Real Haunted Houses: Oakleigh House
Oakleigh is a historical house turned museum that is located in Mobile, Alabama. It is the centerpiece of the Oakleigh Historic Complex, a group of buildings that contain a cottage, Union barracks, and an archives building.
In 1833, James W. Roper, a brick mason, dry goods merchant and cotton factor, built Oakleigh. During the building phase of the house, Roper unfortunately lost his fire wife and a child. He remarried in 1838 after the completion of Oakleigh, to Eliza Ann Simison. The couple had four children.
Roper fell upon even more bad luck, as he could not pay back his loans, and Oakleigh was repossessed by the bank. Roper’s brother-in-law, Boyd Simison, bought Oakleigh back and allowed Roper and his family to live rent-free in the home until 1850.
The house was purchased in 1852 by Alfred Irwin, a treasurer of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. During the Civil War, Irwin’s wife, Margaret Kilshaw Irwin, defended the home against Union soldiers by proclaiming the house to be neutral territory based on the fact she was a British citizen. Irwin’s sons were both veterans of the Civil War and gained local prominence in the late 19th century. Oakleigh remained in the Irwin family until it was sold in 1916.
The front parlor room of Oakleigh House is reportedly haunted by a female ghost. There have been reports of poltergeist-like activity around the mansion, such as disembodied voices, furniture that moves on its own, and so on. The ghost is nicknamed “Miss Daisy”, and there have also been reports of a male figure in a tail coat roaming about.
If you want a chance to see these spectral entities, you can visit the Oakleigh Historical Complex from Tuesdays to Saturday. More information about the Oakleigh Historical Complex, including address and up-to-date visiting hours can be found here.
Real Haunted Houses
Previously in this series:
- Real Haunted Houses: Franklin Castle
- Real Haunted Houses: Villesca Axe Murder House
- Real Haunted Houses: The Sallie House
- Real Haunted Houses: LaLaurie House
- Real Haunted Houses: The Bell Witch Farm
- Real Haunted Houses: Ann Starrett Mansion
- Real Haunted Houses: Sturdivant Hall
- Real Haunted Houses: Whaley House
- Real Haunted Houses: House of Seven Gables
- Real Haunted Houses: Woodruff Fontaine House
- Real Haunted Houses: Cedar Grove Mansion
- Real Haunted Houses: Sauer Castle
- Real Haunted Houses: The Pink Palace
- Real Haunted Houses: House of Death
- Real Haunted Houses: Joshua Ward House
- Real Haunted Houses: The Lemp Mansion
- Real Haunted Houses: Los Feliz Murder Mansion
- Real Haunted Houses: Winchester Mystery House
- Real Haunted Houses: Bliss Mansion
- Real Haunted Houses: Croke-Patterson Mansion
- Real Haunted Houses: Thornewood Castle
- Real Haunted Houses: Drish House
- Real Haunted Houses: Old Shelby Hotel
- Real Haunted Houses: Barker’s Slave Quarters
- Real Haunted Houses: Winter Place
- Real Haunted Houses: Sweetwater Mansion
Enjoyed this article? Read Fractured!
When Piper discovers an old antique mirror on the attic of her new home, she has no idea what terror she unlocked.
Eerie shadows lurking in the night and estranged voices crying out for help are only the beginning. As Piper’s world comes crumbling down, she realizes everything that she believed was imaginary, might have been real all along.
Something is very wrong with that mirror. And if she doesn’t find out what, the mirror might end up killing her.
With some help of old and new friends, Piper tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. One thing is for certain: the mirror preys on the guilty. But what exactly is she guilty of?
Release Date: September 16, 2013
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