Customer Reviews

Haunts of Old Louisville: Gilded Age Ghosts and Haunted Mansions in America's Spookiest Neighborhood

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The saga continues with Haunts of Old Louisville, the third in David Domine's "Haunted Old Louisville" series, and the book was worth the wait. There are two more planned for the series and I look forward to them as well. Old Louisville is a historic preservation district in the heart of Kentucky's largest city and it is chockfull of wonderful old mansions and homes from the late Victorian era - most of them with a story to tell. David Domine diligently tracks down these stories and brings the haunted past of his neighborhood to life - recreating the days when carriages creaked across the cobblestones and servants waited on the wealthy scions of the neighborhood. Even though this is not my neighborhood, the book made me want to go and check it out soon so I can see the wonderful architecture for myself. Maybe the Ferguson Mansion, which was once a funeral home, or the gnarled old tree where witches used to meet and cast their spells. Perhaps the spooky-looking Walnut Street Baptist Church with its hopping Demon Leaper on the rooftop gables or the Rocking Horse B&B where the ghost of Queen Lucinda has been seen. After reading this book I get the distinct impression that cities like New Orleans, Savannah and Charleston might be getting a run for their money as far as ghosts, history and architecture are concerned.

In HAUNTS OF OLD LOUISVILLE author David Domine continues the saga of America's most haunted neighborhood, in this the third volume. I eagerly am awaiting the fourth and fifth installments about this fascinating American neighborhood. This volume includes chapters on many of the grand mansions along famous Millionaire's Row (Third Street) in Old Louisville. Documented tales such as those of the ghost of a deranged woman who proclaimed herself Queen of America in the 1880s or the strange Demon Leaper atop the roof of the Walnut Street Baptist Church make this both a valuable contribution to Kentucky history and an entertaining read. I hear that the author is working on the memoirs from when he lived in a 'haunted' house on Third Street, the Widmer House, the inspiration for the whole series, and I am looking forward to that as well.

The Courier-Journal said David Domine has outdone himself with this, the third volume in his Haunted Old Louisville series, and I agree. He's done away with the descriptions of his dinner parties and the personal jaunts through the neighborhood that made the first two in the series so intriguing, however, he has made up for it with the inclusion of strange newspaper reports of suicides, winged creatures and nefarious characters such as the local grave robber that have incubated yet another rash of alleged hauntings in what people are calling the "most haunted neighborhood" in the country. I, personally, hope he will bring back the food and fun in his next installment of the series, but whatever he writes, I'm sure it will be enjoyable, informative and fascinating like the rest:Ghosts of Old Louisville: True Stories of Hauntings in America's Largest Victorian Neighborhood and Phantoms of Old Louisville: Ghostly Tales from America's Most Haunted Neighborhood

Being a citizen of Old Louisville, I'm a big fan of David Domine. I love the Old Louisville neighborhood and will read anything about it. This, the third in his ghost series, has more interesting stories of hauntings, all based in true fact. I loved finding out more about the people who used to call Old Louisville home. I am amazed by all the research he does.

Totally loved the first two books and after waiting so long for this, the third in the series, I am sorry to say I was very disappointed. Not only did this book lack the style and warmth of Mr. Domine's previous works, some of the stories were outlandish to the point of being ridiculous. (Winged creatures leaping from rooftops, indeed!) It also seemed to have a very commercial slant with website listings after the "hauntings" of what are basically Louisville venues, attractions and businesses vs. a great haunted house story from an actual resident of one of these exquisite gems in quite possibly the most beautiful neighborhood in the country. Also, the annoying repetitive use of the word, "specter" certainly affirms that this had been in the previous working title of the book, yet when the title of the book was changed, someone failed to do any editing to conceal the fact. I will anticipate any forthcoming books in this series less enthusiastically.