After the Duel

What a lot of people don’t know is what happened to Burr after the infamous duel that took the life of Alexander Hamilton. In short, Burr’s political career was ruined. As Hamilton’s life end, Burr’s also ended in a way. He would never be able to return to his normal life. Burr was charged with murder in the state of New York and New Jersey along with multiple other crimes, but he was never brought to trial. There was that complicated scenario where Hamilton was shot in Jersey but he died in New York, which made the charges and trial a bit complicated.

Burr ended up fleeing to South Carolina to be with his daughter and her family. He would end up going to Washington, DC and Philadelphia to serve his term as vice-president under President Thomas Jefferson. Burr obviously avoided returning to New York and New Jersey. The charges against him were eventually dropped.

After he left his term as vice president in 1805, he headed west to claim land for himself and secede from the United States. Basically, his plan was to liberate Texas and Mexico from Spain and then keep the land for himself separate from the United States. Through a variety of loopholes and conspiracies, Burr found himself being charged with treason. The charges ended up being unfounded. He ended up fleeing to Europe to avoid his creditors. He eventually returned to New York. His daughter, Theodosia, boarded a ship in South Carolina so she could head up north to be with her father. Her ship ended up being lost at sea. Burr died at the age of 80 in Staten Island, New York.

This is very much an abridged version of his biography. If anything that was mentioned piques your interest, definitely explore more! Burr clearly lived a long life, and one could say there were a few regrets. Is it possible that the ghost of Aaron Burr still roams our world?

Haunting #1: The Aaron Burr House

Going back to his duel with Hamilton, Burr ended up fleeing to New Hope, Pennsylvania and stayed in a house for a week. Why this house? Burr had friends from the Revolutionary War who lived in this house and they gave him lodging for the week. Today, it’s known as the Painted Lady. The house still stands today as a bed and breakfast as the Aaron Burr House. The house also features a small collection of dueling pistols from Burr’s era. There are reports that his ghost has been seen peering around the corners and roaming the house. His ghost has even been seeing around the town, anxiously watching his back as if he is being followed. If he likes the guests that are staying at the bed and breakfast, he will tug on their clothes to prevent them from leaving. He has also been seen going up and down the staircase and roaming about the second floor.

If these sightings are true, I do have a theory about why Burr’s presence is seen. I wouldn’t go as far to say that this is his ghost. But more likely, this is an imprint of him. You could say this is a residual haunting, or even a thoughtform. Given that Burr was likely in a high state of stress after the duel, he was likely on edge the entire time he was in New Hope. He would have been watching his back and unable to relax. Would it be possible that his energy was so high that it survived after he departed? What if the surrounding area absorbed his energy and it replays like a broken record?

Also, of all places that Burr lived, why did he choose this house? Well, this house was owned by some of his dear friends, and he likely felt some sort of safety and security behind its walls. It’s not uncommon for ghosts to return to a place where they felt safe. Not to mention, the house ended up being named after him, and I’m sure “Hamilton” brought about a new generation of people interested in his story.

Haunting #2-4: New York City

The New Hope house isn’t the only place where Burr’s ghost has been spotted. His ghost seems to make its rounds around New York City. When Burr was 77 years old, he married Eliza Jumel, one of the wealthiest widows in America. But the marriage wasn’t going to last even a year. Eliza may have married Burr for recognition. However, it was clear that Burr was in it for the money. He was quickly draining her assets and the money was disappearing. Eliza and Burr lived in the house that she and her first husband, Stephen Jumel, purchased in 1810. Today, it is known as the Morris-Jumel House, and it is now considered to be one of the oldest houses in Manhattan. The divorce ended up being finalized on the day of Aaron Burr’s death in 1836. Burr has reportedly been seen at the mansion, along with Eliza, who lived in the house until 1865 when she passed away at 90 years old. Apparently, a big desk that once belonged to Burr is still in the mansion. Again, it could be some sort of energy from the desk and not Burr himself.

Burr’s ghost has also been spotted in the West Village restaurant, One If By Land, Two If By Sea. It’s rumored that the restaurant is home to his old carriage house, but that has since been debunked since the structure was built after he passed. Perhaps just the mere mentioning of his name will get Burr to appear? Supposedly, not only has Burr been spotted at the restaurant, but also a woman who strongly resembles his daughter, Theodosia. Maybe the father-daughter duo just want to enjoy a meal? It is reported that Burr’s ghost is mainly seen in the basement of the restaurant and will trip employees as they go down the stairs. Was Burr that mischievous and petty? Who knows. I’m not an expert on the rules of the afterlife, but I’m not convinced that a ghost is required to have a personal connection with a location while they were alive in order to haunt it. Burr has also been seen roaming around the West Village in general.

One of the sadder ghost sightings of Burr include him in Battery Park by the water, specifically at the American Merchant Marine Memorial. It is speculated that this spectre is still waiting for Theodosia to arrive from South Carolina, the same trip she didn’t survive. If there is any weight to these reports, then Burr either had some powerful psychic energy that thrives to this day, or he is having a rather turbulent afterlife.

In closing, the world is wide enough for Burr to haunt as many places as he wants.

What do you think? Do you think Aaron Burr is still in unrest in the afterlife? Tell us what you think in the comments! If you enjoyed this blog, please share it with your friends and subscribe to our website!

The post The World Was Wide Enough: The Multiple Hauntings of Aaron Burr appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

Hamilton’s Grave at Trinity Church, NYC.

If you know me as well as another APS member, Beth, then you’re probably thinking, “It was only a matter of time before APS talked about Hamilton’s ghost.” Truthfully, I wanted to cover Hamilton for a while, especially after Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical took off. I have alway had a fascination for hauntings that surrounded the Revolutionary War as well as the Civil War. I found the concept of historical figures haunting famous locations. If we truly believe in ghosts and hauntings, then how cool would it be to talk to THE George Washington or Alexander Hamilton himself?

I try to make an excursion to New York City once a year to see some of the latest Broadway shows and just enjoy being in the city. I had always wanted to live in NYC for a time, but so far, it’s still a dream from my home in Raleigh, NC. Whenever I get into a new show, I always have to know the back story of the historical events, the writing process, and more. I approach paranormal investigations in a similar manner. Hamilton resonated with me not just because it’s a groundbreaking show, but it shed light on one of the least popular founding fathers, both historically and socially. After becoming OBSESSED with the musical, I got Ron Chernow’s book that inspired Miranda, and I dove into this chapter in Revolutionary War history that I was unfamiliar with.

Can you guess what was the first thing I looked up? Yep. Ghosts. Was Alexander still haunting a part of New York City? Who knows…but I wanted to see what the scoop was if there was anything there. I found a few stories of Hamilton supposedly haunting the area around his tomb.

In July 2016, I had a chance to go to NYC since I was lucky enough to snag tickets to Hamilton. I decided to make it a whole trip dedicated to Hamilton. There was a wonderful exhibit at the New York Public Library with actual copies of The Reynolds Pamphlet, Farmer Refuted, and even drafts of Washington’s farewell speech. We also went to Weehawken to the dueling grounds where Burr and Hamilton went head to head. We even went to Trinity Church to pay our respects to the Hamiltons along with other historical figures buried there. The only area I didn’t go to was where Hamilton died. Mostly it was due to time. But, I learned that I need to be putting this amount of energy into all my historical research endeavors, ESPECIALLY the paranormal.

My boyfriend showing off Hamilton’s bust near the site of his duel with Aaron Burr in Weehawken.

The stone where Hamilton supposedly rested after the duel

Hamilton died in his friend’s, William Bayard’s house in Greenwich Village. The address of the location was at 80-82 Jane Street, however, historical maps have since proved that to be inaccurate, which I’ll get into in a moment. He was treated at 27 Jane Street where the doctor, John Francis lived. Jean Karsavina, who resided in the house starting from 1939, experienced footsteps, creaks, the chain on the toilet swinging, and saw blurs and shadows. This story was covered by Hans Holzer, and it indicates the house where John Francis lived, the doctor that attended Hamilton on his death-bed, is haunted. You can read the full story here,

NOTE: There is a plaque at 82 Jane Street says that Hamilton died in that home. Bayard’s house was actually a block further north of the plaque. More details at the end.

Around the time that Hamilton became a smash hit, it was reported that paranormal activity really got stirred up at 71 Jane Street (which is across the street and a few houses east from plaque). The New Yorker Radio Hour sent Becky Cooper to a séance that attempted to raise Hamilton’s spirit. Since Joe Hamilton (no relation) bought the house in 1994, she and her family have experienced weird noises and crashes that were so loud to the point where they had to wear ear plugs. When Joe was remodeling the house, she was told to leave the plans out so that Hamilton could see them. Usually, you hear a lot of activity happening during the remodeling of a home. But in Joe’s case, she left the plans out and things were fine. Irene Connors, who owned the house before, believes that Alexander Hamilton’s ghost resided in her home. She actually saw a man with knee-length trousers, he was slim and wore a white powdered wig. She reportedly saw his face a few times.

If Hamilton’s ghost is indeed reappearing since the musical came out, it kind of makes sense. Lin-Manuel Miranda ensured that Hamilton got the recognition and legacy he worked so hard for. After years of being nearly forgotten, except for who we saw on the $10 bill, to everyone knowing his name and becoming obsessed with his story, perhaps we’ve given Alex some energy to make himself known again?

Eliza Hamilton’s Grave

They brought in a medium, and she didn’t pick up on Hamilton but sensed a child. Using an Ouija board, she asked what the child what their mother’s name was, and it apparently said, “Eliza.” I don’t want to spoil it, so you can listen to the 15-minute segment below. There were thoughts that it was Hamilton’s older son, Philip, who also died in a duel in 1801 before Hamilton. Then there is a theory that because baby Philip (who was named after his older brother) was brought into the room where Hamilton died so that he could give his father a kiss goodbye while on his deathbed.

Is it because of Miranda’s musical that the spirit of Alexander Hamilton has found new life, so to speak? Given that so many people lived in these houses around the area for over 200 years, it could be anyone haunting 27 Jane Street or 71 Jane Street.

Question About the Houses

I did some digging on Google Maps to see what I could find of these 3 addresses, plus the possible location of the Bayard Estate.

According to Google Maps, 27 Jane Street is now an empty lot

Here is 71 Jane Street

Here is 82 Jane Street (You can see the plaque on the building)

Here is where the 3 addresses stand in relation to each other

Here’s a map of NYC sketched in 1767. You can see where the Bayard Estate is under the title, “Mr. Bayard.”

Looking at the maps, here’s the approximate location of Bayard’s Estate as it stands today even though the original buildings are likely gone. 27 Jane Street is the bullet point on the right under the Art Bar.

NOTE: The midway point between the plaque at 82 Jane Street and Bayard’s House supposed location is…you guessed it: 71 Jane Street. Coincidence? You tell us!

Sources:

https://the-line-up.com/ghostly-return-alexander-hamilton

http://www.wnyc.org/story/alexander-hamilton-haunting-jane-street/

http://www.aaronburrassociation.org/bayard_house.htm

http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/articles/historic-us-ghosts

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