The Spooky Legend Behind This Louisiana House Will Keep You Up At Night
By Jackie Ann|Published February 24, 2017
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Jackie Ann
Author
Louisiana native and LSU Alum (Geaux Tigers!), Jackie has lived in Louisiana for over three decades and currently lives in New Orleans. She's been writing for OnlyInYourState since 2016 and can often be found with a coffee at her side, dreaming of her next adventure.
The Gardette-LePrete house, Sultan House, House of the Turks…for years there have been stories circulating about the history of this place. Who knows if it’s oral tradition changing throughout the years, or embellishments of tour guides with strong imaginations? While the details may vary, they all tell the tale of a gruesome mass murder. Let’s take a look at the history behind the Gardette-LePrete house, and see what you think.
The story begins in 1836 when Joseph Coulton Gardette, a dentist from Philadelphia built the house on Dauphine street.
In 1839, he sold the house to Jean Baptiste LaPrete, a wealthy plantation owner who was looking for a second home to spend the cooler months, when he didn't need to be at the plantation for harvesting. He spent many winters at the house before he started experiencing some money troubles during the Civil War and was forced to rent out his home to make some extra money.
LaPrete rented out the house to Prince Suleyman, a Turkish man who claimed to be a sultan of a middle eastern country.
Suleyman moved in and brought several women, family members, children, and servants. The house was redecorated, doors and windows were covered and blocked, and huge locks were put on the front door. Turkish guards patrolled the house regularly, no one was allowed in unless Suleyman approved it. It was also rumored that the Sultan would kidnap women to add to his harem.
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Every night the house would be lit up for a party.
Suleyman had lavish parties at the house, filled with music, dancing, and incense. Lots of incense. The smell was so strong it could fill the neighborhood. After a while neighbors grew used to the constant ruckus (it is New Orleans, after all). Outsiders weren't allowed inside, so neighbors could only speculate what was really going on.
The front gate, which was always locked, had been left open. Something was off. Then they saw it - there was blood dripping down the front stairs and oozing from the front door. Horrified, they called the police.
When police arrived, what they saw was straight out of a horror movie.
Body parts were all over the house, the floor was pooling with blood. Everyone in the house had been dismembered. Women, children, servants, and even the guards had all been slaughtered and beheaded. There were no survivors.
But there was one body they couldn't find - the Sultan.
When the police were leaving, they noticed something in the courtyard. It was the Sultan. He had been buried alive, with one hand reaching out of the dirt.
Some people suspected that pirates were to blame, but this gruesome scene really didn't seem like the type of thing pirates would do. After a bit of digging, they discovered that Prince Suleyman was never a sultan at all, but the brother of one. It was suspected that Suleyman had stolen from his brother and fled the country. The Sultan tracked his brother down and executed him, along with the rest of the household.
The house has had several owners over the years, but some say that the Sultan stayed behind, unable to move on. People have reported hearing music coming from the house, and often smell incense around the area. Others have heard screams, heard footsteps, even seen figures walking around. Some claim to have seen the Sultan himself walking the halls.
Today, the “Sultan’s Palace” is a private residence. While you cannot go inside, you can take a number of ghost tours that pass by the area and retell the story. Check it out for yourself, at 715 Dauphine St. New Orleans, LA 70116
Have you heard this story before? Let us know.
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