Not to be confused with the famed Hill House of Shirley Jackson and Netflix fame, Hill House Manor of Gainesville, Texas is, depending on who you ask, said to be every bit as haunted as its fictional counterpart.

In many ways, it is a house like any other you’d find in Texas. It has walls, a roof and windows like any other, and a quaint and cozy appearance that makes it look positively welcoming.

Surrounded by trees and green and looking like a slice of Americana from a bygone era, it doesn’t appear the sort of place where anything dark or mysterious could ever happen.

As they say, though, appearances can be deceiving, and with the unexplained goings-on that have been reported inside of Hill House Manor, they don’t get any more deceiving.

Not to be confused with the famed Hill House of Shirley Jackson and Netflix fame, Hill House Manor of Gainesville, Texas is, depending on who you ask, said to be every bit as haunted as its fictional counterpart.

Hill House Manor History

Built at some point in the mid-1850s, this unassuming house has been called deceptively large on the inside and labyrinthine to a point where one could get lost if you don’t pay attention.

Over the years, the manor has served a number of purposes, including but not limited to being a private residence, bordello, speakeasy and temporarily even a set of small apartments.

It was in this capacity that the house began to gain its notoriety. In 2004, it was purchased by current owner Linda Hill, who named it Hill House Manor because no previous information on who had built it was known.

While renting it out as a series of small apartments, a curious trend began to develop where tenants would break their leases. Curious as to the cause of this, she opened the house up to investigations from paranormal researchers and other investigations to get an idea of what was going on.

Between these experiences and the words of people who’ve come through the house, there have been many documented and rumored spirits to pass through this manor’s hallowed halls.

Hill House Manor Ghosts

The Murder Room

One of the most prominent areas of the house for paranormal activity is in a downstairs room known as the “Dead Area”, not so much for its history as for the fact that it is one of the rare areas of the house that electricity does not run through.

According to legend, there is a room in this area known as the “Murder Room” based on a tale of the house during its days as a bordello. According to the tale, two men got into a fight over a prostitute that ended with one murdering the other. This violent act is believed to have tainted this area permanently and has led to eerie feelings of hostility and being watched when in its presence.

Windows Room

Upstairs there is a room that has been dubbed the “Windows Room”, a very large chamber with back to back windows on either side, which is stated to be occupied by the spirit of a cat that formerly lived in Hill House Manor.

Recording equipment brought into the room has caught on multiple occasions the sound of a cat, and several people have reported feeling a cat brush their leg while walking through this room.

Though predominantly present in the “Windows Room”, this cat spirit is said to be found wandering throughout the house at its leisure, as cats will do.

The Angry Cowboy

One upstairs kitchen is said to be haunted by the spirit of an angry old man some have dubbed “The Cowboy”. Generally regarded as an unpleasant specter, especially in the presence of women, he has been said to attack female guests who wander through the house. Sometimes this is through feelings of uneasiness or queasiness, while some have reported being mysteriously scratched by the unseen figure.

Fireplace Room

If the stories are to be believed, the most paranormally active part of the house is an upstairs room dubbed the “Fireplace Room” for the presence of a decorative fireplace.

According to legend, this is one of the rooms where male clients used to be served in the days when the house served as a bordello, and the psychic resonance of this history is apparently strongly attached to the room.

Recording devices brought into the room have recorded ample amounts of EVP that’s charitably been called “X-Rated” (feel free to leave its content up to your imagination), while men who have walked through the room have reported feeling curious and pleasurable sensations as if being touched by the ghosts.

Whether this is fact or wishful thinking is something that is up for debate, but regardless makes this room a definite point of curiosity for the paranormally inclined.

Child Ghosts

Hill House Manor is also reputed to have the ghosts of two children who’ve been seen wandering the grounds. One is a young boy who is said to go by the name of Charlie, the other an unnamed young girl.

While they have been seen around and are said to frequent pictures taken of Hill House Manor, they seem to congregate in a particular area upstairs that’s been set up with a dollhouse and other accessories that might best catch the attention of a couple of eternally youthful children.

See also: Haunted Places to Stay in Dallas Fort Worth

Ghost Hunts at Hill House Manor

Though the activity is never guaranteed, Hill House Manor is one of our most popular ghost hunting venues, with experiences reported on every occasion we’ve investigated.

Join us on an exclusive ghost hunting event, as we provide the know-how, the equipment, as well as snacks and drinks throughout the night!

Hill House Manor Ghost Hunts

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