The Spirits of the Mordecai House

Posted: 03.14.2025 | Updated: 03.14.2025

Located along Mimosa Street in Raleigh, North Carolina, sits the oldest home in the city: Mordecai House. Built before Raleigh was founded, Mordecai has stood the test of time since the late 18th century. 

Formerly a plantation and currently a historic museum open to the public, Mordecai House is believed to be haunted by former residents who are bound to the home for one reason or another. 

Want to learn more about the ghosts and hauntings of Charlotte? Be sure to book a ghost tour with Queen City Ghosts to learn all the ghostly lore!

Who Haunts Mordecai House?

Several spirits have been reported in and around Mordecai House over the years. Guests have heard disembodied voices, seen doors open and close on their own, and heard the Mordecai family’s piano play ghostly tunes when no one is near it.

Mary Willis, the former matriarch of the Mordecai family, is said to be the chief resident ghost. She regularly makes her presence known, especially if she does not approve of certain guests entering her home.

The strong and pervasive hauntings at Mordecai House have led to it being known as the most haunted house in all of Raleigh.

The History of Mordecai House

Mordecai House was built for Henry Lane, the son of wealthy businessman Joel Lane. Joel had the house built in 1785, which was seven years before Raleigh became a city and North Carolina’s capital. In fact, Joel Lane sold off much of the land that made up his plantation to the city of Raleigh. Some suspect he may have influenced politicians to buy the land, which was further inland than other major capitals. 

Mordecai House officially got its name when a man named Moses Mordecai married into the Lane family in 1817. Moses was a member of one of the most influential and respected Jewish families in the United States. 

Moses was a prominent attorney, and his father founded a North Carolina girls’ school. While owning the house, Moses added an addition and transformed Mordecai House into the Greek Revival home that it is today.

After the death of his wife Margaret, Moses stayed in the Lane family by marrying her younger sister, Ann. Moses Mordecai and his descendants would go on to own the home for nearly 150 years.

The Mordecai family sold the home to the city of Raleigh in 1964, and it was transformed into a museum. The house remains open for tours, which give insight into the house’s complicated history. 

In addition to housing five generations of Mordecais, over one hundred enslaved people lived and died on the land during its years as a plantation. Those who run Mordecai House believe it is imperative to tell its entire story, even the parts that are difficult to hear.

Mordecai House is part of a larger cluster of historic homes in what is now Mordecai Historic Park. These homes include the birthplace of US President Andrew Johnson.

The Hauntings of Mordecai House

Visitors, staff, and paranormal investigators have reported ghostly activity in Mordecai House. Doors are known to open and close by themselves, and investigators have communicated with spirits through various electronic devices.

A paranormal investigative team known as the Ghost Guild has documented unsettling paranormal phenomena over the years. Outside Mordecai House, investigators recorded an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) of a little girl humming. It was late at night and there were no children around.

Alone in the house, one investigator recorded what sounded like someone falling to the ground on the second floor. Along with this phantom noise was the sound of a man shouting, “Get up!” Investigators speculated that this could be a residual haunting replaying itself.

During one investigation, a team member was climbing the main staircase when she was overwhelmed by a deep sense of grief. She felt as if a child had died, and had to turn around before making it to the second floor. It’s theorized that the investigator was experiencing the grief of Martha Mordecai, whose baby son died in the house after being scalded in a bath and catching pneumonia. 

The Lady In Gray

There is the ghost of a woman dressed in gray who has been seen in Mordecai House by countless witnesses over the years. Her spirit is most often seen standing on the grand front balcony or descending the stairs of the main staircase. She interacts with the living and does not seem to mind them seeing her.

The Lady in Gray is thought to be Mary Willis Mordecai Turk who lived from 1858-1937. Mary became the matriarch of the family and would have been responsible for the upkeep of Mordecai House. 

She was known for taking great pride in her home and entertaining guests after church on Sundays. It would seem that Mary’s devotion to the home she so loved continues on in the afterlife. 

Many attribute the phantom piano playing to Mary’s spirit. People have seen an unsettling gray mist above the piano thought to be Mary.

A word to the wise: be careful what you say while in Mordecai House. Mary apparently doesn’t take kindly to anyone criticizing her home or doing anything that she would consider improper by 19th-century standards. When Mary’s spirit is angered, her photo will fall off the wall to let the living know she doesn’t appreciate their behavior. 

Haunted Charlotte

Nearly 250 years after it was built, Mordecai House offers visitors a unique glimpse into the past. In addition to the array of historical artifacts in the home, the ghosts of Mordecai House remind the living that the past isn’t all that far away.

Ready to learn more about haunted Charlotte? Book your ghost tour now with Queen City Ghosts to hear about North Carolina’s most notorious ghost stories! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real North Carolina hauntings.

Sources:

• https://theghostguild.weebly.com/mordecai-historic-park.html
• https://abc11.com/mordecai-house-haunted-raleigh-triangle/4475672/
• https://www.wral.com/story/haunted-raleigh-mordecai-house-ghost/20501317/
• https://northcarolinaghosts.com/piedmont/the-ghost-of-mordecai-house/