Thursday, October 20, 2005

Debunking and Proving

We are returning to the Decatur House Museum for a follow-up investigation. As DCMAG's Historian, what I focused on last time were the staff's experiences and the general lore of the house. I am also looking at the layout and construction of the home, as I also need to ID hotspots. We know, for instance, that the 3rd floor seems to be active. The thing I need to figure out now is why. What did the 3rd floor used to be and who would've been its primary inhabitants?

Here is an interesting thing...there is the story of a maintenance man rushing in from the courtyard saying that he felt as if chased and heard the sound of chains. Last visit, a staffer told us of the possibility of slaves being sold in that area. I did some research recently. Not only were the grounds on Lafayette Square in front of the building notorious for their slave pens, but supposedly there was one located at the Decatur House itself. Did the maintenance man encounter the spirit of a slave? Who knows? If anything, the historic research would actually support the man's claim.

My biggest questions right now are:
  1. More about the slaves, courtyard and slave quarters of the house
  2. More about the women of the household
  3. The legends of the bricked up window & the back door sightings
  4. Do the motion detectors make noises on their own?

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