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Hotel Provencial –
HauntedHouses.com
Haunted Place: Hotel Provincial
1024 Chartres Street
New Orleans, Louisiana
Hotel Provincial Web Site
LOCATION:
The Hotel Provincial can be found in the
heart of New Orleans, near the corner of St. Philip and Chartres
Street, two blocks east of Bourbon Street, and one block west of
Decatur, not far from the Mississippi River.
DESCRIPTION:
This lovely, upscale hotel is made up of
five buildings. A variety of "tropical", French Quarter courtyards
can be found throughout the property. It has two pools to
refresh the visitor after a hard day of sight-seeing!
The rooms are described as being spacious,
"with 19th Century award-winning architecture." Buildings
100 and 200, were recreations of the 19th-century style New
Orleans decor. Buildings 300 and 400 have been restored to their
original 1820 and 1825 early 19th century styles. Building 500
is a great restoration of its original 1875 structure.
HISTORY:
The five buildings; (100, 200, 300, 400
& 500) which now make up the Hotel Provincial, each have their
own history. During the 1960s, the buildings were bought and
restored by the current owners of The Hotel Provincial.
Lieutenant Louis Boucher de Granpre, was the first owner of the
land that buildings 100 & 200 of The Hotel Provincial now sit
upon, thanks to a land grant in 1725, courtesy of King Louis XV of
France.
75 years later, this parcel was sold to
Chevalier Jean Lavillebeuvre, who owned it from 1780-1797. Two
families; the Laurans and the Roques, got together, bought and
developed the land throughout the 1800s. Around the turn-of-the-century, in 1903, the buildings were sold as a commercial
venture, becoming the new business home to the French Market
Ice Company.
When a 1958 fire burned the buildings
to the ground, the enterprising Dupepe family bought the land, and
built the 100 and 200 buildings, opening a smaller version of The
Hotel Provincial in 1961. As the success of their hotel brought in
profits, the family began to grow their hotel by buying the other
properties close by, adding the other buildings.
The land upon which the 300 building now
sits, originally was used as a medicinal herb garden from the very
beginning of the New Orleans Colony, and throughout the 18th
century. The military hospital was just down the street. The
Archbishop of New Orleans became the next owner for a few years,
and then sold it in 1820. The new owners built a lovely townhouse,
complete with housing for their slaves around 1825. It too was
probably used as a Confederate hospital. In the 1960s the
Dupepe family bought this property, and restored both structures in
1967, making it part of the the Hotel Provincial.
The 400 building originally was an
1830s Creole-style business store, with the living quarters on the
second floor. The building was a commercial property for many
years. It was a hardware store, when the Dupepe family bought it
and restored the building in 1964, so it too could become part of
the Hotel Provincial.
The 500 building is located on land that
was originally owned by the Ursuline Nuns from the early 1700s to
1830. A military hospital was built here in 1722. Antoine Abat.
bought the land and old hospital in 1831, and then sold this
property at a profit to Dominique Seghers, who had plans!
Seghers had the old hospital torn down, and built two glorious
houses on the land. In 1848, these mansions were turned into
commercial use by the new owner Francoise Sambola, becoming a
boarding house and coffee house. Both structures were probably used
as a Civil War Hospital.
Unfortunately, both houses burned to the
ground during the 1874 fire. The present, 500 building,
sprung up in the ashes soon after. In 1916, the building
became the headquarters of The Reuter Seed Company. This building
was bought in 1969 by the Dupepe Family, completing the size of The
Hotel Provincial.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS:
Some of haunted buildings listed on this
site were military hospitals, whether in large buildings (Fort Hayes Military Hospital, * Maumee Bay Brewing Company) or individual homes
(Carnton Mansion).
Some of the buildings which make up the
Hotel Provincial were used as parts of a Civil War Confederate
Hospital, where many soldiers died of their wounds.
Entities who haunt one building that
suffers a demise, or is torn down, have been known to stick around
and haunt the next building which is constructed on the land.
(Antlers
Hilton)
In the case of the hauntings in building
500, soldier entities from both the 18th and 19th century are
haunting the third building that was constructed on this
land.
MANIFESTATIONS:
Entities who are still reliving their pain
and wounds of the body and heart are here, in certain rooms, and
especially in Building 500.
Somewhere in the Hotel Provincial
Room A
The brave, highly decorated entity of
a soldier, dressed in a military uniform has a heavy heart - Not
done with his business here in this world:
1) When a private seance was held in this
room, he obligingly appeared in a solid form and tried to speak to
them, telling what was on his heart.
An EVP that was recorded, implored the
living to tell his girlfriend Diane that he has to go.
Another EVP taken by another investigator, fills in more of his
story. Diane loved another man, not this soldier and he needed to
leave.
2) All is not gloom and doom. He entertains
himself by listening to the room's radio, playing music that he
loves:rock music. Whenever the radio is turned to another station,
he simply with patience just turns it back to what he wants to
listen to.
Room B
The entity of a soldier who is wearing a 1930
Khaki military uniform inhabits this room.
1) He too loves music, and listens to
country music on the room's radio.
2) This entity has been known to appear boldly to guests,
making eye contact before he disappears.
3) This entity keeps a close eye on the living, perhaps making sure
they don't take the towels or other souvenirs! Guests in this
room have reported the feeling of being watched, and have felt cold
spots. Sometimes this entity allows the living to catch his image
on camera.
Building 5
Has many paranormal hot spots
of activity.
second floor - Witnesses have seen a garish
Civil War hospital scene for a moment, when the elevator opened up.
Probably the result of residual energy.
Guests and maids have noticed blood stains that appear and
disappear at will on bedding in some rooms.
Entities of doctors and wounded soldiers have made themselves
visible to the living, sometimes reaching out for help. Moans and
groans of the wounded are heard.
SOURCES INCLUDE:
Top 10 Haunted Hotels in America page on HauntedAmericaTours.com
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