Jennie Wade House
Ghosts of Gettysburg are still fighting the battle within the Jennie Wade House
Paranormal Reports at
the Jennie Wade House
- The apparition of Jennie Wade has been seen in the house and around the property
- The smells of fresh baking bread and cigar smoke are encountered in the house
- Potential EVPs have been captured by past investigators
- Visitors report being touched by unseen forces
- Anomalous photographs have been taken in the house
- A male presence is felt and seen in the basement
- Batteries drain in the basement without known cause
- A bullet hole in the home carries a unique legend
A War Hero Story:
History of the Jennie Wade House
Balanced between the historic Gettysburg battlefield and the modern community, the Jennie Wade House is the unofficial gateway to past wars.
The home itself is the sort of home you can find in almost any town in America. But this little brick duplex is a cornerstone of Civil War history.
Now a museum, the Jennie Wade House has a reputation for being a place where the Battle of Gettysburg never truly ended. And there is more than just exhibits and artifacts keeping the memory alive.
The ghost of Jennie Wade herself helps keep her story at the forefront in Gettysburg.
Timeline of Jennie Wade House's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Jennie Wade House through the years
1843
Jennie Wade was born in Gettysburg in 1843. In the years before the Civil War, she lived a quiet life in the town. She grew up with a seamstress mother and a father who spent his life relegated to insane asylums. Jennie spent much of her early life in a small home just a few blocks north of the current Jennie Wade House. In 1854, she moved with her mother to another home on Gettysburg’s Breckenridge Street.
1863
Life stayed quiet for the Wade family until the Civil War came to Gettysburg in 1863. Jennie hoped to support the Union cause however she could. But, there was one matter she had to attend to first. As war threatened the family’s home on Breckenridge Street, Jennie packed up everything she and her family could carry. They made haste to the small home rented by her sister, Georgia, on Baltimore Street. The tiny duplex was cramped, but the Wades were confident in the brick house’s safety.
1863
While many Gettysburg citizens took cover during the battle, Jennie made herself useful. As bullets cut through the air and dead bodies piled up in fields, Jennie busied herself baking bread and pumping well water. Over the battle’s second day, she brought trays of food and pales of water to Union soldiers. Even as the fighting worsened and got ever closer to home, Jennie continued to bus food and water to soldiers without fear.
1863
In the early morning of July 3, 1863, Jennie was in the kitchen of the Baltimore Street duplex when a Minie Ball bullet burst through the kitchen door. The round struck her in the back and pierced her heart, killing her instantly. Jennie Wade would be the only civilian casualty of the Battle of Gettysburg. Two Union soldiers in the house took it upon themselves to give her a burial behind the home, even in the midst of battle. The soldiers buried her body in a coffin that had been intended for Confederate General William Barksdale.
1865
When the fighting finally stopped, the little duplex had been pummeled by dozens of bullets and several cannon balls. After the smoke cleared, Jennie Wade’s role in the battle was quickly understood, and she was memorialized along with other fallen fighters. Her body was reinterred in the nearby Evergreen Cemetery in 1865, alongside many of the battle’s other casualties. In recognition of her service to the army, the US granted her mother a military pension in 1882.
1900
As the years went on, both the Battle of Gettysburg and Jennie Wade’s role saw a surge in public interest. A monument to Jennie was built in 1900, and, in 1910, an American flag was installed at her grave, made to fly 24-hours a day, as a mark of honor. To date, she is one of only two women in American history to be given such an honor, with the other being Betsy Ross. The home where she was killed was converted into a museum around this same era, being officially named the Jennie Wade House.
Is The Jennie Wade House Haunted?
The Jennie Wade House has been a popular museum with Gettysburg tourists ever since it opened, greeting throngs each year. In the years since, it has been filled with numerous artifacts from Jennie’s life.
But, some people who tour through the home encounter apparitions as well as artifacts. Jennie Wade’s phantom is one of the most frequently reported entities inside. And, intriguingly, she may not be alone in haunting the Gettysburg duplex.
Jennie’s Curious Ghost
Jennie Wade’s shadow figure is often spotted lingering near windows to startle passersby. When not lingering indoors, Jennie’s specter also walks around the surrounding property, often fading into thin air before peoples’ eyes.
Another tell-tale sign of Jennie’s presence is the smell of bread baking in the kitchen. Some say her spirit is forever stuck baking bread for weary Union soldiers, and that the smell of her efforts will similarly linger forever.
Phantoms in the Basement
Though Jennie Wade is the most well-known spirit in her namesake house, other entities are reported as well.
Many people who visit the basement claim that a male presence can be sensed, and sometimes even seen.
Those who encounter this spirit suggest it is the phantom of Jennie Wade’s father, though this is mostly conjecture.
Ghost hunters who explore the basement report battery drains on all kinds of electrical tools and equipment. Some of them figure the drains to be the work of the basement ghost, whether it’s Jennie’s father or not.
Mysterious Spirits Smoke Cigars
Smells of phantom cigar smoke are also reported in the house, almost always on the second floor.
This stench could be Jennie’s father, but others believe there is a separate male entity responsible for this cigar smell. But, no one has a firm idea on the identity of that second man’s spirit.
The Wade’s Child Specter
Along with mysterious men and spectral smokers, visitors report a small child in the Jennie Wade House.
The small spirit will hug people’s legs, sometimes clinging to them through their entire tour. But once they step outside, the child’s mysterious weight disappears in an instant.
Strange Photos & Odd Sounds
While much of the activity reported in the Jennie Wade House stems from daytime tours and historic explorations, ghost hunters turn up additional activity.
Either through informal investigations during their tours, or on private ghost hunts, spirit seekers document all kinds of strange happenings.
Photos taken around the house, both inside and out, sometimes show unexplainable anomalies and lights.
Additionally, ghost hunters who take audio recordings inside the house come away with potential EVPs of Jennie Wade herself.
Jennie’s Haunted Bullet Holes
Even with all the eerie claims and ghostly stories, the Jennie Wade House’s most curious report comes from the kitchen door. The bullet hole from the shot that killed Jennie can still be seen in the door. Today, a popular legend says that if anyone sticks their ring finger through the hole, they’ll get married soon after.
Museum staff often receive letters from past visitors who claim they tried the trick on their visit and did, in fact, get engaged shortly after.
This activity may be down to coincidence, and the sheer number of visitors Gettysburg gets, but others have ghostly theories in mind.
Jennie Wade was killed before she had the chance to get married and start a family. So, is this her way of helping others enjoy the life she missed out on?
Jennie Wade:
The Ghost of Gettysburg
There are plenty of reasons to visit the Jennie Wade House today. Not only is it a one-of-a-kind museum and a place to learn all about a major Civil War figure, but it’s also one of the town’s most famous haunted places.
Nowadays, thanks to many published stories and TV features, countless paranormal enthusiasts explore the little brick home each year.
While it’s a popular historical museum, the Jennie Wade House makes space for their ghosts. They offer ghost tours through their website, and tickets can be purchased in the gift shop. Additionally, many other Gettysburg ghost tours feature the home’s tales.
Even if you’re just passing by, you might spot Jennie’s figure in a window or be drawn in by the smell of baking bread. And if you get drawn close enough to fit a finger through the kitchen door’s bullet hole, Jennie Wade’s haunting might help you get hitched.
