Rendall Building - Shreveport, LA (A Deep Freezer for Corpses)

601 Texas St.

Shreveport, LA 71101

32.511876,-93.750607

            I must admit, after spending over ten years conducting paranormal investigations all across Louisiana, I have really been to some incredible places. Mind you, for every cool place, I have been to at least two nasty hole-in-the walls. From grand plantations, giant theatres, hospitals and jails, I’ve been to locations I would have never dreamed of going if I would have never gotten into this field of study. I have been to major businesses in their infancy, some just before bankruptcy and even some prior to being destroyed by fires or floods. I’m chuckling to myself as I type, as I suddenly have the urge to sing my own rendition of Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere Man”. I’ve been to Opelousas, Bougalousa, Marksville, Moreauville, Shreveport, Simmesport, Bossier City, Morgan City, what a pity!
            Now that the musical portion of this blog is complete, I can continue with the next location. For years, the Rendall Building has served the city of Shreveport well, housing many different businesses since its construction in 1922. The Rendall’s of Shreveport owned a previous building on the same grounds that was built around the 1880’s but it would be demolished to make room for the current structure. The building was initially ran and operated as a drug store. The basement contained a very large walk-in freezer, which was actually the first of its kind for Shreveport. Next to the drug store, stood the previously mentioned Caddo Parish Courthouse. As we have recently learned, the courthouse was home to several hangings. Once the executions were carried out, there was a need to temporarily store the bodies. What better place than the first refrigeration unit in the city? As I write this, I can’t help but wonder if the notorious “Butterfly Man” was kept in this freezer when he was executed. I hope his wings didn’t get too brittle and break off from the cold temperatures! When word of how convenient this walk-in cooler was for storing dead bodies, the funeral home caught wind of it and they too began using the freezer to extend the shelf life of their customers.

            After its tenure as a drug store and a makeshift morgue, the Rendall Building would be home to numerous businesses over the years. Everything from the offices of the National Weather Service, the U. L. Coleman Properties Limited, Cox Media, Interstate Circle Management and Leasing, Rockmore's Italian Restaurant and Zero Gravity Night Club. When we investigated the building around 2007, it was known as Caliente Mexican Restaurant. Currently, the building remains vacant, awaiting its next batch of customers.
            Over the span of all the above mentioned businesses, there have been strange occurrences reported at the Rendall Building for years. The apparition of a woman in a white 1940's era dress has been seen walking in the hallways and staff have smelled the faint odor of perfume. A Victrola has been heard playing throughout the building when no such instrument is even on site. At the time of our investigation, staff of the restaurant reported hearing the sounds of a large metal object rolling across the upstairs floor, but upon further investigation, nothing could be found. The former employees reported being outside and seeing the silhouettes of people through the upstairs windows when they knew no one else was in the building. They would also hear the sounds of disembodied voices, sounding as if there was a ghostly conversation taking place amongst several unseen individuals. One particular waitress had an unforgettable experience when she walked past a rack of pots and pans. As she neared the rack, she saw one of the pans fly off and land across the kitchen floor! Other staff reported seeing other objects move on their own such as booster seats, containers of spices and a jar of olives. Both former managers and employees assured us that they were not alone in the building and we were determined to back up their years of claims.
            Upon visiting the building we had noticed that the basement had been closed and was no longer in use. Additionally, the famed walk-in freezer had been dismantled and removed from the building. Our luck was not with us on our visit, as our investigation was deader than the bodies that the freezer once held. Such frustration can often be the case no matter how active a location may be. Just like any other form of hunting, it requires hours of patience and tons of luck to bag the big one. At least this type of hunting doesn’t require you to cover yourself in doe urine!