The Whaley House is located in San Diego, California. The Whaley House is a museum and state historical landmark.

*There are a LOT of contradictions online about The Whaley House so I have included all the sources in hyperlinks.

This blog post has a primary focus of the deaths of The Whaley House. Keep in mind there were several events that occurred in between what I am mentioning and also, several reconstructions/renovations/and business ventures made by Thomas Whaley are not mentioned.

Photo from WhaleyHouse.org

The Whaley House’s land (before the house was built) was used as the location for public hangings.

The first documented ghost, James Robinson

James Robinson “Yankee Jim” was hung to death by the gallows in 1852. (“The gallows consisted of two beams planted in the ground with a heavy liar across the top” Source)

He was a Canadian Frenchman, he height was 6’4″. According to Los Angeles Herald, he murdered and robbed men, specifically at mining camps to take their gold. A jury ordered James to hung to death for his larceny charges from stealing a boat. James delivered a farewell speech to the crowd who came to witness his hanging. James told the crowd he was a good man and had given gold to the less fortunate. (Source).

“He swung back and forth like a pendulum, until he strangled to death.”.

Source of Quote – Los Angeles Herald

Thomas Whaley was present during the execution and bought the land on (Source). You can visit James’ grave at El Campo Santo Cemetery, which is located one block from The Whaley House.

Photo from SDP Mgmt

Pictured: The courthouse located at The Whaley House. The Whaley House was used as the Whaley’s household and also San Diego’s first commercial theater, San Diego’s second county courthouse, and the Whaley and Crosthwaite General Store. (Source)

The property was bought by Thomas Whaley in 1857 and the house began construction. He was not bothered by the hangings. No big deal, right?

The San Diego Union–Tribune published “soon after the couple and their children moved in, heavy footsteps were heard moving about the house. Whaley described them as sounding as though they were made by the boots of a large man. Finally he came to the conclusion that these unexplained footfalls were made by Yankee Jim Robinson.” [I could not find the original article from the San Diego Union-Tribune however, this quote is stated on The Whaley House’s website].

Lillian Whaley reported that her father told her Yankee Jim was hung over the location of the archway separating the parlor and study. (Source). There are stories that people feel their throat constricting when they are standing in between these rooms. The study is also known as the music room.

The Whaley Family

Photo from WhaleyHouse.org

Pictured: Anna Whaley with baby Anna Amelia, Frank, & Thomas Whaley Senior

Thomas and Anna Whaley had six children:

  • Francis “Frank” Hinton
  • Thomas Whaley Jr. (who died at 18 months from Scarlet Fever in 1858)
  • Anna Amelia (who died in December 1905, at age 47)
  • George Hay Ringgold
  • Violet Eloise (who shot herself at the age of 22)
  • Corinne Lillian “Lillie” (I found some reports refer to her as Lilly but I find the majority of spelling to be as Lillie)
The first death in the Whaley House – Thomas Whaley Jr.

Pictured: Anna Whaley and her first great-grandchild, Margaret Anna Reynolds (taken around 1907 – Photo Source)

The first death inside The Whaley House, was Thomas’ and Anna’s second born, Thomas Whaley Jr. Thomas Whaley died in the upstairs bedroom at 18 months from Scarlet Fever. He died in January 1858. (Source)

People say they hear a baby crying in the house to this day.

Seven months later after Thomas Jr’s death, a fire broke out in Whaley’s wooden store and The Whaleys made the decision to move to San Francisco. During the time they were living in San Francisco, Anna and Thomas had three more children: George, Violet, and Lillie.

The Whaleys moved back to their house in San Diego from San Francisco after a big earthquake in May 1868. The house and destiny wanted them to return.

The Death of Thomas Tanner from WhaleyHouse.org

“The Whaley House Theater was first established in 1868, when Thomas Tanner, the leader of The Tanner Troupe, rented the upstairs from Thomas Whaley, set up a stage and audience chamber, and presented weekly entertainments. With his daughter Soledad as his leading lady, Tanner and his company packed in 150 people for the first performance. Sadly, the curtain came down on the Tanner Troupe too soon when Tanner dropped dead backstage after a performance one night soon after opening.”

The second death of The Whaley’s – Violet Whaley

Photo of Violet Whaley (Photo Source)

Violet married George T. Bertolacci and had a double wedding with her sister, Anna Amelia in January 1882. Violet’s marriage with George T. Bertolacci had failed. There are reports saying her husband left her after only two weeks of marriage however, Dean Glass, Whaley House Museum historian, has advised while George was not a great person, he did not abandon Violet on their honeymoon (San Diego Uptown News). Reports say George was a con artist and only married Violet for her money. Nevertheless, the marriage failed and the couple’s divorced a year later in 1883 (Source).

Violet Whaley took her father’s pistol and shot herself in the privy/outhouse at 6:30AM on August 18, 1885.

(They also refer to the outhouse as the “water closet” in case you read the court transcript and get confused.) She was brought inside by her father and died in the back parlor.

Both Violet’s father and her sister, Lillie saw her that morning at 6AM. She had taken her father’s caliber about 1-2 days prior which was locked up. At 6:30AM Violet shot herself. Thomas stated right before he heard the gunshot, he was calling for her, asking if she wanted a peach. He ran to her to bring her inside. She was only alive for 10-15 minutes before she died. Violet never said a word or groaned when she brought in, according to her father.

Violet had tried to take her life earlier that year on July 5th by jumping from the back from the house into the cistern. Her sister Lillie stated, “I don’t know why—think she was tired of life—tired of living here—thought no one cared for her and that her life was a burden. ”

Lillie stated, “she took no interest in anything. She was under Dr. Gregg’s treatment; was anxious to have health, but tired of life. “

Thomas Whaley stated, “She had shown no particular life or interest for some time. She was naturally of a lively nature, and loved music very much—played the piano and guitar; seemed to take more interest in such things lately, and we thought she was getting better.”

The suicide note is a passage from ‘Bridge of Sighs’, a poem by Thomas Hood. This was found in the back porch, according to Thomas Whaley. The poem left by Violet stated

“Mad from life’s history,
Swift to death’s mystery;
Glad to be hurled,
Anywhere, anywhere, out of this world.”

I found all this information about Violet’s death from the Whaley House’s Coroner.

After Violet’s death in 1885, Thomas built a house located at 933 State Street in San Diego, where the family moved to.

The Ghost of Violet

People claim they have seen her crying in the outhouse, recreating the moment up until her death. Others have stated they have seen her on the second floor of the house, where Violet would spend most of her time in solitude.

Victor Santana, a museum manager spoke to the LA Times and told the reporter of some testimonies seeing Violet. A police officer wrote in a private letter after his retirement, claiming he saw the ghost of Violet 30 years ago. (This article was written in 2011 so take this into consideration)

Someone had called 911 after hearing cries. An officer reported to the cry in the back of the Whaley House, who was in period clothing, when the police officer asked if she was okay, the woman turned around and smiled. When he lifted up his flash light, she was gone.

Victor Santana also mentioned when he was trying to lock up and input the alarm, at The Whaley House and he heard a woman ask “Why are you here?”. Victor was so spooked, he ran out with the alarm going off. A police officer came to the house and saw a woman in a green dress in the parlor and thought she was a worker there but she had disappeared.

In 1909-1910, Frank had started restoring The Whaley House and by 1912, it was an Old Town tourist attraction (Source).

After years spent away from The Whaley House and after Anna Ameila (the daughter) and Thomas Whaley had passed, Anna (the mother), Lillie, and George had all moved into the house again in 1912 with Frank Whaley, The house was calling to them again..

The Deaths of the Whaleys

Pictured: Lillie, the youngest child with her mother, Anna (Photo Source)

  • In December 1905, Anna Amelia Whaley (Anna’s and Thomas’ third child, not to be confused with the mother) died in Modesto, California at the age of 47. She died before her parents.
  • In December 1890 Thomas Whaley Senior died at 933 State Street in San Diego at 67 years old.
  • In February 1913 Anna Whaley, widow of Thomas, died at “The Whaley House” at 80 years old.
  • Frank Whaley died in 1914, just a year after his mother’s death, inside the house due to rheumatism. He was 59 years old. Source
  • George Hay Ringgold Whaley died in 1928 at the age of 67. (unsure of cause or location of death) Source
  • In 1953, Lillie Whaley died in a Lemon Grove rest home on September 14, 1953, ten days after her 89th birthday. Source

Pictured: Corinne Lillian “Lillie” Whaley (Photo Source)

Where The Whaleys Are Buried

It appears the entire family is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, with the exception of Anna Ameila, who is buried in Modesto Citizens Cemetery.

Information I found but was not able to verify

In 1871, Anna Whaley was held a gunpoint at the house on the 9th step of the stairs by a mob. Thomas Whaley was out of town on a business trip during this time. The records supposedly have been removed. Stated here

U.S. Commerce Department declares The Whaley House as being haunted (one of ONLY TWO California houses). I could not find this on their website.

There is a rumor that a girl died by running into a clothesline however, The Whaley House denies this.

My Personal Experience At The Whaley House

When I visited this house a few years ago, I didn’t have any negative or weird feelings in the house with the exception of the dining room. I felt out of breath and felt very uneasy in this room. I’m not saying this was the cause was anything paranormal, it was just the only room I didn’t like being in. After researching the ghosts of the house, I couldn’t find any connection to the dining room so who knows.

When I spoke to the tour guide and asked if he had any experiences, he had told me that he had smelled tobacco even though no one was around and the Old Town area in San Diego was dead (dead as in – no one was around 😉 ) Thomas Whaley was known for smoking and many other people have experienced the same smell at The Whaley House.

People can hear Yankee Jim’s footsteps and feel a tightness in their throat, Thomas Whaley Jr’s cries, see Violet’s ghost, smell Anna Whaley’s perfume, and Thomas Whaley’s cigar smoke.

I highly highly recommend you go to The Whaley House when you are in San Diego. The house is located in Downtown San Diego at 2476 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110. They have daytime and evening admissions. Click here for more information.

Below is a video I did on the Whaley House. (All information stated in the video has been stated in this blog post!)