Attmore-Oliver House

Originally built in 1790 and enlarged around 1834, this building on the National Register of Historic Places is considered one of the most haunted houses in New Bern. The last occupant was Mary Taylor Oliver, a proud and forceful woman who lived there until 1951.

The Attmore-Oliver House stands at 511 Broad Street in New Bern's National Historic District, a white three-story mansion built in 1790 and enlarged around 1834. For decades, the house has been said to be haunted by a number of ghosts who may have been previous residents. Another theory links the poltergeists to one of the nation's past smallpox epidemics that swept through the region. Whatever their origin, the spirits here have never left.

The last occupant of the house was Mary Taylor Oliver, who lived here until 1951. She was a woman proud of her ancestry and faith, described by curator Jim Hodges as "a character" who "was used to having her own way." She didn't have any children, and when she died, she was the last of the line. Some say she has never truly departed. Staff members believe Miss Mary still haunts the place, and the curator greets her each morning: "About seven o'clock, I always say good morning, Miss Mary. So I've tried to stay in her favor."

The paranormal activity at the Attmore-Oliver House is constant and well-documented. Programs director Marissa Moore has experienced it firsthand: "Sometimes I'll be working and I hear something. I look over and the cabinet door just opens. And then I come back in later, and it's closed. You don't know, she's just making her presence known." Staff members working downstairs hear footsteps walking around on the floors above them, or the sound of someone rummaging through belongings in Taylor's former bedroom.

In 2006, the New Bern Historical Society invited the North Carolina Ghost Hunters Society to conduct a formal paranormal investigation. "All the evidence suggests that there is definitely some type of paranormal activity," reported Hodges afterward. The investigators spent the night, and in multiple locations throughout the house, they documented orbs and energy fields. According to their investigation, the real epicenter of the ghostly activity is in the attic.

Those who work at the Attmore-Oliver House feel Miss Mary is a friendly spirit, thankful that they continue sharing the history of her beloved home. The house is now used as administrative offices by the New Bern Historical Society but is available for scheduled tours and events. The society also hosts "Ghostwalk" events featuring historical skits on the back porch.

New Bern is now considered the most haunted town in North Carolina, regularly ranking high nationwide in paranormal activity. The Attmore-Oliver House stands as one of its most documented haunted properties, where a proud woman who lived her entire life on her own terms has apparently chosen to spend eternity as well.