“The house today is as solid as it was then, though there are no inhabitants living in it - at least no human inhabitants. The children of the area are strictly cautioned to give a wide berth to the house because, to this day, some very strange things happen there.””
From Ghostly screams to unseen swordfights…
For many of the early mariners traveling to Beaufort, North Carolina they were reliant upon physical landmarks to help guide them safely through the shoals and into the harbor entrance. Some of the early maps and charts of Port Beaufort indicate that one such landmark was the “White House.”
Little remains that offers insight into the origin of Beaufort’s White House, but tradition maintains that what was once the White House is now the historic Hammock House. Identified as one of, if not, the oldest home in North Carolina, the Hammock House is full of history and tragedy from visitors both law-abiding and nefarious in the reputations.
As a result, the Hammock House has acquired more than its fair share of legends over the years, and according to local lore, the spirits of some of these guests still remain to this very day, everything from the echoes of ghostly screams to the clashing sounds of unseen sword fights.
Additional Links From This Episode:
Hear Brandon on The Unseen Paranormal Podcast.
Sources:
Ambrose, Kala. Ghosthunting North Carolina. Cincinnati, OH: Clerisy Press, 2011.
“The Bloody Story Behind the Haunted Blackbeard Hammock House.” Anomalien. August 8, 2020. https://anomalien.com.
Crosswell, Jack. “Beaufort House is Older Than Nation.” The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), March 6, 1949. Newspapers.com
Diehl, Daniel and Mark Donnelly. Haunted Houses: Guide to Spooky, Creepy, and Strange Places Across the USA. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2010.
“The Duel at Hammock House.” North Carolina Ghosts. Accessed June 1, 2022. https://northcarolinaghosts.com/coast/hammock-house-duel/.
Gray, Deran. Haunted Plantations of the South. Self-published, 2019.
“The Hauntings of the Hammock House.” True Hauntings of America (blog.) December 2007. http://hauntsofamerica.blogspot.com/2007/12/haunting-of-hammock-house.html.
Hudson, Jane. “Blackbeard among historic home’s former guests.” Rocky Mount Telegram (Rocky Mount, NC), June 27, 2004. Newspapers.com.
Johnson, Scott A. “Hammock House.” Dread Central (blog). October 13, 2017. https://www.dreadcentral.com/cold-spots/5018/hammock-house/.
Rogers, Dennis. “Dark legends of Beaufort house yield to restoration.” The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), May 7, 1981. Newspapers.com.
Warshaw, Mary. “The Hammock House.” Beaufort North Carolina History (blog). July 2015. http://beaufortartist.blogspot.com/2015/07/hammock-house-was-built-in-1800.html.
______. North Carolina: A Unique Coastal Village Preserved. Atlantic Beach, NC: Eastern Offset Printing, 2015.
______. “White House and Hammock House.” Beaufort North Carolina History (blog). November 2006. http://beaufortartist.blogspot.com/2006/11/house-that-guided-early-mariners.html.
“Weenie Roast.” The Beaufort News (Beaufort, NC), August 3, 1922. Newspapers.com.
Welch, Jane A. “Townsfolk overcome by fear (and fun.)” The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), June 29, 1979. Newspapers.com.
Whedbee, Charles Harry. The Flaming Ship of Ocracoke & Other Tales of the Outer Banks. Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 1971.
Young, Norwood. “Visit Beaufort On Your Vacation This Summer.” The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), June 1, 1952. Newspapers.com.
Zepke, Terrance. Ghosts and Legends of the Carolina Coasts. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, 2005.
