The Lalaurie Mansion is believed to be the most haunted house in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. That is quite a reputation in a town well known for paranormal phenomena, mysterious voodoo practices and old, spooky buildings. Ghost hunters are not welcome here, but some of the paranormal activities associated with this mansion can be viewed from the street. Several people, viewing the building with tour operator “French Quarter Ghost Tours” have simultaneously observed two ghosts which are central characters in the gruesome history of this place.
The death of the slave girl
The story of Madame Delphine Lalaurie begins late in the evening in 1832. Reported in detail by contemporary writers in city newspapers, a slave girl pulled the madam´s hair while brushing her long red locks. Outraged, Madame Delphine Lalaurie chased the little girl from her bed chamber, onto the rear gallery, whipping her for the slight irritation. Screaming and clinging to the balcony, the seven years old slave girl suffered blow after blow until she could not longer stand the pain. To some witnesses, standing on the opposite sidewalk, it appeared that the little girl jumped to her death while others reported that the force of the blows caused her to slip through the rails of the balcony and fall more than 30 feet to the courtyard. Some called out, demanding that she stop, and threatened to summon the police. But wealth and her high social position protected Madame Lalaurie from immediate police investigation. She had enough time to bury the child slave in a shallow pit before the officers arrived a day or two after the gruesome event.
A hidden chamber of horrors
The cruel story does not end here. On April 10, 1834, a fire exposed the true horrors hidden within the Lalaurie Mansion. On this day, a cook, confined to the kitchen by a 25-foot chain, set fire to the kitchen table then spread the flames to the lard bucket and coal pile. In minutes, the Lalaurie Mansion was filled with smoke. Neighbours, police and firefighters rushed to the scene. As the flames where subdued, Madame Lalaurie directed an army of helpers to save all valuable art. She dismissed inquiries about her slaves and replied, “Never mind them now. Save the valuables.”
Upset by madam´s emotionless disregard for the well-being of her slaves, three prominent New Orleans citizens worked their way through the thick smoke searching for anyone they might save from suffocation. On the third floor, they discovered a heavy, locked door that led to an attic. They broke through the door and discovered a scene that is among the most gruesome in the history of slavery.
The room contained ten slaves, all in a state of advanced starvation. Some were caged like animals, with hideous bone malformations which were the result of insane medical experiments. Others were chained to the walls. Some of these poor souls had gaping wounds infested with maggots. Two slaves, a man and a woman, were found with their genitals surgically removed and sewn onto the slave of the opposite sex. Other atrocities included plucked-out eyeballs, lips sewn shut, abdomens opened, intestines wrapped around the chest and an open head wound through which a man´s brain could be stirred with a stick.
What happened to Madame Lalaurie?
After all, seven slaves were removed alive from the torture chamber. Three died during efforts to carry them from the house. Those who where alive were taken to the hospital and given medical care.
The next day, as many of 4.000 citizens visited the slaves to see for themselves proof of the Lalaurie atrocities. Their indignation became greater when the skeletons of 25 slaves, including children, were found under the flagstones of the courtyard. A mob formed and descended on the mansion that stood with little damage from the fire. They smashed furniture, ripped wallpaper and art from the walls, broke windows and destroyed elegant balustrades.
During all of this, Madame Lalaurie and her husband Louis escaped. Under the noises of the mob that loitered for days outside the mansion, they slipped out the side gate of their courtyard and fled from New Orleans to Lake Pontchartrain. They boarded a schooner and arrived a few days later in Mobile, Alabama. There, they established a power of attorney that empowered a New Orleans lawyer to close their business affairs. Then, they boarded a ship headed for France.
First rumors about ghost appearances begin to circulate
Such a cruel story is literally screaming for paranormal activity. Before the ashes cooled in the Lalaurie Mansion, first stories of strange, ghostly events began to circulate around the French Quarter. People in the neighbourhood reported hearing cries and screams coming from the vacant house. Ghostly apparitions of slaves were seen on the balconies or standing in the windows.
Years later, after the structure was rebuilt, the first tenants lasted only a short time. They left after encountering ghostly slaves in chains who walked the hallways. They reported that children who entered the mansion were chased by a spectral hand that wielded a whip.
The stories, rumors, and verified witness accounts continue to accumulate more than 180 years after the torture room was opened. Ghost hunters and passersby catch glimpses of Madame Lalaurie chasing the slave girl across the rear gallery. Slaves crying out in agony are often heard. Some people have heard the sound of wooden objects hitting the pavement together with the sound of windows being broken.
Some tips for engaged ghost hunters
The best point to experience paranormal activity at the Lalaurie Mansion is on Governor Nicholls Street on the sidewalk opposite the mansion. Here, patient ghost hunters sometimes experience a remnant of the gruesome event that unlocked the Lalaurie secrets. Block out the sounds of the city and listen for the whimpering of the slave girl and the crack of Madame Lalaurie´s whip.
The adress of the mansion is
Lalaurie Mansion
1140 Royal Street
New Orleans 70116
Bullshit or not?
I have investigated the Lalaurie Mansion in 2015. Here are some pics I made from inside the building.
I hardly tried to find some of the ghosts there, but unfortunately nothing happened. As I said, the background story seems perfect for paranormal activities, but I cannot present real evidence here.