Ghost stories and legends of the White House

The White House has a long tradition of ghost stories, most notably anecdotal reports of sightings of Abraham Lincoln's spirit by staff, guests, and some presidents. Accounts of unexplained phenomena in the Executive Mansion appear in newspapers, memoirs, and oral histories from the 19th century to the present. Historians and White House curators generally treat such reports as anecdotal and debated rather than established fact. The building's history as the official presidential residence and its 1814 burning and subsequent reconstruction are well documented.