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Ghost Stories

DC
"DC" Really Stands for Demon Cat... Which Haunts the U.S. Capitol

"DC" Really Stands for Demon Cat... Which Haunts the U.S. Capitol

03/17/2023 in DC by Hunter Spears

A guard patrolling the basement of the Capitol during the Civil War is attacked -- not by enemy soldiers, but by a giant, demonic cat! Over a hundred years later, the "Demon Cat" is still one of Washington's greatest ghost stories, which is saying something in a city with as many phantom residents as the capital. What is the real story of this mystical mouser?

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DC
The U.S. Capitol's Civil War Residents

The U.S. Capitol's Civil War Residents

04/12/2021 in DC by Arielle Gordon

During the Civil War, the U.S. Capitol served stints as a military barracks, a bakery, and a hospital for wounded soldiers, all while the building was under construction. After the war, the bakery was dismantled and the soldiers left — well, all but one …

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DC
The Legends of Lincoln's Ghost

The Legends of Lincoln's Ghost

10/29/2020 in DC by Katherine Brodt

It makes sense that, of all the ghosts in Washington, Lincoln is the most famous. He’s one of the most noteworthy Presidents, certainly. He lived in the city during a time of great conflict and suffering. He endured his own personal tragedies during his time in office. His family dabbled in the paranormal fads of the day. And, of course, he was shot at Ford’s Theatre, later dying in a makeshift deathbed across the street. The majority of the nation mourned, feeling a collective bereavement that has never quite healed. Altogether, it’s the perfect recipe for an ongoing ghost story.

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DC
The Octagon House's Tales from the Grave

The Octagon House's Tales from the Grave

07/16/2014 in DC by Claudia Swain

When John Tayloe III was looking to build a winter home, his personal friend George Washington suggested the District. Tayloe commissioned William Thornton, who designed the Capitol building. Thornton designed a structure, costing $13,000, which fit neatly into the triangle lot it was situated on at 18th St. and New York Ave.

The layout of the building is quite imaginative, but today the house is not just known for its architecture. It's also known for the spirits that are said to linger on in the residence.

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DC
Little Known Victims of the Lincoln Assassination

Little Known Victims of the Lincoln Assassination

02/22/2013 in DC by Claudia Swain

The events of April 14, 1865 at Ford's Theatre in Washington are well known. Actor John Wilkes Booth went into President Lincoln's box and shot him. The President was mortally wounded and died the next morning. Meanwhile, Booth led authorities on a 12 day chase that ended with his own death in Virginia. What you may not know, however, is that there were others victimized that April night. This is their haunting story.

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Virginia
The Legend of the Bunny Man

The Legend of the Bunny Man

10/31/2012 in Virginia by Krystle Kline

You’re sixteen years old, caught up in the intoxicating freedom that comes with your new driver’s license, and it’s Halloween night. You and your friends are driving around your small town looking for a quiet place far away from adult supervision. You decide to park on the side of the road near a secluded railway overpass. It’s the perfect place to get “up to something,” as your mother would say: woods creeping up on either side and the complete darkness you can only find on rural roads without streetlamps or nearby houses.

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"DC" Really Stands for Demon Cat... Which Haunts the U.S. Capitol

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"DC" Really Stands for Demon Cat... Which Haunts the U.S. Capitol

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Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

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