Abraham Lincoln lived in the White House during his presidency from 1861 to 1865, but, according to some ghostly reports, he never left -- even after his assassination in 1865. According to several notable White House guests, including dignitaries such as British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Lincoln still haunts the halls of the White House. His spirit has been spotted in several places, but most frequently in the Lincoln Bedroom (no surprise there) and the Yellow Oval Room. The first sighting of Lincoln's ghost was recorded in a 1903 newspaper article. Since then, reports have come from First Lady Grace Coolidge, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Maureen Reagan, among many others. Churchill recounted that he had walked into the main bedroom nude after taking a bath and saw Lincoln standing by the fireplace. Churchill said he called out, "Good evening Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage."
Haunting the White House halls:
- There have also been reported sightings of the ghost of Willie Lincoln, the son of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, who died in the White House in 1862, at age 11.
- Jeremiah "Jerry" Smith, who worked at the White House for 35 years as a footman, butler, and cook often, told reporters that he had seen the ghosts of Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and William McKinley.
- Other alleged ghost sightings include Dolley Madison in the Rose Garden, Thomas Jefferson playing the violin, and John Tyler proposing to his second wife.