The Alexandrian Hotel
Posted: 09.25.2024 | Updated: 09.25.2024
When the first settlers arrived in Virginia from England in 1669, they settled on land that is now the city of Alexandria, which was founded in 1749. With a history dating back to before the Revolutionary War, it’s unsurprising that Alexandria has no shortage of ghost stories mixed into its rich and complex history.
One of the most haunted buildings in the city is The Alexandrian Hotel, which sits on the former site of the Marshall House, an inn where the first casualty of the Civil War occurred. Centuries later, the events that unfolded in the Marshall House in May 1861 echo through to modern times, the ghosts of the past ensuring that no one forgets their story.
Why is the Alexandrian Hotel haunted?
On May 24, 1861, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth and his regiment of Union soldiers headed to the Marshall House to remove a Confederate flag that the inn’s owner, James W. Jackson, had placed atop it. Due to the height of the building and the size of the flag, President Abraham Lincoln could see it from the White House and wanted it removed.
Jackson said that the flag would only be removed “over his head body,” and by the end of the day, both Jackson and Ellsworth were dead. It’s a commonly held belief that both men haunt the site of their violent deaths.
Book a ghost tour with Alexandria Ghosts to learn more about the iconic city’s storied past while also getting some spooky tales mixed in.
Before the Alexandrian Hotel, there was the Marshall House
The Marshall House originally stood at 480 King Street, on the southeast corner of King and South Pitt Street. In the years following Ellsworth and Jackson’s deaths, the building fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished in the 1950s despite its historical significance. A Holiday Inn was built on the site of the Marshall House, subsequently becoming the Hotel Monaco and later the Alexandrian Hotel.
Today, the Marshall House is mainly remembered for May 24, 1861, the day after Virginia seceded from the Union. Colonel Ellsworth was a lawyer from Lincoln’s home state of Illinois and a friend of the president. He was also the leader of the 11th New York Infantry Regiments known as the “Fire Zouaves.” They were among the 75,000 troops Lincoln was organizing to fight against the Confederacy.
Ellsworth led his men to Marshall House, where he climbed the staircase to the roof and personally removed the Confederate flag. As Ellsworth was descending the stairs, he was shot in the chest by James Jackson, becoming the first casualty of the Civil War. Jackson was, in turn, stabbed and killed with a bayonet by Private Francis Brownell. The flag was returned to the White House, where Lincoln’s son Tad often played with it. Brownell later received a Medal of Honor for his actions at Marshall House.
A Controversial Historical Marker
In 1999, a historical plaque was placed in the new building to commemorate James Jackson. The plaque read, “The Marshall House stood upon this site, and within the building on the early morning of May 24, 1861, James W. Jackson was killed by federal soldiers while defending his property and personal rights as stated in the verdict of the coroners jury. He was the first Martyr to the Cause of Southern Independence. The Justice of History does not permit his Name to be Forgotten. Not in the excitement of battle, but coolly and for a great principle, he laid down his life, an example to all, in defence of his home and the sacred soil of his native state Virginia.”
Of course, the lack of mentioning Ellsworth and the fact that Jackson supported the Confederacy led to a great deal of controversy surrounding the plaque. The plaque was eventually given to the Daughters of the Confederacy in 2017.
Hauntings of the Alexandrian Hotel
Following the deaths of Ellsworth and Jackson, residents of Marshall House reported hearing gunshots in the hallways at night along with ghostly figures near the staircase leading to the building’s roof where the shootings occurred.
Even after the Marshall House was demolished and the current building was put in its place, the hauntings continued. One guest at the hotel reported a strange incident while getting on the sixth-floor elevator with another couple. The sixth floor is said to be a hot spot for ghostly encounters, and as the elevator headed down to the first floor, it unexpectedly stopped on the fourth floor. To the shock of both couples, the elevator doors opened to reveal an orb of light hovering in front of them, which slowly disappeared. There was no explaining the phenomena, but it was bizarre enough for the traveler to write a review about the experience. The guest also stated that you could feel a “presence” in the building, even for those not attuned to spirits.
The Unquiet Spirits of Colonel Ellsworth and James Jackson
The two known ghosts at The Alexandrian are believed to be Colonel Ellsworth and James Jackson. Both men’s spirits were seen in the Marshall House, and the fact that the building was torn down had seemingly no effect on their ability to haunt the property. The ghosts of both men have been seen walking the halls of the sixth floor, which is roughly where the roof of the Marshall House would have been. It seems that neither man can move on from that bloody May day in 1861 that quickly escalated the Civil War.
Haunted Alexandria
Although the Marshall House no longer exists, its significance is engrained in the history of Alexandria and the Civil War. The fact that the Alexandrian Hotel guests and staff continue to encounter the spirits of Colonel Ellsworth and James Jackson ensures that its importance will not be soon forgotten.
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Sources:
https://books.google.com/books?id=mThEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://archive.org/details/harpersweeklyv5bonn/page/356/mode/2up
https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic-sites/basic-page/wayfinding-marshall-house
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