Ghosts Be Gone! A Formerly Haunted House in New Orleans Isn’t So Scary

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A New Orleans home built in 1867 and currently listed for $1,285,000 comes with a lot of history—and a ghost story.

Gather ’round the Creole campfire for a spooky tale. According to a book by Troy Taylor, this Greek Revival is one of “Top 10 Most Haunted Houses in New Orleans.” And if the ghoulish back story is to be believed, the home has earned its place.

This beautiful Garden District gem has been renovated and restored by the listing agent and owner, Paul Shows, who bought it in 2004. Show, who believes the original owner may have been a man named Adam Griffin, says, “The history is a little murky, except for the ghost story.”

As the lore goes, during the occupation period of the Civil War, the Union army took over the home and used it as a jail. Two deserters who had been looting homes and posing in Union uniforms, even singing Union songs, were held there and sentenced to death. Rather than letting the enemy kill them, they shot each other. “They took each other’s lives,” Shows says.

Dining room

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Blood was said to have leaked from the attic through the walls. Since then, there have been reports of drunken singing soldiers and blood-soaked walls, but Shows hasn’t been able to confirm the reports. Since he’s lived there, there’s been “no drunken sailor songs, no blood dripping from the ceilings.”

Chef’s kitchen

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After the war, the home was used for commercial ventures, including stints as a perfume factory and a mattress factory. When Shows bought it over a decade ago, “It was pretty much in shambles,” he says.

He’s been restoring it ever since. The home didn’t even have AC, which is a must-have in the steamy Big Easy.

What else was missing? Signs of ghosts.

“In an old house you hear strange noises,” Shows says. “I count that as an old house. We don’t see ghosts and don’t hear them either.”

Original staircase

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Here’s what you will see in the house: a beautiful and respectful renovation. No walls were replaced, and the wood floors, crown moldings, and staircase are original. You can see the worn steps and imagine the boots of many soldiers walking over them.

“We wanted to keep as true a restoration as we could,” Shows says. And perhaps not disturb the spirits any more than necessary.

Attic

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The biggest renovation took place in the chef’s kitchen and the master bath. Both now have white marble counters.

“Beyond that, we repaired everything,” Shows says. The exposed bricks have been repointed and redone. Chandeliers from the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC, undergoing a renovation itself, were sourced for the home.

What drew Shows to the historic house with a ghastly past? “Just the scale. The rooms are massive. It’s perfect for parties,” he says. “It’s a good flow.”

Beyond the multiple decks and a pool, the 4,170-square-foot home has three beds and 2.5 baths.

And the converted attic? “That’s where we put our guests,” Shows says. “They don’t stay too long.”

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