Whaley House
Built in 1856 by Thomas Whaley, a merchant from New York, the house was used for business purposes as well as the family residence. The building served as county courthouse and seat, theatre, granary, and store. The property was the town gallows before the house was built. The most regular spirits present today are: Thomas Whaley, Anna Whaley (wife), James Robinson (hung on the property before the house was built), and a small girl (around 3 years old).
Back in 1993, I visited the Whaley House. Some might remember that there used to be some very spooky-looking mannequins in the upstairs bedrooms. I walked past the master bedroom and I heard the spirit voice of Anna Whaley. She explained to me that she did not like her dress on that mannequin and that people visiting were spooked by the mannequins. She found it disrespectful.
I went up to the caretaker and said, “Excuse me, I hope you do not think I am crazy, but Anna told me she doesn’t like her black dress on that mannequin.” The caretaker looked at me and said, “I believe you. Not many things in this house actually belonged to a Whaley family member, but that is indeed Mrs. Whaley’s dress.” The lady also remarked that she and Anna were the only ones who knew that fact, so of course she believed me. This caretaker was June Reading, who was instrumental in saving the house.
I came back to the house a few months later and found that all of the mannequins had been removed, and the black dress was now laid out on the bed. As I was standing there, Anna’s spirit thanked me for delivering her message. Little did I know that in the year 2000, a battle would ensue in court over what was and what was not Whaley property. I told every docent who would listen to save Anna’s black dress. To this day, I do not know if it was my insistence or some documentation left by June Reading, but the dress was saved. There is a theatre stage there now, but if you look at old pictures of the Whaley House, you will see Anna’s black dress laid out on the bed.
Up to this point, I only had a spirit voice and the word of June Reading, who passed in 1998, as proof of that being Anna’s black dress.
In August of 2003, I was researching through newspapers from the 1887 to 1888 timeframe. In the San Diego Union I found an article about a Gala Ball held at the Hotel del Coronado in 1888. Anna is included on the guest list. There is a detailed description of Anna’s black dress! This must have been the occasion that caused her to buy the dress from Paris. Ten years after first communicating with Anna’s spirit, I have found tangible proof of what she told me in a local newspaper printed in 1888.
Written by — Bonnie Vent Spirit Advocate, San Diego Paranormal Research Project
THE WHALEY HOUSE
2482 SAN DIEGO AVENUE
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92110
WEBSITE: www.whaleyhouse.org
SEE ALSO:
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Haunted Places -Ghostly Locales from around the World – Compiled & Edited by Jeff Belanger – Copyright 2005 by Jeff Belanger