What appears like an aged colonial ruin that rests behind a hotel happens to be one of Alexandria’s most sought-after haunted locations: the Carlyle House Historic Park.
This park is a must-see stop on our tour of haunted Alexandra. Join US Ghost Adventures and learn about the site’s rich history and haunted tales that give it an infamous reputation in this Virginia town.
The History of the House
Built in 1752 by Scottish merchant John Carlyle, the home was on one of Alexandria’s premier lots. Resting near the Potomac River, the house has seen history that’s older than the United States. However, Carlyle had other businesses in England that helped him generate his wealth far before owning the colonial home.
He married a wealthy English socialite, Sarah Fairfax, whose father owned a significant amount of land in Virginia. Over the years, Carlyle owned a few plantations that made him among Virginia’s wealthy elite.
The Carlyle property housed British generals and military commanders during the French-Indian Conflict. Some of the meetings in the Carlyle House would eventually cause tensions, leading to the Revolutionary War.
Civil War Era
During the American Civil War, the Carlyle house once again housed soldiers. It was a make-shift field hospital for treating wounded Union Soldiers during their occupation. Like many properties in Virginia, the deaths caused by the Civil War are a primary source of various hauntings.
The Union Soldiers used the property with so little maintenance that it almost collapsed. After the Civil War and during the era of restitution, people discovered a wide range of odd items in the home. One famous discovery was of a mummified cat inside the walls, thought to bring good luck according to some British customs.