First off, I have to give a shout-out to author Priscilla Bettis. She often inspires me to write about things after she leaves astute or informative comments. This time it was when she mentioned Andrew Pyper’s The Residence on the post announcing the release date for the Demon in the White House Shock Docs.
I had to check that out —for reasons I’ll explain momentarily. But first, let’s explore Demon in the White House and whether it might be based on The Residence. (Even though the latter is a work of fiction inspired by fact. So we’ve got a potentially complicated circle of art imitating life and vice versa.)
About Demon in the White House
Demon in the White House is a new Shock Docs that starts streaming on discovery+ on November 26. It examines whether two grieving first ladies, Jane Pierce and Mary Todd Lincoln, may have unintentionally conjured up something demonic.
Both First Ladies held seances during their time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue because both had lost 11-year-old sons. The Pierces lost their boy Benjamin in a train accident in 1853. The Lincolns’ son, William, died of typhoid fever in 1862.
In an effort to cope with their losses, both first ladies turned to Spiritualism. But did they unwittingly invite an evil presence with a malevolent agenda that may still torment America’s presidents, as well as their families, visitors, and closest advisors to this day?
I don’t know. That’s what Demon in the White House explores.
About Andrew Pyper’s The Residence
Priscilla reads a lot. And I do mean mucho! Every quarter she writes these brilliant one-sentence reviews of everything she’s read for the preceding three months. Not only is it super impressive, but it’s also super informative. Thanks to her, I’ve found some great new reads.
Which is why I paid attention when she left this comment: “Andrew Pyper wrote a book about the Pierce seances and hauntings. I actually learned a lot about life in the 1850s and about Pierce’s presidency.”
Intriguing. I immediately went to check out Andrew Pyper’s book The Residence (affiliate link).
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The Residence is a work of fiction, but the synopsis on Amazon could easily also describe Demon in the White House, couldn’t it?
The year is 1853. President-elect Franklin Pierce is traveling with his family to Washington, DC, when tragedy strikes. In an instant, their train runs off the rails, violently flinging passengers about the cabin. But when the great iron machine finally comes to rest, the only casualty is the President-elect’s beloved son, Bennie, which casts Franklin’s presidency in a pal of sorrow and grief.
As Franklin moves into the White House, he begins to notice that something bizarre is happening. Strange sounds coming from the walls and ceiling, creepy voices that seem to echo out of time itself, and visions of spirits crushed under the weight of American history.
But when First Lady Jane Pierce brings in the most noted Spiritualists of the day, the Fox sisters, for a séance, the barrier between this world and the next is torn asunder. Something horrible comes through and takes up residence alongside Franklin and Jane in the walls of the very mansion itself.
Only by overcoming their grief and confronting their darkest secrets can Jane and Franklin hope to rid themselves—and America—from the entity that seeks to make the White House its permanent home.
Is Andrew Pyper one of the experts in Demon in the White House?
I don’t know. I looked on IMDB to see if it listed cast since the press release about the new Shock Docs didn’t.
But it’s a possibility. Even though The Residence is fiction, Pyper did a lot of research into the Pierces. It stands to reason the producers may have consulted him for Demon in the White House.
I’m also wondering if Troy Taylor from American Hauntings might be an expert too. He’s appeared in other similar docs.
Plus, when I shared a link to a post about 11 U.S. Presidents and their paranormal connections, he tweeted to tell me I’d left one off: Franklin Pierce.
Troy didn’t write a book just about Pierce but one that included his story, American Hauntings: The Rise of the Spirit World and the Birth of the Modern Ghost Hunter (affiliate link).
Guess we’ll find out who all the experts in Demon in the White House are when it premieres on November 26, right?
Check-In
Have you ever been to the White House?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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Thank you for the shoutout. You’re so kind.:-) How on-the-ball is Troy Taylor to notice PIerce was missing from your earlier presidential hauntings list. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he was a consultant for Demon in the White House.
I’ve seen the White House, but I’ve never been on a tour. I bet it’s beautiful.
Well thank you for inspiring me again…and pointing me towards something new for my boo-k shelf! lol
Troy surprised me because I didn’t think he ever paid attention to anything I wrote. lol It was kind of cool.
And I’m with you. I’ve seen the White House when we were in D.C., but I’ve never taken a tour. I bet it’s a pretty cool experience. If I ever get back to Washington and they still offer them, I would try to get on a tour if we could though.