New Orleans is an old city founded by the French in 1718. It is not only a hedonistic pleasure capital, but a cultural and historical one. New Orleans goes by many names such as "The Big Easy" and "The City That Care Forgot".
In the 18th and 19th century yellow fever was wide spread. Symptoms were sudden and death soon followed. In 1853 an epidemic resulted in 8000 deaths. The primary victims were the young and the poor.Numerous orphanages arose to care for children who survived .
One such orphanage is now The St.Vincents Guest House. This 147 year old orphanage has been transformed into a Victorian style inn. Ceilings fans, wicker furniture and large courtyards all evoke the feeling of the south.
This imposing structure was built in 1861 while New Orleans was under Union occupation.There was a need for a large orphanage due to the many orphaned children. The financial backing came from Margaret Haughery, an Irish emigree who was an extremely successful business woman. She was also an orphan. On the day of her funeral in 1882 the entire city closed down .
While staying at The St.Vincents Guest House we were the only patrons due to the off season. We were put on the ground floor of the inn. The building inside evokes the feeling of the movie "The Shining" with huge staircases, long hallways and tall ceilings. The black and white photos on the walls of the orphans and nuns who cared for them gives the atmosphere of times passed and the hardships they endured.
That evening the inn clerk gave us a phone number for us to call if any problems arose. She would be back in the morning. Now hungry, we decided to go out for dinner to return later that night to watch television and relax.
After retiring for the evening we awoke shortly after 2 am to the sound of children laughing and carrying on, as if in a playground, but right outside our door. My first thought was who would let their children play that late. So I sent my brave husband out into the hall to investigate. While standing in the doorway he turned to me and said there was no one there. The hall was dark and empty , the laughter continued but seemed to move to the upper floors.
I thought he was joking around so I got up and joined him. The only lights on were the red exit signs and the small light in the office. We both decided to investigate further and made our way to the base of the grand staircase. The eerie sound of children still laughing made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. My feet felt like lead as we decided to walk to the first level of the staircase , and at that moment the laughter suddenly stopped. A ghostly silence came over the building. Our hearts pounding we decided rather hastily to return our bedroom, lock the door and hide under the blankets until morning.
In the morning we asked the desk clerk if anyone else had checked in that evening. She said no one else was there and we had been alone. We told her about our adventure . She said it was a common occurance that many other guests had experienced. Then she smiled and said "Why do you think I don't stay the night if I don't have to?"
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