New Orleans Most Haunted Place: LaLaurie Mansion

In all the areas of New Orleans, Laori Mansion is considered as the most haunted house and everyone in New Orleans believes this story as true.

Madame LaLaurie

'Marie Delphine Macarty' who was a cruel woman behind this story. She was born on March 19, 1780. Her father was Louis Barthelemy de McCarty and mother was Marie Jeanne Lerable.

She was married three times. After her third marriage, her name was called Madame Lallauri. She was infamous for torturing and likely murdering her household slaves.

First marriage and death of husband

On June 11, 1800, Delphine Macarty married Don Ramon de Lopez y Angullo, a Caballero de la Royal de Carlos (a high ranking Spanish officer) at the St. Louis Cathedral. In 1804, Delphine and Ramón Lopez traveled to Spain. The accounts differ on what occurred on the journey, but what we do know is that Don Ramon died in Havana en route to Madrid. Delphine was not with him when he died. During the voyage, Delphine gave birth to a daughter, named Marie Borgia Delphine Lopez y Angulla de la Candelaria, nicknamed "Borquita". After the sudden death of her husband, Delphine and her daughter did not stay there for more days. Both mother and daughter soon returned to New Orleans.

Second marriage and death of husband 

In June 1808, Delphine married Jean Blanque, a man who carried many titles including banker, merchant, lawyer, and legislator. After their marriage, Jean Blanque bought a house at 409 Royal Street in New Orleans for the family. During her marriage to Blanque, Delphine gave birth to four more children: Marie Louise Pauline, Louise Marie Laure, Marie Louise Jeanne, and Jeanne Pierre Paulin Blanque. Unfortunately, something bad happened again and Jean Blanque died in 1816. 

Third marriage

In June 1825, Delphine married her third husband, physician Leonard Louis Nicolas LaLaurie. Nicolas LaLaurie was much younger than Delphine. In 1831,  Delphine purchased the property at 1140 Royal Street, where she would live with her husband and two of her children. In 1832 they had built a 2-story mansion there, complete with attached slave quarters. But it seemed that both were not happy with their marriage. And for this reason maybe her husband left her alone in the early months of 1834. 

Delphine got a big shock after her husband left her alone. Rumors spread that she was harming her slaves, and an incident in 1833 when a young slave within the household, Leia, fell to her death in the courtyard turned all eyes on Marie Delphine Macarty LaLaurie. An investigation was held by the council, an all of her slaves were set free. One by one, Delphine purchased them all back. The events within 1140 Royal Streets quieted until that fateful night in 1834.

The Fire at the LaLaurie Mansion

On the morning of April 10, 1834, a luxurious house owned by Delphine LaLaurie was set on fire.. The fire not only destroyed part of the house, it also burned seven slaves who were starved, tortured and chained in the upper part of the building.

Some of those helpless were taken to the hospital where they got medical treatment, food and drink.
Nearly two thousand people came to see the victims. The people began gathered at the LaLaurie Mansion in expectation that the Sheriff would arrest Delphine. However, the Sheriff never arrived. As one day passed and no action was taken, the crowd slowly transformed into a mob with only one thought on their mind: vengeance.

When Madame LaLaurie managed to escape from there, The unhappy crowd attacked the empty residence and then started deforming the house walls and roof. By the next morning, they nearly destroyed the house. Details of the fire and the aftermath, as reported by eyewitnesses, emerged in the local newspapers during the following week. The account was soon picked up by national publications. Madame LaLaurie was reviled as a "monster," a "demon in the shape of a woman" and "fury itself escaped from hell."

The fire was ignited in the kitchen of the grand mansion. Allegedly started on purpose by a slave woman who had been chained to a stove as punishment, the fire seemed to be an attempt at trying to call attention to the deplorable conditions that she and her fellow slaves were forced to endure.

The LaLaurie Mansion

Despite the nearly two centuries which have passed since the fire in 1834, the events of that year are still told today as though they occurred only just yesterday. Facts are spun into tales of brutality and torture, until the truth is a muddled pool that can never be sorted. In fact, the more research one does the more confusing the whole story becomes. The house become an entity all unto itself. When actor Nicolas Cage purchased the building in 2009, he lost it soon after because of bankruptcy. His career tanked not long after that and New Orleanians whispered that it must be the curse of the LaLaurie Mansion which caused the downward spiral. Notarial records show us that since Delphine LaLaurie, no one has lived at 1140 Royal Street for more than five years at a time. And as the current owner, an oil tycoon from Texas, of the mansion has only lived there since about 2012/2013, it is quite possible that his time at the Haunted House on Royal is soon coming to an end.

The Ghosts in Haunted LaLaurie Mansion

For almost 200 years, there have been reports of paranormal activity coming from this house. It shouldn't surprise many that a lot of the hauntings can be traced back to the slaves that Madame LaLaurie kept on the property. Reports of moaning coming from the room where the slaves were kept are common. Phantom footsteps echo through the house with regularity. Many people who have stood near the house have reported feeling as if they were taken over by a negative energy.