete the business from his second term that was never finished and to help during times of crisis in the country. For more than seventy years guests, presidents, first ladies, as well as White House staff members have claimed that they have either felt Lincoln’s presence or seen his ghost while in the White House.