Jackson Barracks - New Orleans, LA (The House that Katrina Re-Built)

Photo courtesy of www.gibbsconstruction.com 

6400 St.Claude Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.958366,-90.007172 

One thing we have learned so far is that New Orleans and the surrounding areas have seen their fair share of war. Dating as far back as 1722 the first rudimentary wooden barracks were erected on St. Peter and St. Anne Streets, fronting the Place d'Armes. After 1727, the barracks were moved to the square on Conde Street, now Chartres Street. These French Quarter barracks housed, in turn, the garrisons (French, Spanish and American troops) for over a century. In 1828, the barracks were used to quarter the United States Garrison for New Orleans. The United States Government sold the property in 1828 and New Orleans was without a garrison or barracks.
After the War of 1812, the U.S. Congress realized coastal cities were not properly defended, so they signed the Federal Fortifications Act in 1832, funding thousands of dollars to purchase land and build new barracks. On December 16, 1833 the original piece of land for this new fortification was purchased from Pierre Cotteret in the area that is now known as the Lower Ninth Ward. Construction was complete in 1836 and the location was officially called the New Orleans Barracks. The name was later changed to the Jackson Barracks, in honor of New Orleans hero, Andrew Jackson. It housed four infantry companies and came equipped with a prison, a storehouse and four 3-story guard towers, all surrounded by the river, levee and a ten foot tall brick wall.

Hotel Villa Convento - New Orleans, LA (The Supposed House of the Rising Sun)

616 Ursuline Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.960796,-90.061305

www.villaconvento.com

One of my favorite songs of all times is The House of the Rising Sun. Originally written as early as the sixteenth century, this folk ballad is said to represent a Soho brothel. There have been many versions of this great classic sang in various genres. The song is most known by the 1964 version recorded by Eric Burton and The Animals, tweaked to incorporate what many feel is a New Orleans brothel. Along with other songs such as St. James Infirmary, every time I hear this song, I instantly have the urge to take a drive to New Orleans. Anytime I am in the city and happen to visit one of the many piano bars in the area, I make it a habit to drop a few bucks on the table and request this quintessential New Orleans song.
For years, there has been a huge debate as to whether or not there was an actual establishment in New Orleans known as the House of the Rising Sun. Many feel the location was imaginary while others feel it was a brothel sometime during the 1800’s. A short lived Conti St. hotel in the 1820’s, a building known as the "Rising Sun Hall" in the Carrollton neighborhood and a saloon on the 100 block of Decatur Street have all been rumored places of this mysterious house of ill repute. Bizarre New Orleans, a guide book on New Orleans, asserts that the real house was at 1614 Esplanade Avenue between 1862 and 1874 and was purportedly named for its madam, Marianne LeSoleil Levant whose name translates from French as the rising sun.

Hotel St. Pierre - New Orleans, LA (A Gumbo of Hauntings)

911 Burgundy St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.961746,-90.065805

www.frenchquarterinns.com/hotelstpierre 

 
It goes without arguing that New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz music. To be even more specific and pinpoint the actual geographical center of this incredible music, one must look no further than the iconic Louis Armstrong Memorial Park, located in the Tremé part of the city. Situated in the center of the park is the historic Congo Square. It is here where slaves congregated on Sunday’s, their one day off, dating back from the early 1700’s. The weekly events were filled with native music, dance, food and crafts. The tradition would continue for years to come, inspiring hundreds to become jazz musicians who would incorporate the culture and history they experienced from Congo Square into their songs. Walking through this park, one can undoubtedly feel the immense amount of energy left behind from years gone by.

Hotel Monteleone - New Orleans, LA (The Naked Ghost and the Carousel Bar)

214 Royal St.

New Orleans, LA 70130

29.954243,-90.067833

www.hotelmonteleone.com   

            I have received numerous e-mails over the years from people planning to visit New Orleans, wanting to know where the most haunted hotel to stay is. Folks visiting the Crescent City want to absorb as much culture as possible during their trip and what better way to begin their incredible vacation to such a unique city than spending their nights in a haunted hotel. As you have already seen, and will continue to notice, the list of hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts is quite long. Incidentally, the order in which they are placed regarding the severity of paranormal activity has long been disputed. For fear of being tarred and feathered by the rest of the paranormal community, I avoid issuing an official ranking but I can definitely give you the top two. One of which is the previously mentioned Bourbon Orleans, and the other is the Hotel Monteleone.
            The Hotel Monteleone has long been noted as one of the top hotels in the city and is also one of the longest family-operated places to stay. The story begins with a successful Sicilian cobbler by the name of Antonio Monteleone. As with many optimistic foreigners of the time, Antonio had heard of the grand opportunities that were available in the new world. Antonio quickly hopped on his chance at making a new life for himself and his family and moved to New Orleans sometime around 1880 and opened up a small shoe shop on Royal Street.

Hotel Maison De Ville - New Orleans, LA (An Antique Bachelor Pad)

727 Toulouse St.

New Orleans, LA 70130

29.957653,-90.066025

www.maisondeville.com

            If you are looking for a hotel in the French Quarter with a vast amount of history, great food and plenty of haunted tales to keep you awake, look no further than the Hotel Maison De Ville, as it is the total package. The hotel and adjacent buildings are said to be some of the oldest still standing in the city. Surviving raging infernos, powerful hurricanes and more years of abuse than a Bourbon Street walker, the buildings are a testament to the resiliency of New Orleans.
            The main building of the current hotel was built around 1800 by Jean Baptiste Lilie Sarpy. Adjacent to this building are four former slave quarters said to have been built around the 1750’s, making these structures some of the oldest in the city along with the old Ursuline Convent. The slave quarters eventually were used as garconnieres, or antique bachelor pads. Creole dignitaries used these homes for their unmarried sons to do “who knows what” with “who knows who” if you get what I’m hinting at! Today, these cottages are used as private suites and are part of the hotel property.

Holt Cemetery - New Orleans, LA (The Robert Charles Race Riot of 1900)

635 City Park Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70119

29.983955,-90.104547

            Of the many historical locations I have investigated over the years, there is still something special about investigating a cemetery. I’m not quite sure if it’s because of the unique creepy factor or the fact that it takes me back to my roots of when I just started investigating the previously mentioned Ft. Derussy Cemetery. Even to this day, I will find myself stepping away from the hustle of running our group to conduct a partial investigation of a nearby cemetery. It may sound strange for those who haven’t done it, but there is something quite serene and relaxing about being alone in a quiet cemetery at night. Granted, I don’t recommend you visit just any old cemetery alone at night; especially in New Orleans!
            Holt Cemetery is a well-known Potter’s field cemetery near City Park in New Orleans. The site contains the graves of many less fortunate and indigent individuals who did not have the luxury, or family, to place them in large tombs. The cemetery was initially established in 1879 and is made up primarily of in-ground burials, which for the area, is an extremely odd site. With New Orleans being below sea level, the thought of underground tombs can lead to disaster, for all it takes is one good flood and the morbid scene of coffins popping out of the ground may be witnessed. I have personally seen this grizzly phenomenon take place in Central Louisiana following a hurricane and it is quite interesting.

Hermann-Grima House - New Orleans, LA (A Ghost Friendlier than Casper)

Photo courtesy of www.hgghh.org

820 Saint Louis St.

New Orleans, LA 70156

29.957144,-90.067366

www.hgghh.org

            People will often ask me about the different temperaments of spirits. Of course, if you were to base your beliefs on any given paranormal “reality” show (I use that term very loosely), you would think that every other haunted home is possessed by a full-blown demon. Such cannot be any further from the truth, as a demonic haunting is actually a very rare encounter. My theory on spiritual behavior is quite simple. You have friendly people and you have assholes! When these people die, not much change and their personalities remain the same, leaving you with friendly spirits and not so friendly ones. A true ill-tempered spirit can often be easily confused with an entity much more serious than what it is. Fortunately, this is also not a very common thing to encounter as majorities of the hauntings we have encountered have been friendly or simply residual energy etched in time. Our next location contains what many feel is a very friendly spirit.
            The Hermann-Grima House now sits as a historical museum on Saint Louis Street and has been meticulously restored to its original appearance. The home was built in 1831 by William Brand for Samuel Hermann. He lived there for several years until financial hardships due to the crash of the English cotton market caused him to sell the home. In 1840, the house was sold to civic leader Judge Felix Grima and his wife Adelaide. Adelaide died shortly thereafter in the home. The home was handed down to several generations of the Grima family until 1921. In 1922, the home was purchased by the Christian Women's Exchange, a local non-profit group. They operated the home as a boarding house, tea room and consignment shop for young woman until the 1970’s, when the home was turned into the present day museum.