PARANORMAL PUB - GHOSTS IN THE WHITE HOUSE PART II

MARION AMBROSE PELLICANO

When John F. Kennedy was elected as our 35^th president, on November 8, 1960, no one dreamed that his presidency would end in such tragedy. The same was true when Abraham Lincoln was elected November 5, 1860. Both men have much more in common than being US Presidents who were assassinated. The ghosts of both presidents have been reported to be seen, on occasion, staring out the window of the Oval Office. But this is only the beginning of the similarities and coincidences. Here is a list that has been compiled. Some of the items have been questioned as to their accuracy, but most are documented facts.

PARANORMAL PUB - WHITE HOUSE GHOSTS

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

When I started my research, I had in my mind to write about the Ghosts of the White House.  I thought, instead of all Washington DC, I’d concentrate on the most famous address there, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As you’ll soon see, I wound up narrowing my topic even further because as I read about the White House ghosts, there was one that totally amazed and intrigued me. The most seen, most documented and most famous ghost of the White House is, of course, Abraham Lincoln, our 16^th President.

Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd were both believers in the paranormal. After the death of their son Willie, in the White House, many séances were held in attempt to contact his spirit. The President was in attendance in at least 2 of these events. It is also documented that Lincoln had premonitions of his own assassination 3 days before his death. It was immediately after his death in April of 1865, that reports of his ghost appearing at the White House began, although they weren’t formally documented at first.

Grace Coolidge, wife of Calvin Coolidge (1923-29), was the first to formally report seeing the ghost of Lincoln. She reported seeing him looking out the window of the Oval Office, hands clenched behind his back, towards the Potomac River and the area where Civil War battle grounds once stood. Another first lady to admit that Lincoln haunted the White House was Lady Bird Johnson. She felt his presence while watching television one night.