Location: Alton, Illinois Map
Constructed: Henry Guest McPike
McPike Mansion, also known as Mount Lookout, is an iconic 19th-century estate perched on the highest point in Alton, Illinois—a city often dubbed "one of the most haunted small towns in America" due to its turbulent history of violence, abolitionism, and tragedy. Constructed between 1869 and 1871, this sprawling three-story red brick edifice exemplifies Italianate and Second Empire architectural grandeur, featuring 16 opulent rooms, a vaulted wine cellar, and originally expansive gardens across 15 acres. Built by prominent local businessman and horticulturist Henry Guest McPike, the mansion served as a symbol of Alton's Gilded Age prosperity before falling into decades of abandonment, vandalism, and decay. Today, it stands as a National Register of Historic Places landmark (listed June 17, 1980), renowned not just for its architectural and historical value but for its intense paranormal reputation, with claims of ghostly apparitions, electronic voice phenomena (EVPs), and unexplained orbs drawing investigators from shows like Ghost Adventures and Scariest Places on Earth. Owned since 1994 by Sharyn and George Luedke, who continue painstaking restoration efforts to transform it into a bed-and-breakfast, the mansion offers guided tours and paranormal investigations, blending education with eerie allure.
The story of McPike Mansion is deeply intertwined with Alton's
colorful past as a riverfront hub on the Mississippi, a hotbed for
abolitionist fervor (site of Elijah Lovejoy's 1837 lynching), and a
center for 19th-century industry. Henry Guest McPike (1825–1910), born
in Kentucky and a descendant of early American settlers, arrived in
Alton in the 1840s. A self-made entrepreneur, he amassed wealth through
real estate speculation, box manufacturing, and horticulture, serving as
Alton's mayor in 1887 and as librarian of the Alton-Southern Illinois
Horticultural Society in the late 1880s. McPike, a visionary
horticulturist, planted extensive orchards, rare shrubs, and trees
around the estate, earning acclaim for introducing the "McPike apple"
variety. In 1869, at age 44, he commissioned local architect Lucas
Pfeiffenberger to build Mount Lookout on a commanding 15-acre hilltop
site at 2018 Alby Street, overlooking the city and the Mississippi
River. Completed in 1871 at a cost estimated at $10,000–$15,000
(equivalent to over $300,000 today), the mansion became a social
epicenter, hosting lavish parties, community events, and McPike's family
of eight children.
Following McPike's death in 1910 at age 85, the
property passed to his heirs but was sold in either 1925 or 1936 to Paul
A. Laichinger, a local businessman who converted it into a boarding
house, renting rooms to workers during the Great Depression and World
War II eras. Laichinger resided there until his death in 1945 or 1951
(accounts vary), after which the mansion was largely abandoned. By the
mid-20th century, it deteriorated rapidly: furnishings were stripped,
wooden banisters torn out, toilets ripped from walls, and vandals broke
windows and graffitied interiors. In the 1960s–1980s, developers eyed
the site for a shopping center, but zoning battles and preservation
advocacy thwarted demolition. The Alton Area Landmarks Association
successfully nominated it to the National Register in 1980, buying time
for its survival. In 1994, Sharyn and George Luedke—a couple passionate
about historic preservation—purchased it at auction for $18,000,
envisioning a boutique hotel. However, bureaucratic hurdles, including
denied restoration grants, have prolonged the project; they've
stabilized the structure through private funding, donations, and
volunteer labor. In 2017, the Alton Historical Commission awarded them
for porch and conservatory repairs. As of 2025, restoration continues
incrementally, with the Luedkes funding efforts via tours and
fundraisers, amid Alton's revitalization as a heritage tourism
destination.
McPike Mansion is a masterful fusion of Italianate and Second Empire
styles, reflecting the post-Civil War opulence favored by Midwestern
elites. The three-story red brick facade, accented with white limestone
quoins and window hoods, rises imposingly on a raised basement, crowned
by a mansard roof (a hallmark of Second Empire) pierced by dormer
windows and a belvedere tower offering panoramic views of Alton and the
river. White Ionic columns support a grand wraparound porch, evoking
Southern plantation influences adapted to Illinois' climate. The
structure spans about 10,000 square feet, with 16 rooms including a
formal parlor, dining room, library, and multiple bedrooms on the upper
floors. Interior highlights include ornate plaster cornices, marble
fireplaces, pocket doors, and a sweeping central staircase with original
newel posts (though banisters were lost to vandals). The vaulted wine
cellar, hewn from local stone, features arched ceilings and iron gates,
once storing McPike's prized vintages. Originally, the estate boasted
terraced gardens with fruit orchards, greenhouses, and walking
paths—McPike's horticultural legacy—though only 4.4 acres remain today,
overgrown with vines and weeds that add to its gothic allure.
The
layout emphasizes symmetry and flow: the first floor hosted entertaining
spaces, the second family quarters, and the third servants' areas and
attics. A carriage house and outbuildings dotted the grounds, now in
ruins. Despite decay—peeling wallpaper, collapsed ceilings, and water
damage—the mansion retains its structural integrity, thanks to the
Luedkes' reinforcements like new roofing and foundation work. Visitors
often describe it as "frozen in time," with faded grandeur evoking a
bygone era, though safety barriers limit access to upper floors during
tours.
McPike Mansion's spectral fame elevates it to legendary status in
paranormal lore, with Alton locals claiming it's the "most haunted house
in America." Ghost stories date to the 1950s abandonment, when
trespassers reported slamming doors, cold spots, and apparitions. The
primary spirits are said to be Henry McPike himself—a benevolent figure
in a top hat and suit, often seen pacing the balcony or third-floor
hallway, guarding his beloved home—and a former maid or housekeeper
(possibly "Ingrid" or "Isabelle"), a kindly woman in Victorian attire
who tucks in visitors or warns of danger, her perfume (lilac or rose)
lingering in rooms. Other entities include shadowy children playing in
the gardens, a former groundskeeper near the wine cellar, and even
animals like McPike's dogs. Phenomena include EVPs captured during
investigations (whispers saying "Get out" or "Help me"), full-bodied
apparitions in photographs (glowing figures in windows, orbs, and
mists), objects moving unaided (chairs shifting, doors creaking open),
and poltergeist activity like footsteps on creaky stairs.
The mansion
has hosted over 100 paranormal investigations since the 1990s, yielding
compelling evidence: In 2019, Ghost Adventures filmed a special,
capturing thermal anomalies and EVPs in the cellar; earlier, Fact or
Faked: Paranormal Files debunked some claims but confirmed others, like
floating orbs. Ghost Lab and Scariest Places on Earth documented class-A
EVPs and shadow figures. Local lore ties hauntings to Alton's dark
history—McPike's abolitionist ties (he sheltered fugitives via the
Underground Railroad) and the mansion's proximity to lynching
sites—suggesting restless spirits from the era. Skeptics attribute
activity to infrasound from the hilltop winds or structural settling,
but believers, including the Luedkes (who've experienced personal
encounters like a ghostly hand on the shoulder), embrace it. The site
inspires annual ghost hunts, with visitors reporting chills in the
"Haunted Bedroom" or cries from the attic.
Under the Luedkes' stewardship, McPike Mansion functions as a
semi-public historic site and paranormal venue, with grounds open daily
(10 a.m.–8 p.m.) for free self-guided walks and photography—no interior
access without a tour. Monthly guided tours ($20 adults, $10 teens
13–17, $5 children 6–12, under 6 free) resume April 26, 2025, with
themed events like "Celebrating Mother Earth" (April 26, 7:30 p.m.) and
regular history/haunting walks sharing family photos and artifacts.
Private and group tours (up to 20 people) are available by reservation,
including crypt visits and paranormal overviews; pre-registration via
the website or email (littleshoppe1@charter.net) is required, with
contact Sandy at 618-251-9646 for bookings. Investigation nights
($50–$100, equipment provided) allow overnight stays for EVP hunts and
spirit communication. The ballroom hosts weddings and events, generating
funds for restoration.
Preservation relies on community support:
Donations via the website fund roof repairs, window restoration, and
garden revival, with the Luedkes' efforts earning accolades like the
2017 Alton Historical Commission award. Challenges include weather
damage and funding shortages, but progress includes stabilized porches
and cleared debris. As of 2025, the B&B dream persists, though full
occupancy may take years; the site collaborates with Alton's tourism
board for haunted trolley tours.
Situated at 2018 Alby Street in Alton's historic district, McPike Mansion overlooks the Mississippi from Mount Lookout Park, a 5-minute drive from downtown's riverfront and Enos Park, amid Victorian neighborhoods and the Pennyroyal Plateau's rolling hills. Proximity to St. Louis (30 miles south) makes it a day-trip staple, bundled with Alton's haunted sites like the Mineral Springs Hotel or Union Station. Its significance lies in embodying Alton's layered identity: a testament to industrial boom, horticultural innovation, and spectral intrigue. As a preserved relic in a city with over 100 haunted locales, McPike fosters reflection on America's haunted heritage, blending thrill with history for visitors seeking the uncanny in the heartland.