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Hull House was built in 1856 as a home for Charles Hull. In 1889 Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr opened it as a settlement house to serve Chicago’s immigrant and poorest residents.
The first paranormal event took place in 1913 when the so called “Devil Baby” was born to a very religious Italian woman who had married an atheist. Legend says that as punishment, their baby was cursed with the Devil’s appearance. It was born with hooves, scaled skin, horns, pointed ears, and a tail. When the news broke about the baby, there was a panic in the nearby neighborhoods. The owners of the house denied that the baby existed to keep it safe from mobs who wanted to kill it.
As the panic subsided, the devil baby became but a legend, as the mystery was never solved. For decades, people passing by the house have reported a creature peering from an attic window. Speculation is that this is the ghost of the devil baby, who may have died in the house as a child.
Other spirits in the house reportedly appear as balls of light that float down the attic staircase. There have also been reports of ectoplasmic mists, and four monk-like hooded phantoms, all of which have been photographed. None of the Hull House ghosts have been identified, other than the Devil baby. There were so many visitors and residents that the list of candidates is too long. One possibility is the man who built the house, Charles Hull, as well as Jane Addams, who ran the settlement house.
Hull House is now a museum and the current staff denies all knowledge of any haunting.
FAQ
Can I visit Hull House?
Yes. It is now the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum on the University of Illinois Chicago campus. Check the museum’s site for hours.
Was there really a Devil Baby?
No baby was ever found. The rumor spread in 1913 and crowds came to the door asking to see it. Jane Addams herself wrote about the visitors.
Is the museum haunted?
Staff deny any haunting. The stories come from passers-by and visitors.
More haunted houses
Read about the Lemp Mansion or the Ferris Mansion.
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