On this month's Morbidly Fascinating Page:
The Whaley House in San Diego, California, is considered by some to be the most haunted house in America. On this page, we explain why and also show a gallery of amateur "ghost photos" taken by tourists who visited.
You can find information about taking a ghost tour in the Whaley House HERE
The house on the east side of San Diego Avenue was built by a civic-minded eastern merchant, Thomas Whaley, at a cost of over $10,000 in 1857.
About the Whaley House
One of the most famously haunted locations in San Diego and all of the West Coast, the Whaley House’s stories are told in magazines, movies, and television shows. Even before tragedy befell them, the Whaley family reported to neighbors that their home was haunted by a poltergeist.
Despite this, from 1869 through 1871, the Whaley House became the gathering place for the entire San Diego community. Besides being the Whaley family home, it was also San Diego’s first commercial theater, the county courthouse, and a general store.
Although the Whaley House was a communal treasure, it served primarily as the residential home for Thomas Whaley and his family.
Unfortunately, tragedy began to strike the Whaley family while they lived in the home leading to an increase in reported paranormal activity. In fact, the Whaley family told the San Diego Union shortly after moving in that they heard heavy footsteps in the house, which they believed to be the ghost of James “Yankee Jim” Robinson, who had earlier been hanged on the property for stealing a boat. Another tragic event, the suicide of Violet, one of the Whaley daughters, moved Thomas to build a new home in downtown San Diego and relocate his family out of the original Whaley House.
In 1890, Thomas Whaley passed away in their new home on State Street, never to return to the original Whaley estate. Abandoned for close to 20 years, the Whaley House was neglected and in poor condition until Francis Whaley, their eldest son, decided to go back in 1909. After moving in, Francis set about restoring the property and entertaining tourists by playing his guitar and telling stories about the house’s background. In the years that followed, most members of the Whaley family returned to live and eventually die in the original Whaley House, including Francis who passed away one year after his mother Anna, in 1913.
See more HERE
Who was James ("Yankee Jim") Robinson?
James ("Yankee Jim") attempted to steal the 30-ton pilot boat Plutus docked in San Diego Bay. Pursued by vigilantes Yankee Jim escaped by jumping into a rowboat where he eventually went across the bay and landed in Point Loma. He was captured several hours later when he stopped at a ranch asking for food and water.
Within days of being captured, the county, who had authority of the bay, placed Yankee Jim and his two friends on trial. After a short deliberation, the jury reached a verdict and recommended death. Judge Hayes agreed and Yankee Jim was sentenced to die at the end of a rope the next day.
The hanging took place on August 18th on the site of what is now the Whaley House. Death came slowly for the Canadian as the scaffolding was not high enough for his 6 foot 3 inch frame and he spent half an hour strangling on the rope.
The execution of Yankee Jim should have brought closure to one of the most sensational cases of 1852 but it was only the beginning. Shortly after his hanging some citizens reported seeing his ghost in the area of the gallows.
And after the Whaley family moved in, they told the San Diego Union that they heard heavy footsteps in the house which they believed to be the ghost of James "Yankee Jim" Robinson.
See more HERE
Was Yankee Jim innocent? See another viewpoint about him HERE
Who died in the Whaley House?
Over the years many descendants of the Whaley family lived and died in the house, including Thomas and Anna and their children Corrine Lillian, Thomas Jr, Violet, and Francis. Dates of the deaths are:
- Father Thomas: Died in 1888
- Mother Anna: Died in 1913
- Corinne Lillian: Died in 1953
- Thomas Jr. Died in 1858 of scarlet fever at 18 months
- Violet: Died by suicide at age 22 in 1885
- Francis: Died in 1914 (before he died, Francis restored the Whaley House and his funeral was held there)
The death of Violet Whaley
Suffering from melancholy, Violet Whaley committed suicide by shooting herself in the chest with Thomas's 32-calibre on August 19, 1885, while inside the Whaley House. She was 22 years old. Her suicide note read:
Mad from life's history, swift to death's mystery; glad to be hurled, anywhere, anywhere, out of this world. — Violet Whaley
Today, cold spots are frequently felt throughout the home, and the stairwells are a hotspot for full-bodied apparitions. Cementing the home’s hauntings are sightings of objects moving on their own, swinging chandeliers, and lights turning on and off by unseen hands. A young woman’s apparition is has been seen by many visitors on the home’s second floor, believed to be that of Violet Whaley.
PHOTOS OF POSSIBLE "GHOSTS" TAKEN BY VISITORS INSIDE THE WHALEY HOUSE
Note: The Horror Zine cannot verify the authenticity of any of these photographs below (taken by amateur photographers who visited the Whaley House)
