THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The North Carolina Executive Mansion is associated with the spirit of Governor Daniel G. Fowle, who died only months after becoming the mansion's first gubernatorial resident. Decades later, Governor Bob Scott and his wife reportedly began hearing mysterious knocking behind their bed after Fowle's original bed was removed.
Completed in 1891, the North Carolina Executive Mansion has served as the official residence of the state's governors for more than a century. Its best-known ghost story centers on Governor Daniel G. Fowle, the mansion's first gubernatorial resident, who died there only a few months after moving in. In 1969 Governor Bob Scott replaced Fowle's old bed with a longer one. Scott and his wife subsequently reported unexplained knocking from the wall behind their headboard, leading to speculation that Fowle objected to the removal of his bed. Former Governor Pat McCrory later said he would tell the mansion's friendly ghost goodnight. Fowle's bed was returned to its former location in 2017. Governor Roy Cooper and his wife reported that they experienced no unexplained knocking while living there. The mansion remains an active government residence with controlled public access.