Columns Hotel - New Orleans, LA (Haunted Home or Antiques?)

3811 St. Charles Ave. 

New Orleans, LA 70115

29.927379,-90.096146

www.thecolumns.com

Blocks away from the bustling French Quarter and deep into the Garden District sits Saint Charles Avenue. This area features some of the most beautiful and historical homes in the city, many of which have been owned by celebrities over time such as John Goodman, Anne Rice and Trent Reznor. As the sounds of the streetcars pass you by, looking up into the centuries-old oak trees you can see evidence of past Mardi Gras parades gone by, as the last few years of abandoned beads that are still entangled into the tree limbs. This portion of the city also holds quite a few great hotels if you are truly wanting a vacation filled with peace and quiet.

One such residence, turned elegant vacation spot, is the Columns Hotel. This twenty-room bed and breakfast was built by well-known architect Thomas Sully in 1883 to 1884 for Simon Hernsheim and his family. Hernsheim was a successful tobacco merchant and the president of S. Hernsheim

Brothers & Co., the largest manufacturer of cigars in the United States by the end of the nineteenth century. The beautiful European-style home originally only consisted of two floors and an attic, but was later remodeled and the current third story was added sometime in the early 1900's. Hernsheim was known for his charitable work and generous living. Upon his death, his heirs would donate fifty thousand dollars to the Orleans Parish Library.
In 1898, the Hernsheim heirs would sell the mansion to John R. Norman, a prosperous cotton planter and banker.  In 1914, he sold the property to Hubbard Moylan Feild, in whose family the house remained until 1953. During this stint of ownership, in 1917, the home was opened as one of the most elite boarding houses in the city and was operated by Mrs. H. B. Gardes. In 1953, the Feild family sold the property to Richard O. Baumbach, who converted the house into a hotel, where it would pass through numerous owners' hands until present-day.
Years of remodeling by current and former owners have returned the Columns Hotel to its original beauty. Now, guests are greeted with gracious hospitality and a great breakfast each and every morning. Careful attention must be paid, as a few residents from times gone by may also

enhance your visit. The home is filled with numerous antiques brought from other historical locations and many feel that the resident hauntings of these homes followed. Others believe the spirits are the residual energy left behind by some of the former home's residents. In particular, the apparition of a tall well-dressed man has been seen in several of the rooms, along with a young woman in a white dress. The young woman seems to be a happy soul, often witnessed dancing in the ballroom and around the courtyard area. She makes no acknowledgement of the guests and seems to eternally play out her interests of music and the arts. Finally, on the third floor, the spirit of a young girl has been encountered, as she wanders down the hallway, through the guest rooms and eventually down the stairs.
Reports say that the entities here are quite friendly and rarely interact with the guests, which leads me to believe we are dealing with residual hauntings as opposed to intelligent ones. Throughout my years of investigating, I find that this type of haunting is your most common, as it is not even a true haunting, but simply energy stored in time, replaying itself over and over like an eternal tape player. For those who may be easily frightened, I would not be alarmed, as the encounters at the Columns Hotel are few and far between. Enjoy your stay, soak in the history and appreciate the fact that you are in a quiet part of town in a home where even the ghosts are considerate.