Buckner Mansion
photo taken from asergeev.com
Buckner Mansion is located on Jackson Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana. The current owner of this beautiful estate is Mr. Charles Zambito. The mansion was originally built in 1853, when Henry Sullivan Buckner hired architect Lewis E. Reynolds to build the biggest house in the district at the time. In its finished form, the mansion contained more than 20,000 square feet, 16-foot ceilings, and double galleries that went around three sides of the house. Located directly behind the house was a slave quarter built to accommodate the staff that was needed to maintain this elegant property.
Miss Josephine was the name of the woman who ran all the operations of the house. She was a colored woman that was free, and was put in charge of all the slaves and gardeners on the estate. She was someone who made sure that everything was done efficient and right. She even was a midwife, meaning that she gave birth to many babies in the slave quarters. When a delivery was a failure, she would bury the newborn baby, and take care of the mother, recuperating her back to health. She had earned such a great reputation that she even became the governess for the Buckner children.
Miss Josephine was so devoted to her job and family that she remained on the property during the Civil War, even when all the freed slaves had packed up and left town. She would eventually die in the mansion, and she was thereafter buried in Lafayette Cemetery. However, her spirit has never actually left the estate of the Buckner Mansion. The broom of Ms. Josephine can still be heard in many of the rooms in the mansion. A lemon scent can also be smelt, a scent that was her favorite to smell as she worked in the house. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing the chandelier shake, lights go on and off, and doors opening and closing.
The spirit of Miss Josephine has been seen from Coliseum Street by people observing the mansion as they walk past. The view from the street shows the galleries of the mansion and the slave quarter’s. Her apparition has been seen walking up the stairs and walking the galleries. Miss Josephine has also been seen staring out the window onto the street. Many psychics have come to visit Ms. Josephine’s room and report overwhelming feeling’s of sadness, and the sound of a woman praying. Today, the Buckner Mansion is rented out as a party hall for occasions such as weddings and birthdays.
(Source: Dwyer, Jeff. Ghost Hunter’s Guide to New Orleans. 2007.)
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Eric Hundin