Jarrot Mansion

Few historic homes in the St. Louis area have a darker reputation than the Jarrot Mansion in Cahokia, Illinois. Built between 1807 and 1810 by French immigrant Nicholas Jarrot, the mansion is one of the oldest surviving brick buildings in Illinois and a National Historic Landmark.

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But behind its historic walls, paranormal legends have made the Jarrot Mansion haunting one of the more disturbing ghost stories in Southern Illinois.  According to local paranormal accounts, a small room beneath the main staircase was once used as a quarantine room for the sick and dying. Those confined there could remain isolated until they recovered—or died. Visitors and investigators have reportedly heard unexplained screams, moaning, cries for help, footsteps, and voices coming from inside the historic mansion.

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People passing by the haunted Jarrot Mansion at night have reportedly seen lights moving behind the windows even when the building was secured. Paranormal investigators have also claimed encounters with strange mists and apparitions inside the mansion.

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One particularly chilling legend claims that supernatural activity may be connected to objects discovered hidden inside the walls during restoration. Another old story even places the Devil himself at Jarrot Mansion during the 1830s.

With its centuries-old history, dark rooms, original architecture, and disturbing paranormal legends, it's easy to understand why Jarrot Mansion is considered one of the most haunted places near St. Louis.