In honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Whaley, the Whaley House Museum in Old Town will celebrate the San Diego pioneer’s birthday.
Whaley, who lived from 1823 to 1890, was a merchant and investor from New York City who arrived in California in 1849 and became an early settler of San Diego two years later. The two-story Greek Revival brick house he built in 1856-57 remains as a representation of his legacy – and a symbol of haunted San Diego.
Anniversary events begin Sunday with a trivia contest on Whaley House social media accounts.
The bulk of the celebration follows on Thursday Oct. 5, the day of Whaley’s birth, which will be proclaimed Thomas Whaley Day in the city and county of San Diego.
If you happen to share a birthday with him, there will be free admission to the Whaley House Day Tour, available from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Museum officials also will unveil a special exhibit, open through Nov. 5. It includes some of Whaley’s personal items, on loan from San Diego County. Cake and refreshments will be served on the Whaley House grounds from 1 to 2 p.m.
Whaley offered the Brick House, as the museum once was known, as home to San Diego’s second County Courthouse, the county’s first commercial theater, a railway office and various businesses.
The property’s history as a site for executions, along with tragedies suffered by the Whaley family, have fueled rumors that the house is haunted. The fears date back to 1857, when Whaley’s wife Anna wrote of “being startled out of my sleep in the night” by sounds and footsteps, though no one else was home.
Today, the Whaley House, billed as “America’s most haunted house,” is managed by Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego, which runs haunted tours.
“Thomas Whaley was an early leader of San Diego’s business community and his home in Old Town is one of the most historic buildings in San Diego County,” said Victor Santana, operations manager at the museum. “We think it is important to honor Thomas Whaley
and his contributions to San Diego’s history.”