Furniture magnate Amos Giles Rhodes wanted the best of the best for his new mansion on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. Built in 1904, at the height of America’s fascination with electricity, Rhodes installed some 300 light bulbs throughout his home, ensuring that its gilded rooms glittered on the darkest of nights.
Over a century later, it seems a light still flickers in Rhodes Hall—shimmering from the other side of the veil.
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One of the most elegant surviving examples of the Romanesque Revival architectural style, Rhodes Hall was built from granite carved out of Georgia’s Stone Mountain. Locals may have called it a castle but Rhodes and his wife Amanda called their home “La Rêve,” or “The Dream.” At the time, construction of their dream home cost $50,000. In addition to the electricity that coursed through its halls, Rhodes Hall was also outfitted with an electric call button in most rooms and a security system.
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- Photo Credit: Ghost Hunt Weekends
Amanda passed away in 1927. Her obituary reportedly stated that she died after “suffering a long illness,” and the cause of death was listed as “senility.” Amos died just a year later. The Rhodes’ children deeded the home to the state of Georgia not long after their parents’ deaths. And yet, according to some, the spirits of the original owners never left. Visitors have reported the spectral presence of an elderly woman in the mansion, and many assume it must be the ghost of Mrs. Rhodes, said to have died in the house. Others report a figure in the basement of the home that they describe as the “evil man.”
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From 1984 to 1992, Rhodes Hall served as a haunted house attraction during the Halloween season. Throughout, the manse remained a hotbed of paranormal activity. Featured frequently on ghost shows like Ghost Hunters, paranormal investigators and curious visitors alike have reported, at the very least, a menacing male presence in the mansion. And some, armed with video and audio equipment, have captured other disturbing activity on camera: like EVPs, ghostly figures, the sound of laughing children, lights that inexplicably turn on and off, and doors slamming shut and locking themselves.
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- Photo Credit: Ghost Hunt Weekends
Thanks to preservation efforts, the house remains in excellent historic condition—which no doubt adds to its foreboding air. One particular relic dating back to the original owner is a three-panel stained glass mural depicting the rise of the Confederacy. The mural includes medallion portraits of over a dozen Confederates, among them KKK Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forest.
Today, the Georgia Trust, which supervises historic preservation projects in the state, oversees Rhodes Hall, ensuring that it will remain preserved for years to come. While its doors are usually closed to walk-in visits from the public, there are ways of venturing inside—with a paranormal investigator as your guide.
Ghost Hunt Weekends regularly conducts group investigations at Rhodes Hall. Chad Morin, the founder of Ghost Hunt Weekends, reports that prior groups have encountered a variety of otherworldly activity, from the sound of heavy boots thumping across the second floor to witnessing apparitions appear in mirrors and seeing artwork fly off the wall.
On November 3rd, 2018, Ghost Hunt Weekends will once again explore the haunted corridors of the Castle on Peachtree Street—and we’re giving away two superfan tickets to the event!
One lucky winner will receive two superfan tickets to the November 3rd ghost hunt, a $150 travel voucher, and a one-year to subscription to our horror box service, Creepy Crate.
Dying to step inside? Click here to enter our Ghost Hunt Getaway Prize Package to Rhodes Hall!
All photos via: Ghost Hunt Weekends
