Ghost walking down haunted Elfreth's Alley

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The Hauntings of Elfreth’s Alley

Nestled in the heart of Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood is a historic street so well preserved and set apart that a visitor could be forgiven for thinking they’d stepped back in time and landed in early colonial America.

While the winds of change have blown through Elfreth’s Alley since the early 18th century, the pristine beauty and distinct architecture of the period have stood the test of time. You can wander the cobbles and step back in time yourself on a haunted Philadelphia ghost tour with Philly Ghosts.

WHO HAUNTS ELFRETH’S ALLEY?

Ghost in street
Copyright US Ghost Adventures

If one could wander through the years, stepping in from time to time, peering into a place, Elfreth’s Alley would offer a rare glimpse of the changing faces and culture as the years roll by. As Philadelphia crept forward from war and the struggle with the British Empire, the world changed, as did the culture and businesses on the alley. 

This tight-knit street, with its compact buildings, has been home to merchants, notable American figures, and seafaring immigrants through the years. Such a cauldron of life and death has given rise to tales and whispers of many who may never have left Elfreth’s Alley, even after they left this earth.

THE HISTORY OF ELFRETH’S ALLEY

Elfreth’s Alley, named after Silversmith Jeremiah Elfreth, is the longest continuously inhabited street in the United States. The cobbled stretch of residences and ever-changing businesses date all the way back to 1703, long before the formation of the USA. 

The immaculately preserved and maintained Federal and Georgian-style buildings speak to an era when European settlers were bringing their own distinct sense of urbanization and culture to American shores. 

The homes, which date from 1720 to 1736, while unquestionably charming today, are typically small. The time-lost stretch of worn cobbles also plays host to examples of Philadelphia Trinity houses. These very tall, thin structures are also known as Band-Box houses and, quite peculiarly, Father, Son & Holy Ghost houses.

The odd nature of these unique structures meant they were traditionally more affordable to your average Elfreths Alley resident. However, these patently Philadephian structures have seen a resurgence in appeal and desirability. Time has been kind to Father, Son & Holy Ghost houses and placed them neatly in the historical tapestry of the former capital of the colonies. 

Philadelphia was a key city during the American Revolution, having been occupied by British forces between 1777 and 1778. However, the Industrial Revolution saw enormous changes in the Alley’s population.

Benjamin Franklin is believed to have visited the Alley around 1730, when an original member of his ‘Junto’, also known as the Leather Apron Club, resided on the street. Yet within less than a century, the alley had changed dramatically in all but appearance, remaining somehow frozen in time. 

The 19th Century and Beyond

As factories arrived in close proximity, Elfreth’s became home to a massive influx of immigrant workers during the 19th century. By the late 19th century, Elfreth’s Alley was predominantly home to Irish immigrants, all in search of their fortune in the New World.

As the decades rolled by, the deafening boom of the Industrial Revolution gave way to quieter times. Through the 1930s and post-WW2, workers left as the factories closed, leaving a small number of properties in disrepair. For the only time in its existence, the street was considered a slum as the turmoil surrounding it took its toll. 

Much like its earlier immigrant population, Elfreth’s was made of stern stuff and rebounded to become the celebrated site it is today. According to some, the rustically elegant facades and worn cobbles aren’t all that is frozen in time.

GHOSTS THROUGH TIME

Elfreth’s Alley has been no stranger to the Furness of the American Revolution, the explosion of industry that followed, and the wider ever-changing face of the nation. Like a time capsule for all to open, the alley tells many tales of the people who lived, died, and indeed may still remain. 

Ghosts are often thought of as lingering souls or perhaps the spirits of someone attached to a place and time, forever bound to a moment. This tiny street has been home to thousands over the centuries, with all the human drama and consequences it affords. It is no surprise, then, that such a condensed hub of humanity is thought to be a hub of hauntings, too.

Strange phenomena have been a frequent visitor to Elfreth’s, with some left in fear and dread as to what awaits them on the cobbles. Over 40 million people a year visit the City Of Brotherly Love, and the attraction of Elfreth’s Alley and its rich history are constant draws. 

Ghost outside
Copyright US Ghost Adventures

Perhaps visits to the alley should come with a warning, as many have been shocked to see strange orbs in photographs and odd lights while walking the aged stretch. Other nervous tourists have reported strange mists descending on otherwise clear days, leaving them uneasy. 

Most shocking of all is the experience of some who claim to have been all but assaulted by an unseen force. More than one visitor to Elfriths has described the sensation of blissfully enjoying the alley’s historic charm, only to feel the distinct sensation of being choked as they tighten around their neck, striking fear into the unaware wanderers. Perhaps this gruesome sensation has been felt in the alley before. 

HANGED FOR ESPIONAGE

Elfreth’s Alley was home to notable residents through the years, such as Betsy Ross, designer of the first American flag, Dolly Maddison, wife of President James Madison, and even Stephen Girard, one of the richest men of the 19th century.

However, it was a more temporary residence that is believed to linger in both infamy and spirit.

Philadelphia was at the beating heart of the American Revolution. The British occupation of the city, which began in September 1777, left an indelible mark on the alley residents and the city as a whole. 

Even today, tales of one British fighting man’s fate are intertwined with the streets’ past. It is now known that both sides employed the treachery of others seeking an upper hand with so much at stake. 

The Crown is believed to have uncovered the treachery of one King’s soldier who was promptly hung high on Elfreth’s Alley to clearly demonstrate the end that awaited those who were in league with colonials. 

No record has survived of this man’s identity, but the story has survived for far longer. Numerous witnesses claim to have seen the ghostly figure of this executed soldier in full uniform walking the weathered stones of the alley. The act that took the man’s life in full view of those 18th-century alley dwellers may have placed the soldier on patrol for all time.

HAUNTED PHILADELPHIA 

Elfreth’s Alley and its thousands of residents who have come and gone through time are now woven into Philadelphia’s aged tapestry. The best way to experience that tapestry is perhaps a stroll down Elfreth’s, where one of the residences has been made into a museum, highlighting the lives of some who spent their days in the alley. 

Judging by the tales that still linger in the area, you may learn more of a soldier’s fate than you bargained for. Don’t choke! Execute your plan to explore on a haunted Philadelphia ghost tour with Philly Ghosts.

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Sources:

  1. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/elfreths-alley/#:~:text=Landowners%20Arthur%20Wells%20and%20John,and%20working%20on%20the%20Alley.
  1. https://www.thecityroot.com/blog/city-occult-6-the-ghosts-of-philadelphias-past
  1. https://listverse.com/2023/03/20/10-haunted-places-to-visit-in-philadelphia/
  1. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/1eb13716-03fd-4855-a49a-7b8bafbd6866
  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS-xiBrjtOI

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