During October, we chill to the tales of spirits who haunt our homes, and one notable area with a host of spooky sightings is Old Louisville. David Domine hosts the Ghosts of Old Louisville Tour, which offers a pleasurable mix of history and ghostly lore. Walking and bus tours are available, both running approximately 90 minutes.
David has authored numerous books about ghosts in Louisville: "Ghosts of Old Louisville" (2005), "Phantoms of Old Louisville" (2006) and the recent "Haunts of Old Louisville: Gilded Age Ghosts and Haunted Mansions in America's Spookiest Neighborhood." David has an enthusiastic following and has, since the release of his first book, captured many more Old Louisville ghost stories from both contacts and diligent research.
I enjoyed our tour, which in the past has had the company of people from as far away as Australia and Europe and is attended by about 500 a week in the fall, as David detailed the historical background of the large, elegant homes throughout Old Louisville. He talked about the Southern Exposition of 1883, which boosted national interest and not only spurred home construction but also, when dismantled, provided reclaimed building materials for some homes. Our tour bus traveled down Third Street, Millionaire's Row, and we marveled at architectural phases and styles which included Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne, Italianate, Tudor, Beaux Arts and more.
At some homes, we stayed in the bus while David provided an overview of the history and an account of the haunting. We stopped by the Widmer House, the Moorish Palace (where David had lived and first encountered the Old Louisville ghosts), the First Church of Christ-Scientist, the Ferguson Mansion and the Gilmer Speed Mansion. At the Bishop's Hat House we followed David up the steps to enter the home of Ron Harris and Jane Badgers, who told a ghost story and brought out a tray of bourbon chocolates (the couple owns the Old Louisville Candy Company and make Happy Balls, bourbon candy).
At the Culbertson Mansion there are reports of ghostly laughter being heard and the spirits of several young children have been seen rolling along a metal hoop. The stories at the Pink Palace, at the corner of Belgravia and St. James Courts, were indeed interesting: a ghost named Avery appears as a "crisis apparition," providing warnings of impending danger to the residents. Over at the Conrad-Caldwell house, David mentioned that folks who wander off tour inside the house have encountered the ghost of Mr. Conrad, who sternly shakes his finger in disapproval before disappearing.
I have friends who live on Belgravia Court and I often walked over to Central Park. I found out that it was originally called Dupont Square, and David spoke of a ghost who occasionally appears in Central Park. This is the spirit of Alfred Victor Dupont, who is seen dressed in tuxedo, tall black hat and walking with a gold-topped cane. Evidently bachelor Dupont was fond of staying at the Galt House and seemed to enjoy the ladies. His mortal adventures came to a sudden end and there may have been a disgruntled female involved. Now I don't want to spoil anyone's ghost tour but maybe we had a visit from Mr. Dupont, and maybe we didn'tÖ
Old Louisville hosts a number of annual events, including the popular St. James Court Art Show (Oct. 2 - 4) and the Old Louisville Holiday House Tour and Festival (Dec. 5 - 6).
For more information and for a schedule of tours, visit David's Web site at www.ghostsofoldlouisville.com or call (502) 637-2922. You can also contact the Old Louisville Visitors Center by e-mailing info@historicoldlouisville.com. During the fall, the visitors center hosts daily walking history and architecture tours at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., in addition to an afternoon ghost walk at 1 p.m. There are ghost walks and driven tours every night (except Fridays) at 7 p.m. -
though they do make special tours for Friday the 13th, as well as for full moons. Private tours for groups of 12 or more are available.
Editor's Note: Thomas Freese will be discussing and signing his new book, "Ghosts, Spirits & Angels" at 7 p.m., Oct. 2, in Joseph-Beth Booksellers. The book contains compelling eyewitness accounts from over 75 individuals with stories set in Kentucky, plus a dozen other states and two countries.