The Haunted Haskell House
Posted: 03.07.2025 | Updated: 03.07.2025
The Haskell House is considered the most haunted house in San Francisco. Located in Fort Mason near the corner of Franklin Street and McDowell Avenue, this was home to many esteemed members of the military over the years. And it has a long history of ghostly encounters.
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Who Haunts the Haskell House?
It is believed that the ghost of Senator David Broderick, a former resident who died at the house, now haunts this location.
Many have claimed to hear his mournful voice calling in the darkness and have seen apparitions of him dressed in the same clothing he wore when he died back in the 19th century. But why does his spirit remain at the house, and why does it often seem to be angry and vengeful?
The History of the Haskell House
Now known as the Fort Mason Quarters Three, the Haskell House is a historic home dating back to the 1850s. It has hosted many members of the U.S. military since it was confiscated by the Union army in 1863 and later converted into officers’ quarters.
The Haskell House During Civil War Times
During the 1850s, the state of California was split between pro- and anti-slavery forces. California had some of the toughest laws against black people outside of the southern states. Not long after they won the statement, the lawmakers in California decreed that any black person in the state could be brought before a magistrate and claimed as a fugitive.
The decree was meant to provide justice for slaves who had escaped from their masters; however, lawmakers started going after black people who were not escaped slaves. There were some sympathetic white people who were hesitant to help out since there was a fine of five hundred dollars and two months of imprisonment for those who were caught hiding slaves.
Senator David Broderick
The owner of the Haskell House, Leonidas Haskell, and his friend Senator David Broderick were strongly against slavery, and it is believed they may have collaborated to help runaway slaves escape to freedom. They were very active in the movement against slavery and often outspoken regarding their cause.
Broderick was also one of the most powerful politicians in San Francisco. While his reputation gave him a winning edge, his anti-slavery diatribes did not endear him to a peaceful pro-slavery faction within the California government. It was while staying at the Haskell House in 1859 that Senator Broderick received word that pro-slavery activist David S. Terry challenged him to a duel.
Broderick’s Duel with David Terry
David S. Terry was the Justice of the State Supreme Court in California and originally from the South. His views on keeping slavery legal automatically made him an arch nemesis for Broderick.
Senator Broderick stayed at the Haskell house for the next few days after receiving the invitation, while Leonidas Haskell tried his best to talk him out of going through with the duel. But Broderick was adamant on seeing the process through. He stayed awake the night before, lying on the floor, drinking coffee, and speaking in a strange, disturbed manner.
People from town gathered at the Haskell House to watch the duel. But it didn’t end in Broderick’s favor. He was killed, making him a martyr for the anti-slavery movement. According to legend, his last words were “They have killed me because I was opposed to a corrupt administration and the extension of slavery.”
The Aftermath of Broderick’s Death
The townspeople who favored Broderick were angry and attempted to lynch Terry. But he managed to get away and was acquitted of his crimes. He fled the state and headed south to join with the Confederate Army. Eventually he was killed by the bodyguard of a United States Supreme Court justice.
By the end of the Civil War, the state of California was solidly in the Union camp. Thanks in part to Senator Broderick’s heroic death.
Later in 1863, the Haskell House was confiscated by the Union army and converted into officers’ quarters. Leonidas Haskell was not happy about the terms associated with the confiscation of his family home. He sued in hopes of obtaining ownership of the house once again but never succeeded. He died in 1873.
The Hauntings at the Haskell House
Throughout the years, the Haskell House has developed a reputation for being haunted. Several colonels and captains who occupied the house at different times reported strange occurrences, such as the lights in other rooms turning on and off by themselves.
One former tenant reported the toilet in the upstairs bathroom flushing when no one was there, while another mentioned he felt he was being watched at all times, even while taking a shower.
One man said that pictures have fallen off the walls as if someone had pushed them off from behind. Sometimes several pictures would fall all at once. But one of the most tragic encounters involves a painter who was working at the window when he was pushed by an unseen force.
The Spirit of Leonidas Haskell
Shadowy figures have moved across the empty rooms, and indoor plants have tipped over on their own. One ghost expert reported seeing a mosaic of spirits fluttering about the house.
The first, she said, was a man wearing a black trench coat and a top hat. He could be seen pacing back and forth. This ghost has been seen by several people, and it is believed to be the spirit of Leonidas Haskell, pacing about trying to figure out a way to get his house back from the U.S. military.
She also saw a group of ghosts who seemed frightened. They appeared to be disoriented African Americans cowering in the cellar. Many believe they were the ghosts of slaves from the underground railroad who Broderick and Haskell hid in the cellar to protect them.
Haunted San Francisco
The Haskell House had so much negative energy associated with it, from its involvement in the Civil War and politics to the tragic death of Senator Broderick happening on the same ground. It could be said that the house has been cursed since it was taken away from the original owner. And the hauntings are Haskell and Broderick’s way of seeking revenge against the U.S. Army.
There are many places like the Haskell House in San Francisco with a dark past that continues to haunt the property today. If you would like to find out more about the many haunted locations in the Bay Area, be sure to check out our blog and book a ghost tour with us at San Francisco Ghosts today for a thrilling adventure you won’t soon forget.
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Sources:
- https://www.foundsf.org/Haskell_House
- https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/california/san-franciscos-most-haunted-house
- https://hereliesastory.com/the-ghost-of-senator-broderick/
- https://missywinssf.com/blog/a-spooky-guide-to-some-of-san-franciscos-hauntingly-beautiful-homes
- https://www.inside-guide-to-san-francisco-tourism.com/haunted-places-in-san-francisco.html
- https://www.innsf.com/blog/the-most-haunted-places-in-san-francisco/
- https://youtu.be/1Y8VJVjOtH0?si=3hFfmC4rFP78D06C
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