Have you and your friends been searching for a fun and spooky Georgetown activity to try this October? So were my roommate and I! We were researching haunted spots in the Georgetown area, when we stumbled upon Gumbo’s North Restaurant in the downtown square. According to the reviews we read online, previous tenants working in the 1900 Masonic Building had witnessed doors opening and shutting on their own and felt an eerie presence. Now, filled with curiosity, I called the owner, Denise, asking if I could write my article over the Masonic Building haunting. She told me that my roommate and I could stop by the next night to explore the premises, take photos, and interview staff members who were willing to elaborate on any supernatural experiences. 

As claimed by Damon Capitol Limited Partnership, the Masonic Building was constructed during the Great Hurricane of 1900 by Belford Lumber Company. Belford’s reputation for owning the best construction business in town was inflated after the not-yet-finished structure was able to withstand the storm’s treacherous conditions. The building was first built with two stories, but a third level was added in between the original two in the mid 1980’s. According to Community Impact Newspaper, the Masons used a room on the second floor as their meeting location until 1982, and leased out the first floor to various private businesses. Over the years, the establishment’s first floor has been a drug store, post office, furniture store, and many other restaurants. 

Upon entering the Masonic Building’s marble lobby, is the smell of Cajun and Creole cuisine mixed with old building scent. Facing the doorway stands a black and red check-in podium, and right behind that podium a grand oak staircase leads to the second floor. The door frames and railings are carved with intricate woodwork engravings. There are two staircases that lead to separate sections of the third floor. At the top of the first one, stands a vintage telephone booth, and the second one leads to a bar room with red curtains and red lights shining from underneath the counter to match. 

After about twenty minutes of walking around and admiring the classic architecture of the historic building, Brondy, one of the restaurant’s current servers, approached us and asked what I was writing my article over. When asked if she’d encountered anything seemingly paranormal or out-of-the-ordinary, she recalled one time the bar room lights started inexplicably flickering: “It gets cold downstairs at the bar and the lights flicker. It might have been something to do with the power at the time, but I remember I was sitting in that room, all of the lights were turned off (and I made sure because it just didn’t need to be on), and I was sitting there just eating lunch, when all of the sudden they started to flash”. Brondy also mentioned people have reported seeing a ghostly lady walk by at the top of the staircase, when all the lights were out. Another current server, Angela, had reported feeling something touch her on multiple occasions. 

Regardless of your preconceived beliefs regarding the supernatural, Gumbo’s would be worth a visit to enrich your Georgetown experience. Happy spooky season, pirates!