The LePretre House

The Le Pretre House was built in 1836 by Frederic Roy for Joseph Coulon Gardette a denist from Philidelphia. There isn't any record of events in the first few years. In 1838 the house was sold to Jean Baptiste LePretre. LePretre was a wealthy man, a local merchant and the master of a plantation in Plaquemines parish on the Mississippi River. Like most planters the LePretre family lived on their plantation dur the warm months of the year that are the planting and growing season and moved to their New Orleans town house at 716 Rue Dauphine after harvest for the social season. The LePretre family owned the house from 1839 to 1878 when the Citizen's Bank aquired the house as a result of a lawsuit against Jean Baptiste LePretre and Mr. J. Aldige. Before Jean Baptiste LePretre purchased his townhouse he helped to create the Citzens Bank and handled much of it's stocks. He also served as director for several years.
The LePretre house is 3 1/2 stories with great cast iron galleries added to the origenal structure in the mid 1800s. This house is unique of a french creole townhouse in the French Quater because the door of the first floor is located about 3 feet above the ground due to a partially underground basement.( New Orleans homes don't have basements because the city is five feet below sea level.) Durings Jean Baptiste LePetre's ownership the basement held a cellar, a bathroom with a marble tub LePretre's office. The house at one time had a closed stairway leading to the front door from the street. At one time the house was painted rosey pink. Now it is pale yellow with greenish shutters.
At some pointe during LePretre's ownership, the date is unknown but most probably in the mid 1800s he rented his home to to a man from Turkey who claimed to be the brother of the sultan. If this was true the man who rented the LePetre House was the brother of Abdul-Majid of Turkey( Sultan until his death in 1861) and Abd al-Aziz ( suceeded his brother as sultan). The man said he needed to rent a large house that would acomidate his ontourage as well as his brother's who would be joining him soon. Turky was at war during this time in history off and on with several European countries in Europe and Russia. So far I am the first person I have read about in books or seen on the web to this date to name Turkish Sultans who were the suposible brother of the tenant. When the Sultan s brother arrived he was accompanied by guards,harem girls, harem boys,eunichs and servants. They closed the shutters of the house and hung curtains over the windows. Heavy locks were placed on the doors and guards posted at the gates. The neighbors were curious. They heard parties going on all night and reported hearing eastern music and smelling incense whenever people came of left the house. In my opinion it seems the harem were prisoners inside the house. One has to wonder why the police didn't look into this since the people appeared to be slaves since white slavery was illegal in America. It is unknow how long the sultan's brother remained at the house.
One somber overcast day the people of New Orleans saw a ship sail up the river. The ship was anchored a distance away. With the grey sky and fog it appeared to be a ghost ship. It also could have been a pirate ship. The next morning the ship was gone.
A neighbor passing the LePretre House noticed the gates and the door were left open. There was a stream of blood coming from under the gates into the street. He called the authorities. When the police arrived to investigate they found the house had been robed blind. All of the valubles were taken. The robbers left the mutilated bodies of the occupants scattered so that no one could find which body, limbs and head went together. There was blood everywhere. There were no survivors. The harem girls, the harem boys, the eunichs, the guards and the servants all dead. The smell was so horrible some policemen were unable to enter the house. When they serched the courtyard they found a glove by a fresh grave. The Sultan's brother had been buried alive. They found the body still clutching a fist full of dirt in it's dead hand. The police were baffled. There were no suspects in the murders. Neighbors reportedly didn't hear a thing. Many people decided the mysterious ship had something to do with it. No one came to claim the bodies of enquire of the sultan's brother. Locals began to think the Sultan sent his men to seek revenge on his brother for stealing his treasures, harem and servants.

For this to have happened it would taken a large carefully planned operation. That could have been the Sultan of Turkey or it could have been pirates. Someone would have had to know how to carry out the murder without being seen or heard or found.
In modern times paranormal phenomina has been reported in the house. Shrieks and screams have been heard from the home. Late at night and early in the morning a blonde man has been seen at the window. (The Sultan's brother was reportedly light haired.) The house is supose to have an errie presence. Some people even cross the street when passing by. I have noticed the similarities of the LePetre House and the LaLaurie House. Both were built in the 1830s. Both homes were owned by wealthy French Creole familes. Both homes entertained elite New Orleans Society for several years before their horror stories happened. Both owners of the houses were highly thought of and well liked in their circle of friends. Both houses experianced murders and grusome mutilation. Both houses were forever after haunted. And both houses are located on a corner. Hmmmm. Makes you wonder why?
I have my own theory about the identity of the blonde ghost who haunts the LePetre House.
I think he was perhaps the son of Jean Baptiste LePetre who drowned when he and his horse were swept away by the rising Mississippi during a flood. After that the LePetre's spent most of their time at the plantation. Some say LePetre rented out the house because he was in dept and needed money. Others say he rented it during the off season when he was at his Plantation. I think it was because his greif for his son kept him away so he agreed to rent it to the Sultan's brother. The ghost of the blonde man wasn't reported to be angry or agressive, only there. I think if he were the Sultan's ghost perhaps he would be reliving the agony of his death. Maybe he would be more violent scary like the ghosts of the LaLaurie Mansion on Rue Royale. This is my theory I have not yet seen anyone else in books or on the web make this connection.

Caution: I would not recomend you walking around Rue Dauphine and Rue Orleans. This area is very dangerous during the day as well as at night. This is a bad part of the French Quarter not because of ghosts but because of crime. If you must go drive by it in a car with your doors locked.

PS. In regards to Jen's comments in the guestbook.
The custom of killing a Sultan's brother's when he took the throne of the Ottoman Empire was abandoned in the late Sixteenth Century, the 1500's.
The brothers and sons of the Sultan's brothers were locked away in the palace in small rooms living with every material comfort but under strict security.
If the a Sultan's brother escaped he likely would travel with a trusted servant, be accustomed to living in seclusion and the Sultan would in most certainty send a troop of men to deal with the brother and servant. �copyright 1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005 by Germaine. I wrote all of the text. DO NOT borrow or steal anything on this page.

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