The Hauntings of Halcyon House
Posted: 10.02.2024 | Updated: 10.02.2024
Sitting on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood, Halcyon House is a prime example of Federal-style architecture and one of the oldest buildings in the area. During its heyday in the late 18th century, the house was a hub for parties attended by the city’s elite. However, the home soon fell on hard times, leading to a complicated and haunting history.
Halcyon House would go through a series of owners and bizarre renovations as the history of the United States unfolded around it. As the years passed, many began questioning if some of the house's past residents stayed on. Today, it is considered one of the most haunted homes in the D.C. area.
Who haunts the Halcyon House?
During its four centuries of existence, Halcyon House has accumulated a variety of ghosts dating back to the late 18th century. The spirits of the mansion’s original owner and the eccentric 20th-century owner have been spotted numerous times over the years. The house also acted as a boarding house, college dormitory, and a stop on the Underground Railroad throughout its storied past, leading to hauntings of all manner, including reported poltergeist activity.
A ghost tour of Washington, D.C., with DC Ghosts, is the perfect way to soak up the history of our nation’s capital while learning about the hauntings that lurk beneath its facade.
The History Of Halcyon House
Halcyon House was built in 1787 for Benjamin Stoddert, the first Secretary of the US Navy. Stoddert, a pallbearer at George Washington’s funeral, ran a shipping business that went into decline. After Stoddert’s wife died and he fell into debt, he sold the home to his daughter in 1802. Stoddert died nearly destitute in 1813.
Halcyon House went through multiple owners throughout the 19th century before it was purchased by Albert Adsit Clemens in 1900. Clemens lived there until his death in 1938, leaving his peculiar yet distinct mark on the property. It’s said that Clemens believed that if he continually renovated and expanded the house, he could somehow prolong his life. In the four decades Clemens lived in the house, his “renovations” resulted in trap doors, doors that opened onto walls, staircases that led to ceilings, and tiny rooms that only fit one or two pieces of furniture. He also rented rooms in the mansion to tenants, but the lack of electricity in the building didn’t attract many renters.
After Clemens’ death, Halcyon House began a new rotation of owners, including being converted into a dormitory for Georgetown University students from 1961-1966. After that, the house was purchased by architect Edmund Dreyfuss, who oversaw a 17-year renovation of the mansion between 1978 and 1995, which restored the home to its original grandeur after decades of botched renovations and neglect.
Today, Halcyon House is the home of the nonprofit Halcyon, which specializes in health, climate, and equity tech.
The Hauntings Of Halcyon House
Being home to countless owners, tenants, and students over the years, a wealth of ghost stories has accumulated around Halcyon House. Ghostly happenings include hearing footsteps in the empty attic and moaning coming from a walled-off tunnel in the basement. The latter activity is attributed to Halcyon House being a stop on the Underground Railroad. It’s believed that some enslaved people died while making their journey to freedom through the tunnel leading in and out of the mansion. Other residents have reported strange noises and pictures falling off the wall for no reason at all.
Poltergeist activity has also been reported in the home. One couple in 1972 claimed that they woke up one morning turned around in their bed with their feet up at the headboard. Others reported levitating in their beds.
US Navy veteran Bill Stearman rented an apartment in Halcyon House after returning from Vietnam in 1967. Stearman claimed he never believed in ghosts, but this house forever changed his mind. Stearman’s apartment featured a closet with one of Clemen’s infamous stairs that went nowhere, but that was hardly the most unusual thing about the dwelling. Stearman said the previous tenant had left after being thrown from his bed by a poltergeist. Stearman often heard loud stomping in empty rooms and would find objects moved, such as a loaf of bread moved from the kitchen to the second-floor landing. According to Stearman, he eventually got used to living with the spirits of Halcyon House.
Past Owners Stay Behind
One of the most common ghostly sightings at Halcyon House is that of its original owner, Benjamin Stoddert. It seems that no amount of time or renovations can keep him away from the mansion he so loved. For years, residents and guests of the home had seen the spirit of a short, older man with a receding hairline. It was determined to be Stoddert after one witness saw a portrait of him.
The notorious Albert Adsit Clemens has also been spotted throughout the mansion, even though the house no longer includes his bizarre architectural design choices. It’s even said that the hauntings at Halcyon House increased after Clemens's death, with windows and doors opening and shutting on their own.
There was also an unidentified female ghost spotted at the house for decades, but she stopped appearing sometime in the 1970s. Whether her spirit moved on or she wishes to remain unseen is unknown.
Haunted Washington D.C.
Halcyon House has intrigued the residents of Georgetown for nearly 250 years. On top of being a beautiful building representing the original architecture of early Washington, D.C., it stands as a symbol of survival, having been restored to its former glory.
But Halcyon House also holds secrets of the past. Footsteps coming from the empty attic, moaning heard behind the bricked-over tunnel in the basement, and sightings of apparitions are eerie reminders of its history. It could be argued that it’s nearly impossible to know just how many past residents have chosen to stay behind.
Book your ghost tour with DC Ghosts today to keep learning about Washington D.C.’s haunted past and present. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Washington D.C. hauntings.
Sources:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/georgetowns-haunted-halycon-house
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