The Mystery of the Bootlegger House

Posted: 10.01.2024 | Updated: 10.01.2024

You’ve signed some papers and are now the proud owner of the house of your dreams. It couldn’t get any better as the previous owner slides the keys to you. Instead of a typical “congratulations,” the seller casually mentions that there’s a mischievous spirit in the house. What do you do? For many, that would be the moment the papers are ripped up before returning home and starting from scratch with house hunting.

However, John Causby decided to stay when he purchased the infamous Bootlegger House in Uptown Charlotte in March 1999. Over his 20-plus years as owner, Causby experienced a series of inexplicable events that left him bewildered and without answers. The identity of the ghost who haunts one of the oldest residential locations in the city of Charlotte is as much a mystery as the history of the house itself. 

Is The Bootlegger House the Most Haunted House in Charlotte?

Prohibition gave birth to a new era of crime, with bootlegging thriving as a lucrative business throughout North Carolina. Charlotte operated as a hub full of speakeasies and bootleggers who took any measure to evade law enforcement. One of them was augmenting the performance of their cars and racing them. Whichever was fastest was chosen to transport their illegal liquor. The sport came to be known today as NASCAR. Meanwhile, underneath the city, a hive of tunnels dating back to the city’s gold rush period gave bootleggers more inconspicuous routes for transportation. 

At the center of Charlotte’s black market was the Bootlegger House, now at 400 Poplar Street. Once considered a bootlegging hideout, this quaint Queen-Anne-style home still holds a secret liquor compartment that has gained a ghostly reputation in recent decades. It’s a reputation blanketed in mystery, as no one knows for sure what happened in the house. However, many ghost enthusiasts are sure it holds a darker side due to its past criminal activity. It’s a history filled with spirits that can’t easily be bottled. Book a ghost tour today with Queen City Ghosts to discover more of Charlotte’s haunted history.

History of the Bootlegger House

Charlotte was the ideal location for bootlegging during prohibition, with its numerous strategic locations. At the center of this lucrative empire was the Bootlegger House, built in 1894 on 227 Caldwell Street in the predominantly blue-collar, African-American neighborhood dubbed “Little Brooklyn.” As the nickname suggests, the house served as a hideout for the illegal distribution of alcohol throughout the 1920s. To this day, a hidden door remains under the stairwell of the foyer, blending in with the wall’s molding that reveals a secret compartment used for hiding liquor when opened. 

The house was almost decimated and left to the rubble of history in 1971. As part of an urban renewal project, several houses were set to be demolished to make room for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center that still stands today. However, a man named Michael Trent made a last-minute purchase of the house for a whopping $50 and moved it to its current location in Charlotte’s 4th Ward. 

John Causby, the house’s current owner, purchased the home in March 1999 with a few words said to him on closing day. Supposedly, the seller told him the house had a mischievous spirit. While it didn’t phase Causby, he has since experienced a series of strange, ghostly occurrences in residence, making the Bootlegger House arguably the most haunted house in Charlotte. The house was put up for sale as of May 2024. 

Though not open to the public, the Bootlegger House is a staple in Charlotte’s history, making for an interesting casual walk by for ghost enthusiasts and history buffs alike searching for a chilling story. 

Hauntings at the Bootlegger House

The spirit that haunts the Bootlegger House is still a mystery, but it’s definitely against change. Causby has stated that weird happenings would swiftly follow whenever the house is undergoing renovations as simple as a paint-over. He remembered coming downstairs one morning and looking into the dining room when he found a chair perfectly balanced on two legs.

On other occasions, the faucets would turn on at 3 a.m., and doors would slam shut. One experience that stands out to Causby is when he and his partner found themselves locked out of their downstairs bathroom one day. Every effort they made to get in, including calling a locksmith, was futile. Left with only one option, Causby and his partner decided to break in through the window the next day. But the next day came, and the door was already opened, revealing an empty bathroom. Only adding to the weirdness was that the door could only be locked from the inside. 

Causby also experienced ghostly activity in the kitchen when he went to retrieve a blow torch for a creme brulee he planned on making. Upon opening the cabinet, he noticed that the blowtorch was fully lit. 

Several theories have surfaced over the years, attempting to explain precisely who the spirit is behind the Bootlegger House haunting. Some believe that the house’s location has something to do with it, but that doesn’t explain why there were no reported hauntings under the house’s original owner, Michael Trent.

A Water Loving Spirit

For a location so well-known for its liquor distribution, it’s somewhat ironic that the spirit of the Bootlegger House has an unusual penchant for water. Nonetheless, it appears to be a common theme in several otherworldly experiences Causby has encountered in the home. He recalled one day when he saw someone dressed in a raincoat and hat out of the corner of his eye, standing in the den. Causby called out to see if anyone was there but was only met with silence. Frustrated, he called out a second time, this time directly asking who the spirit was, when a pot fell off the pot rack in the kitchen. Causby and his partner also woke up one morning to find a trail of wet footprints going down the staircase, belonging to neither of them.

Haunted Charlotte

The city of Charlotte stands as a picture-perfect example of contemporary economic prosperity with its towering infrastructure and abundance of entertainment venues. Visitors and residents can experience the best of both worlds, taking in the city’s history and astonishing natural beauty. However, another realm dwells underneath the beauty of Charlotte’s metropolitan landscape, making it a cornucopia of haunted locations and spirits from beyond. 

At the center of it all is the Bootlegger House, a place filled with spiritual activity, yet exactly who is behind the hauntings remains unknown. Perhaps we’ll never get to the bottom of it. The house continues to fascinate history and ghost enthusiasts alike as the most haunted residence in Charlotte. Have the courage to explore some of Charlotte’s most haunted locations? Book a ghost tour with Queen City Ghosts today. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real North Carolina hauntings.

Sources:

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article288390235.html

https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2018/10/25/is-the-bootlegger-house-the-most-haunted-house-in-charlotte-23595