Manresa Castle Hauntings

Perched on a hillside overlooking Port Townsend and the Puget Sound, Manresa Castle combines elegant Victorian architecture with a reputation as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most haunted locations. The 30-room mansion has served as a private home, a Jesuit training college, and now a hotel where guests regularly encounter its spectral residents.

History of the Castle

The Eisenbeis Era (1892-1925)

Charles Eisenbeis, the first mayor of Port Townsend, built the castle in 1892 for his wife Kate. The Prussian immigrant modeled the mansion after the European castles of his homeland, creating the largest private residence in the region.

The couple enjoyed only a few years in their dream home before Kate died. Charles remarried, and his second wife lived in the castle until 1925.

The Jesuit Period (1927-1968)

The Society of Jesus purchased the property and renamed it Manresa Hall (after St. Ignatius’s cave of retreat in Spain). The Jesuits operated it as a training college for young priests, building a chapel and adding rooms.

During this era, a young priest reportedly fell from the third-floor window, though whether it was suicide or accident remains disputed. The Jesuits also constructed an attic room that served as an isolation space for unwell residents.

The Hotel Era (1968-Present)

After the Jesuits departed, the castle was converted to a hotel. Almost immediately, staff and guests began reporting unusual occurrences that continue to this day.

The Spirits

The Woman in White (Kate or Another?)

The most frequently seen apparition is a woman in a flowing white dress, often spotted in the third-floor turret room. The legend claims she was a guest who discovered her lover had jilted her and threw herself from the window in despair.

However, some believe this spirit is actually Kate Eisenbeis, the original lady of the house, returning to her beloved home.

Witnesses report:

• A white figure standing at the tower window
• The scent of perfume in empty rooms
• Sounds of a woman weeping
• Cold spots near the turret stairs

The Jesuit Priest

Room 306, reportedly the room of the priest who fell (or jumped) from the window, is among the most active in the castle. Guests report:

• The sensation of being watched
• Items moving on their own
• A male figure in dark robes
• Feelings of overwhelming sadness
• The smell of incense

The Attic Entity

The third floor, which housed the Jesuit isolation room, generates reports of:

• Heavy footsteps in the corridor
• Door handles moving on their own
• Shadow figures in peripheral vision
• Feelings of unease and being unwelcome

Other Activity

Throughout the castle, staff and guests have experienced:

• Lights and televisions turning on/off
• Voices when no one is present
• Objects disappearing and reappearing
• A ghostly cat (the Eisenbeis family pet?)
• Piano music from the empty parlor

Notable Investigations

The castle has been featured on paranormal television programs and investigated by numerous groups. Notable findings include:

• EVP recordings capturing what sounds like “Get out” and “Help me”
• Photographs showing anomalous mists and orbs
• Temperature fluctuations of up to 20 degrees in seconds
• EMF readings spiking in the tower and Room 306

The Castle Today

Manresa Castle continues to operate as a hotel and event venue. The management embraces its haunted reputation, offering ghost tours and welcoming paranormal investigators.

Room 306 and the tower room are the most requested by ghost-hunting guests, though staff report activity throughout the property. The castle’s combination of Gothic architecture, tragic history, and consistent paranormal reports makes it a destination for those seeking authentic supernatural encounters in the American West.

Many guests arrive skeptical and leave convinced that Manresa Castle’s spirits are very much in residence.