Thomas Whaley built this family estate in 1857, on the former site of San Diego's first public gallows. Shortly after he moved in, he reported hearing the heavy footsteps of "Yankee" Jim Robinson, a drifter and thief who was hanged on the site four years before the house was built.
Whaley's family history ended up being filled with tragic deaths and suicides—many of which occurred inside the home itself. According to the Whaley House Museum, some of the family members still haunt the landmark, often accompanied by cigar smoke and the smell of heavy perfume.
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