The Whaley House in San Diego

Whaley House in San Diego, CA

The most haunted house in Southern California is supposed to be the Whaley House in San Diego. But is it really haunted? Thousands upon thousands of visitors each year, declare the following – 

“I’ve never been so scared in my life!”

“Voices were speaking to me, the moment I walked into the house.”

“A ghost was so real and fresh, it asked me out for a date.”

Okay, I have no idea if any of the above were ever stated – especially the last one, but – and I want to phrase this very carefully… 

This house has spooky and had paranormal written all over it. The month of October, I’ve focused on stories about supposedly haunted places. It’s been fun, visiting and writing about them, but again, I go back to the question from my first article: do I (or you) believe in ghosts?

I’m not a believer or disbeliever in these spirits who apparently walk between this place we call reality and some other realm.

But this trip to the Whaley House had me really question all this hoopla about ghosts. I mean really question it.

Built in 1857, this Greek revival home – no idea exactly what that means, but it is stylish -- sits in what is known as Old Town in San Diego. It’s known as Old Town, since it was first built near San Diego Bay a long time ago.

“Papa, why do they call this Old Town?” a son asked his father, a long time ago in the old part of town.

“I don’t know,” the owner of the Greek revival house replied. “But please, bring me some bread, olive oil and umm, you know, something else to do with mythology. I understand, future generations will study it and think we were really smart. I mean, we live in a Greek revival home and all. We have a responsibility to live up to, right?”

Turns out, the original owners of the house weren’t Greek at all, but of those Scotts and Irish breed. They just liked the Greek style of home.

Thomas Whaley moved to this part of the Southern California coast with his spouse, Anna Whatley, in 1853. The couple built a house and moved in to their home, along with six children, on August 22, 1857.

Times were not that wonderful for the Whaley family. They lost their son, Thomas Whaley Jr. on January 29th, 1858 from scarlet fever. He was only eighteen months old – so tragic. Soon after that, a store they owned burned to the ground. The family packed up, and moved to San Francisco. But in December of 1868, found themselves back home again in San Diego.

Everything was looking up for the Whaleys now, but that wouldn’t last forever. Their daughter, Violet, married George T. Bertolacci in 1882. Turns out, he was a con man who only married Violet for her father’s money. He left her after just two weeks, when he learned there was no dowry to be had.

Distraught, Violet filed for divorce but the shame of the sham of a marriage haunted her daily. On August 18, 1885 Violet went into the backyard and committed suicide. She was twenty-two years old.

Rear yard of Whaley House where Violet committed suicide

She left a note – 

Mad from life’s history, Swift to death’s mystery, Glad to be hurled, anywhere, Anywhere, out of this world.

The note was part of a poem by Thomas Hood, written in 1844. 

Such a sad ending for someone so very young. To add more pain for the family – Violet’s sister, Corrine Lillian’s fiancé broke off their engagement.

“The humiliation of it all, Corrine,” stated the jilter. “How can I marry someone whose sister took her own life? What would the Commodore think, down at the yacht club?”

Not sure he said it exactly like this; I’m paraphrasing since the records are hazy on this point. But what a jerk! 

So, Thomas Whaley built another house not far away – guess he was done with the terrible memories his original house had for him. But, not all the Whaley’s felt the same. In fact, many of the family resided in the house until their deaths.

The last to go was, Corrine Lillian who lived until 1953.

So, is the house haunted? Guests and staff state that they have heard voices, footsteps, openings and closings of doors at all hours of the day and night.

Ghostly images of one of the Whaleys are often reported by a docent or to a docent. Baby Thomas Jr., Violet, Anna, Francis, George, and Corrinne all died within the walls of the Whaley House. Perhaps, they never truly left.

Sounds of a baby crying can sometimes be heard in the nursery

Life Magazine, in 2005, referred to the Whaley House as – the most haunted house in America.

Obviously, Life Magazine never visited my house on Thanksgiving when our relatives come haunting – I meant visiting.

The house has appeared in so many episodes of people chasing ghosts that I can’t write them all down here. Actually, I could, but don’t want to. Okay, here’s a couple – Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files and Biography Channel’s, The Haunting of Regis Philbin. Huh? Turns out way back in 1964, Philbin stated he had a personal encounter with Mrs. Whaley – and they made a documentary out of that!

I once saw a ghost coming right at me – or perhaps, it was a tree I ran my motorcycle into. Anyway, I blacked out – it could have been a ghost. Biography Channel presents, Beyer has close encounter with ghostly tree or How a Beyer should not be allowed to drive a motorcycle.

A floating orb is plain to see above the desk in the study

One of the first ghostly sightings was of a man by the name of Yankee Jim. With a name like that, a person would think he was a mighty sea faring sailor. Nope, turns out he was a ruffian who has been convicted of grand larceny. For his crimes, he was hanged from the gallows. Would you like to guess where the gallows were located? Yep, in the yard where Mr. Whaley would soon build his house. Whaley actually was a witness to the enforcement of the sentence, but that didn’t prevent him from buying the property and building his family residence there.

“It’ll be a safe place now,” Whaley was heard saying. “Yankee Jim won’t be hanging around here anymore.”

Okay, I apologize for that one.

There are so many ghosts haunting the Whaley House, according to numerous sources, that they have to wait in line to scare visitors.

“Hold on, Casper, it’s my turn.”

Even ghost canines have been spotted running down the hallways looking for a fire hydrant. I couldn’t help myself – a little embellishment about the fire hydrant -- but dogs have been seen and then unseen within seconds.

So, about our encounter at the Whaley House? Turns out that we take a lot of photographs on our adventures – and this one was no different for Laureen and me. 

Study where people say they see the chair move on its own

As I was coming down the stairwell in the house, a photograph of Laureen was a must. I asked her to pause on one of the bottom steps – she loves posing for the camera, and she easily complied.

At that moment I felt as though someone was right behind me on the stairs. I turned around and saw something move to the right so quickly, like a blink, that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Not sure what it was – but it was there and then it wasn’t.

“Did you see that?” Laureen asked.

I nodded. “Saw it and felt it too.”

“It was right behind you. A whitish something – right behind you and then it was gone.”

I didn’t get a photograph of Laureen at that moment. I actually think I forgot I had a camera at all. We left with great rapidity when we hit the bottom of the stairs. 

Am I a believer in ghosts? Can’t say I am and can’t say I am not – the jury is still out. But that experience on the stairwell is hard to explain.

Happy Halloween.

A Haunting We Will Go

"There are some human beings who are dimly aware of their own deaths, yet have chosen to stay on in what used to be their homes, to be close to surroundings they once held dear." - Hans Holzer, legendary paranormal researcher who passed away in 2009.

What does a rational logical person do when they are visiting a city where there is supposed to be one of the most haunted houses in America?

Explore it of course.

That's exactly what J and L did recently while in San Diego for another matter which dealt with being Hunted and not Haunted. Okay that was a cheap shot at self-promoting the novel Hunted and I hope our readers will forgive that dalliance.

We had heard about the number one rated haunted house in America according to Travel Channel's America's Most Haunted and knew we had to walk those spooky grounds. We wanted to tread along the wooden floor boards and hear the creaks and moans of folks who hadn't decided to go 'to the other side' and perhaps convince them perhaps they should or at least to get them to be quieter and not scare the tourists.

After purchasing the entrance tickets for the Whaley House located in Old Town San Diego in lieu of  New Town which is actually downtown San Diego where another haunted location exists called the William Heath Davis House. We had visited that haunt (if you'll permit the pun) earlier in the day without a whisper in our ear or even a tug on our clothes by invisible forces - wouldn't you think there should be a refund policy for not even having one single hair on your arm rise after spending forty minutes going up and down stairs in a ghostly inhabited place?

No such luck.

Determined, we sauntered into the Whaley house which was a rather large and comfortable considering it was built in 1857 on a slight hill looking south west out toward the bay of San Diego. The docents where wonderfully attentive and one fine gentleman grabbed onto us in the main hallway and explained all the paranormal happenings that had occurred within the walls of the house since it had been built.

It seemed Thomas Whaley had purchased a vacant lot which once what the location for the hangings of some of the lower elements of early San Diego but not being a believer in visitors from the afterlife he pooh-poohed the ideas and constructed the two story brick house for his family. One of the most notorious men to have been hung on or nearby the property was one Yankee Jim (James Robinson) who had been convicted of numerous crimes and received a death by hanging decree in 1852. The only problem was that Yankee Jim was a rather tall fellow and when the wagon was forced away from him with rope around his neck the tips of his boots touched the ground. Instead of the usual snap crackle pop of the neck the poor man swung around and chocked to death. Records stated it took nearly 30 minutes for poor Yankee Jim to give up the ghost.

Or perhaps he didn't.

Soon after Whaley built the house and moved his family in the spooking started with the nightly creaking of the ninth step on the inside stairwell. The 'cold' spots where the Whaley's were certain someone from the other side was standing. In fact, it got to the point that Thomas Whaley became a believer in the supernatural (it should be noted he was there when Yankee Jim was executed and believed not in spirits revisiting) especially after hearing the footsteps moving about the entire house at odd hours of the night and not just on the ninth step any longer. He was spooked but it would get worse.

In 1871 being despondent over a failed or troubled marriage the Whaley's twenty-two year old daughter, Violet shot herself in the outhouse and her father carried his dying daughter into the salon where she soon died. It has been reported over the decades one can hear someone crying in that room when there isn't anyone there. As typical with any such a haunted place there are stories of the caretakers, visitors, and other such folk who heard and felt strange occurrences within the Whaley House. There have been children reporting a man waving at them wearing a strange looking outfit - it has been thought that young children are more in tune with ghosts than older folks and clothing from the 1850's would surely look strange to a little one now wouldn't it?

After a rather lengthy description of the house we thanked the Docent and wandered about the interior and exterior of the place for an hour, even haunting (probably wrong term) around a bit on the ninth step bouncing up and down.

Nothing! Or was there?

Not a tingle, not an itch, not a tug, and no cold spots except walking by an upstairs open window and feeling the wonderful cool breeze from the San Diego Bay.

But when we returned home and checked our photos, in the room where the young lady breathed her last, there was a strange lighting effect. (See the comparisons photos). Was there something, someone, after all?




Again, it was a bit of a bust for ghost hunting but worthwhile all the same with the marvelous and tantalizing history that Old Town San Diego has to offer.

But don't expect a refund if you don't get spooked - that should be changed according to this writer.

Whaley House Museum

whaleyhouse.org/

Old Town San Diego Guide

www.oldtownsandiegoguide.com/

William Heath Davis house San Diego, California - GoThere

gothere.com/sandiego/Ghosts/DavisHouse/default.htm