Whaley House (San Diego, California) facts for kids
Whaley House, 2010
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| Established | Original construction: 1857 Current museum: May 25, 1960 |
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| Location | 2476 San Diego Avenue San Diego, California |
| Reference #: | 65 |
| Reference #: | 24 |
The Whaley House is a famous historic home and museum in Old Town, San Diego, California. Built in 1857, it is the oldest brick building in Southern California. The house is known for its beautiful Greek Revival architecture style. It is recognized as a California Historical Landmark (No. 65) and is cared for by Historic Tours of America, Inc.
The Whaley House was once the home of Thomas Whaley and his family. Over the years, it also served as Whaley's general store, San Diego's second county courthouse, and even the city's first commercial theater. Many people say this house has seen more history than any other building in San Diego!
Contents
The Historic Whaley House
Meet the Whaley Family
Thomas Whaley was born in New York City in 1823. He came from a large family and later took over his father's successful business. In 1849, he traveled to San Francisco during the exciting California gold rush to start new businesses. He then moved to San Diego in 1851.
Two years later, Thomas returned to New York to marry Anna Eloise Delaunay in 1853. They soon came back to San Diego, arriving in December 1853. On August 22, 1857, the Whaleys moved into their brand-new home, which we now know as the Whaley House.
Thomas and Anna Whaley had six children: Francis Hinton, Thomas Jr., Anna Amelia, George Hay Ringgold, Violet Eloise, and Corinne Lillian. Sadly, Thomas Whaley Jr. passed away at a very young age in 1858.
A Family's Journey and Challenges
After the loss of baby Thomas and a fire that destroyed their store, the Whaley family moved to San Francisco. Thomas Whaley returned to San Diego in 1868, fixed up their old home, and the rest of the family joined him in December of that year.
Years later, on January 5, 1882, two of the Whaley daughters, Violet Eloise and Anna Amelia, were married in Old San Diego. Violet married George T. Bertolacci, and Anna Amelia married her cousin, John T. Whaley.
Unfortunately for Violet, her new husband revealed some troubling secrets shortly after their wedding. The Whaley family tried to end all contact with him. Violet became very sad and passed away under very sad circumstances on August 19, 1885, at 22 years old. She left a note that included these lines:
Mad from life's history, swift to death's mystery; glad to be hurled,
anywhere, anywhere, out of this world.—Violet Whaley, Save Our Heritage Organisation
This passage comes from a poem called 'Bridge of Sighs' by Thomas Hood.
Because of these sad events, Corinne Lillian's engagement was broken off. After these tragedies, Thomas Whaley built a new home for his family in downtown San Diego. The Whaley House then stood empty for more than twenty years.
Thomas Whaley passed away in 1890. His wife, Anna, died in 1913. Their son, Francis, later took on the task of restoring the old Whaley House in 1909. He turned it into a tourist attraction, sharing its history and entertaining visitors. Anna, Corinne Lillian, Francis, and George all lived in the house again in 1912. After Anna's death, Francis passed away in 1914, and George in 1928. Corinne Lillian Whaley was the last family member to live in the house, staying there until her death in 1953.
Today, the Whaley House is famous for its long history and is often called a haunted house. Visitors and staff sometimes report seeing glimpses of Whaley family members who passed away in the house, like baby Thomas Jr., Violet, Anna, Francis, George, or Corinne Lillian.
Exploring the Whaley House Building
The Whaley House is located in the historic Old Town neighborhood of San Diego. It officially opened as a museum on May 25, 1960. The Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) has managed the Whaley House since 2000. Since 2007, a caretaker has lived on the property to help protect it.
Thomas Whaley himself designed this two-story Greek Revival house. Construction began in May 1856 and finished in 1857, costing over $10,000. The bricks used to build it came from Whaley's own brickyard. It was a very unique and grand house for San Diego at the time.
My new house, when completed, will be the handsomest, most comfortable and convenient place in town or within 150 miles of here.
—Thomas Whaley, San Diego Coast Life
The Whaley House was known as the finest home in Southern California. It was filled with beautiful furniture, carpets, and drapes, making it a true mansion for its era. It became a popular gathering spot for people in San Diego. Besides being the Whaley family's home, it also housed San Diego's first commercial theater, the county courthouse, and a general store.
A Home, a Theater, and a Courthouse
In October 1868, a family bedroom upstairs was turned into a theater. Thomas Whaley rented the room to the Tanner Troupe, a theater group visiting San Diego. For their first show, the small room held a stage, benches, and an amazing 150 guests! It was mostly standing room, and ladies were even asked not to wear their large hoop skirts to make more space. The theater's operator, Thomas Tanner, passed away just 17 days after opening, and the troupe soon left.
The Whaley House also served as the county courthouse in 1869. San Diego County rented the courtroom and three upstairs bedrooms for $65 a month. Another part of the Whaley House was the Whaley & Crosthwaite General Store, which sold goods to both businesses and individuals.
The Battle for San Diego's Center
In the 1860s and 1870s, the Whaley House became central to a big argument between residents of Old Town and those in New Town (which is today's Downtown San Diego). Both sides wanted their area to be the main center of San Diego.
The San Diego County government was renting part of the Whaley House for its offices and important records. Thomas Whaley offered to sell the house to the county many times, but his offers were not accepted. People in New Town demanded that the county offices and records move to their area. This issue became a major topic in local elections.
There were many court battles and disagreements. At one point, a judge even ordered the local sheriff to take over the Whaley House, but the sheriff refused. After several years, the California Supreme Court finally ordered that the county records be moved to New Town. Despite threats of resistance from Old Town residents, the records were moved on March 31, 1871. This event officially shifted the focus of the city to New Town.
A Courtroom Reopens
On May 17, 2022, the San Diego Superior Court held court proceedings at the Whaley House courtroom for one day. This special event recognized the importance of the historic one-room courthouse, the early judges, and the Whaley family. Judge Richard S. Whitney presided over civil cases, marking the first time the courtroom was used officially in 151 years!
Mysterious Tales of the Whaley House
Soon after the Whaley family moved into their new home, they told the San Diego Union newspaper that they heard heavy footsteps inside the house. They believed it was the ghost of James "Yankee Jim" Robinson. He had been executed on the property earlier for stealing a boat. Because of his tall height, his burial was difficult. Many people still believe Yankee Jim's ghost, and other spirits, roam the Whaley House.
The Whaley House in Pop Culture
The Whaley House has appeared in many historical documentaries and shows about the paranormal. It was featured on Syfy Channel's Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files and Travel Channel's America's Most Haunted, where it was called the most supernatural home in the United States.
In 2007, the Whaley House was mentioned in the animated movie Hellboy: Blood and Iron. One character talks about the ghost of Yankee Jim.
In 2012, a movie called The Haunting of Whaley House was released. Even though it was filmed at a different location, the movie used the real history and ghost stories of the Whaley House as its inspiration.
The Whaley House was also featured on the Biography Channel's The Haunting of Regis Philbin in 2012. When Regis Philbin visited the museum in 1964 for a TV show, he claimed to have a paranormal experience with Mrs. Whaley. He said, "You know a lot people pooh-pooh it because they can't see it. But there was something going on in that house."
On an episode of MTV's Ridiculousness, host Rob Dyrdek mentioned living next to "the most haunted house in California" and joked about calling for Old Man Whaley.
In 2014, the Whaley House was the main focus of an episode of Ghost Adventures.
In 2017, the house was part of the first season of BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural for a paranormal investigation. This video has been watched over 12 million times on YouTube!
More recently, in 2022, a Ghost Files episode featured the Whaley House. This show stars Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara, who returned to investigate the house under their new company, Watcher.
See also
- Reportedly haunted locations in California
