Satellite views now show a gaping hole where I once stood with my well-travelled camera – the historic East Wing of the White House. Now reduced to rubble, this former office of the First Lady and focal point for White House social events was a portal for this Canadian into an unforgettable Halloween evening – a rare invitation to photograph a private haunted tour inside the iconic official residence and workplace of the president of the United States.
When news broke this week that the East Wing was being demolished to make way for a new White House State Ballroom, I decided to dust off my digital archives and revisit one of the greatest moments of my life and my photography career.
I know what you're wondering – why would a Canadian receive an invitation to photograph a private event at the White House?
An Invitation to Photograph a White House Event
An Obama Administration staffer reached out via email early that October with a simple subject line, "You're Invited: Haunted White House Tour". The email included event and security clearance details.
Of course, I assumed the email was spam that Google somehow missed with its typically robust filters. It looked real enough on first glance, and a final check of its technical headers would confirm my suspicion that it was a scam.
But it wasn't! The headers checked out – and suddenly the unimaginable felt real.
After a series of email exchanges to further confirm the email's authenticity, clarify permissible equipment, and submit to a background check, I received a security clearance.
I later learned my invitation was due to my, at the time, prolific activity on Twitter. I had been participating and occasionally hosting a now-defunct travel brand's weekly Twitter chats, with one theme being ghost stories. An Obama social media staffer who had been tasked with finding two photographers participated in the Twitter chat and passed my name along for approval.
Two weeks later, I found myself walking up to the northeast security gate during a beautifully clear and chilly afternoon, passport in hand, still assuming it was all a hoax! But security reviewed my details, X-rayed my camera bag, and allowed me to pass.
I proceeded toward what is now a ghost entrance – the East Wing's Visitors Office main doors. Staffers set up a fun sign at the doors with spooky event details.
Stepping inside the wood-panelled lobby, a look around revealed several fun portraits of President Obama interacting with child visitors and "First Dog" Bo, and approximately 50 invitees eagerly awaiting the event to commence.
A choir was singing and practicing for Christmas events in the colonnade for a few minutes when a guide dressed in Civil War era attire appeared. As the crowd hushed, his voice projected a boisterous welcome as if from another century.
A Building of Spirits and Stories
Since its founding at the turn of the 19th century, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been one of the most famous addresses in the world. Few, however, are aware of the haunted legends that have graced its ornate rooms and walls for more than a century.
As the White House blog once described it, "Residents of the White House and staffers alike have reported everything from mysterious noises to ghostly apparitions."
Presidents, First Ladies, staff, guests, and even pets have felt very unusual paranormal presences – strange footsteps, organ music, and knocks on the walls. Abraham Lincoln's ghost is the most frequently reported, seen by figures such as Winston Churchill and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Dolley Madison has been blamed for protecting her beloved Rose Garden, appearing whenever gardeners try to disturb it. Abigail Adams has been said to float through the East Room carrying laundry – the same room where she once hung clothes to dry.
That night, actors filled the East Wing, channelling those very spirits.
The Haunted Tour Begins
"Welcome to the White House," the guide began, similar to his YouTube video. "America's most auspicious address – and perhaps one of its most haunted."
He promised the tour would blend "historical fact with haunted highlights", featuring "residents both living and dead." He punctuated his final words with a theatrical evil laugh that amused the crowd and echoed through the marble halls.
As the group entered the East Garden Room, we were greeted by President George Washington and First Lady Martha Washington. Flanked by portraits of Presidents Chester A. Arthur and Millard Fillmore, they welcomed guests with stately elegance and ghostly charm.
I was given strict photography guidelines for security reasons – a single lens, no tripod, no flash, and no video.
A Living Museum of Ghosts
Each room hosted a different spectral encounter.
In the East Room, Abigail Adams floated aimlessly, carrying an invisible laundry basket while telling stories.
In the Red Room, Dolley Madison described saving Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington from the flames of 1814.
Abraham Lincoln appeared in the State Dining Room, enthralling guests with vivid Civil War tales, making everyone feel as if they were transported almost 150 years into the past. The actor broke the fourth wall for a moment, discussing his uncanny resemblance to President Lincoln and his experiences portraying a giant of American history.
The tour concluded with Major Archibald Butt, aide to President Taft, sharing stories from beyond his watery Titanic sinking gravesite.
Every performance blurred the line between history and haunting.
The East Wing – usually home to offices and family quarters – had become a living museum of ghosts.
I often fell behind the group to admire each room's uniquely incredible architecture as if, for a moment, I was on a self-guided tour.
Even as a Canadian, standing within the White House's historic walls evoked the same reverence Americans feel for this building – a tangible embodiment of history, resilience, and impermanence. Of course, I also felt somewhat amused being Canadian and recalling my British colonial ancestors infiltrating and burning the White House during the War of 1812.
From Decay to Preservation
The White House has balanced between collapse and renewal throughout its history.
By the late 1940s, the original structure was literally falling apart. When President Harry S. Truman ordered an inspection, engineers discovered that the 150-year-old mansion was close to caving in – beams cracked, floors sagging, ceilings barely holding.
Between 1949 and 1952, the entire interior was gutted and rebuilt with a steel frame. The National Park Service's black-and-white photographs from that era – some of which I included in my Instagram post – show the haunting sight of the White House as a hollow shell, its walls stripped to brick and beams.
Preservation wasn't yet a priority; countless historical fixtures were discarded. It wasn't until Jackie Kennedy's 1961 restoration that the White House regained its heritage, transforming it into the museum of American history it is today.
The architectural cycle – destruction, preservation, reinvention – feels especially poignant now as the East Wing faced its final chapter.
Speaking of President Kennedy, my final photos were in the Entrance Hall amongst portraits of the 35th U.S. President and successors, Presidents Clinton and Bush.
Before the event ended, I snapped a quick photo of the Ground Floor Corridor with Hilary Clinton's portrait in frame and watchful security keeping an ever-present eye on my movements.
Reflections from the East Wing
I passed through the East Wing's hallway and colonnade – stopping first to take a photo of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden – on my way back to the wood-panelled lobby that welcomed countless American citizens for a century.
Epilogue
As I exited the East Wing, I thought about how it was a living symbol representing a connection between American citizens and the government that is supposed to represent them. In this case, it offered a creative way for the Obama White House to connect the public to history through storytelling – to remind guests that the nation's most powerful address has, at times, been one of its most fragile, haunted by both spirits and its stories.
That historic connector is now gone – appropriate for the current state of American politics – another ghost added to the house that never forgets.