How to Build a Haunted House: The History of a Cultural Obsession

by Caitlin Blackwell Baines

A grand tour of The Haunted House through art, architecture, ghost stories and more

What makes a house haunted? Why do some buildings conjure up a reputation for being particularly creepy, while others leave us unmoved? Barring the possibility of a looming afterlife, what are the particular features, contexts and histories that lend a building the dreaded identity of haunted house?

How to Build a Haunted House tours some of the world's most famously spine-chilling structures in search of answers. From Medieval Scotland to Enlightenment-era London; Victorian suburbs to pre-Civil War Louisiana, Blackwell-Baines, an expert in Gothic art and architecture, will explore that specific set of ingredients that captures our imaginations and contributes to our collective understanding of the eternally eerie. After all, whether a staunch sceptic or paranormal enthusiast, we all know a haunted house when we see one.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Horror, Paranormal, Ghosts, Supernatural, Folklore

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2025

Reviews

[Alina ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆☆☆☆

How to Build a Haunted House: The History of a Cultural Obsession by Caitlin Blackwell Baines was such an enjoyable and fascinating read. I’ll admit, I sometimes find it a little harder to write reviews for nonfiction books than for fiction, but this one definitely left an impression on me.

This book is very much geared toward readers who love history blended with stories of hauntings. Baines dives deep into the cultural history of some of the most haunted houses, particularly in England and the United States. She adds so much background that the stories feel real and layered instead of just spooky for the sake of being spooky. I really appreciated how much research and background was included, she doesn’t just tell you what happened, but explores why these stories endure and what they say about the societies that created them.

One of my favorite aspects was the way the author weaves in her own experiences and reflections. It adds a personal touch that keeps the book engaging and prevents it from feeling too academic. The discussion of famous hauntings and their influence on popular culture, specifically horror films like The Amityville Horror and The Grudge, was particularly compelling. Horror fans in general will find a lot to enjoy here, even if they’re more into movies and fiction than straight history.

Overall, this is a thoughtful, well-researched exploration of why haunted houses continue to fascinate us. If you love history, ghost stories, and the cultural evolution of horror, especially in England and the U.S., this is absolutely worth picking up.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. Using fascinating case studies, it compellingly explores the historic and cultural development of the haunted house as a focus of human obsession - never, however, omitting the possibility of the paranormal…
Any fan of horror, whether that be books, films or tourism, would enjoy this book and its deep dive into the human building blocks of hauntings. It is meticulously researched and really captures that sense of uncanny.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an engaging history of the haunted house–and haunting, in general—from its origins in the gothic novel the Castle of Otranto and its spread through Britain and on to more contemporary homes like the Amityville Horror House in New York.

The author deftly explains the gothic sensibility that took hold in the 18th century, flourished through the Victorian's intense preoccupation with seances and spirits, and transformed into the horror movies and ghost tours of today. I particularly enjoyed learning of the various reasons people are attracted to owning or visiting haunted houses. In Britain, if one's house is haunted, then that speaks to its importance—it has a history, a lineage. In the United States, hauntings served as a way to discuss the less rosy parts of history, providing a way to discuss slavery in a plantation house tour, for example, that made it more thrilling than depressing.

My favorite part had to be the section on the Winchester Mystery House. As a California native, I had visited numerous times on school field trips and was well acquainted with the story of poor widowed Sarah and the medium's warning to her to move west and keep building so as to confuse the spirits who were after her (in revenge for the deaths caused by the Winchester rifle). It was fascinating to learn that Sarah simply had a lot of time and money and an interest in architecture and woodworking (but little practical experience in drawing up a plan). She simply tried out different ideas and when they didn't work, she abandoned them and tried something else. Further, most of the doors that lead nowhere (and weren't abandoned projects) likely led somewhere before the 1906 earthquake damaged the house. But maybe that wouldn't make the best tour?

Overall a fascinating read! Four and a half stars!

Thanks to Pegasus Books for the ARC!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since my childhood, I have been fascinated by ghosts. Holidays were spent travelling across the UK, visiting castles and stately homes. And I was always able to find a ghost or two - if not seeing the real thing, at least discovering the legend which went along with it. My childhood best friend lived in a house which was said to be haunted. Even in my adulthood, I remain in the small UK town that I grew up in, and believe me, there is a lot of history here. Buildings which date back 500 years. I worked in the local hotel which is said to be haunted by the Grey Lady, although because of changes to the building when it was sold to its current owner, she would now be haunting the women's toilet like Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter, rather than haunting the ballroom. Ask me what a haunted house looks like, and I could draw you something which may also sit within your mind, if I was to ask you to do the same. And this is what this book is about. How, and why, do we have certain expectations, assumptions, or images that we instantly bring to mind when someone mentions 'haunted house.'

Although there is the examination of the legends which are found behind the ghostly tales attached to the various buildings within the book, this is not the main purpose of the book. Really it is to explore why the haunted house sits within our collective consciousness, and what it looks like.

The buildings which are given their own chapters are:
Strawberry Hill House
Chillingham Castle
Borley Rectory
Hampton Court
The Myrtles Plantation
Raynham Hall
The Amityville Horror
The Winchester Mystery House

Throughout the chapters, there are also mentions to other buildings, and at the end, she does widen her search by looking at 'global ghosts.' I loved reading about places I was familiar with; the chapters on Chillingham Castle and Hampton Court were really interesting to me, as these are places I have been to before. It was also lovely to have the mention of Witley Court, which is only a few miles from where I live, so this is another place that I know well. It was also interesting to shine a light on how many places where there would have been a lot of death, including men, often have female ghosts as their legends.

This book was interesting if you come to it expecting it to be about the trope of the haunted house, and why this forms quite specific expectations in our mind. It is not a book which is going to scare you silly - that is not its purpose. Recommended for anyone who is intrigued as to why haunted houses fascinate us, even as they give us the heebie-jeebies.

[Anupama K.C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a delightful read. It was very interesting to know how architecture and societal experiences have shaped haunted houses and also its relation to gothic literature.

[Sue Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found some parts dull and some parts interesting. Not as good as I'd hoped

[hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating series of case studies looking at the concept of how haunted houses develop, the characteristics (both internally relating to the house itself and the people that may inhabit it; and externally relating to the wider societal attitudes) that make up the perfect environment for a haunting. I thought it approached each house with the perfect level of research mindset scepticism and yet open mindedness, and especially even for those who may believe in ghosts, I think this book contains something of interest in context behind WHY they might believe a place is haunted. The houses were well chosen, with some very popular and famous places juxtaposed with perhaps less known ones.

[Stefan Nordin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book if you like me are interested in ghost stories as a concept and phenomenon but not necessarily believe in ghosts. This book approaches famous haunted houses from a historical, sociological and architectural point of view. Well written and researched and never chooses the sensational approach.

[Graziella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book but it was a drag. Author repeats herself in every chapter which made for a dragging read. I finished only because I hate leaving unfinished books. The author is middle class and she will tell you so a couple of time and seems obsessed with the middle class of any era!
Why I gave it 3 stars? because a lot of research has been done to write this book and there are quite a few myths dispelled through that research. Not a bad book overall but could have been much more concise and arrived to the same conclusion in shorter chapters.

[Lauren McGraw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting stories if you are a macabre little nerd like me! Some of the chapters were a little boring but that was definitely a me thing and not a researching and writing done by the author thing. I did love seeing how the haunted house trope started and how it changed through the years, everything is family trauma!

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty boring for a book about ghosts…

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had an interesting and entertaining time reading this book about how the cultural phenomenon of the haunted house evolved in Anglo-American countries and how it spread throughout most of the world, so that nowadays basically everyone would know what a haunted house looks like.

"Catholic doctrine does not teach purgatory as a place, but rather a state of being, a stage in the process of life, death and eternal salvation. So, out of the raw material of ancient religious dogma, writers of Gothic fiction (and the general public) came to conceive of ghosts as trapped souls with unfinished business. Where once those souls with unfinished business might have been thought to be tied to an abstract metaphysical space, they were now firmly connected to a literal one. A specific one: the domestic home." (p. 45)

While some of the architectural traits of the Gothic style are usually what we imagine for such a building to look like today, the author also emphasised that basically any building could become to be perceived as haunted, even if it was a suburban home or if there was no particularly gruesome story attached to a building. In some ways architecture and history seem to have reinforced each other at times in some cases: because a building looked creepy, ghost stories slowly developed; but if a building looked more ordinary but had a bloody past, the architecture didn't stop ghost stories from developing either.

"It was this childhood trip to Hampton Court that inspired my lifelong interest in social history; in the stories of the past and the people who shaped it. In the end, perhaps it doesn't matter if the palace really is haunted by the ghosts of Tudor queens. Even if it's not literally haunted, it is certainly imbued with that 'mystic' aura Ernest Law spoke of - the haunting atmosphere that will forever remind us of the 'illustrious historical characters' who once wandered its halls." (p. 151)

I found it fascinating how the author traced the evolving narrative of these ghost stories, be it the ghost of Chloe at a plantation house in the American South, various family ghosts at old castle and palaces or ghost stories involving Native Americans. As society and culture changed their perspective on slavery and the heinous acts that happened on plantations, so did the various ghost stories. I also appreciated the author discussing if these ghost stories can be more than tasteless cash grabs and may enhance our empathy and understanding of the past.

"Where the Bulls' encounters with the paranormal had occurred in the rectory grounds - ethereal forms appearing to them at a hazy distance outside their home - the ghosts seem to have moved in with the Smiths. The 'traditional ghosts' - spectral figures with romantic backstories that were the stuff of legend and folklore - were no more. The unthreateningly remote spirits were replaced by a haunting that was present, personal and invasive. This haunted house was evolving, and its new inhabitants took the form of the insidiously modern poltergeist." (p. 111)

"It had long been considered an asset for an aristocratic household to have a resident family ghost. After all, having a ghost meant having a history. And now more than ever, having a ghost was invaluable to once great families desperately clinging to their ancestral homes. So, the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall ceased to be scary and instead became a comforting reminder of happier times. Not that it was all that happy for poor old Dorothy, of course, but her epoch did represent the Townshend family's heyday." (p. 194)

"As with the legacy of slavery in the American South, the collective guilt over the events of Westward expansion would eventually go on to inspire ghostly legends, but it would take some time for Native Americans to break free of negative stereotypes to become the more sympathetic - and tragic - figures we know today. Even now, though, Americans' guilt seems to be fixated on the seizure of indigenous land rather than their barbaric treatment of the actual people. This has had a unique effect on the modern Native American-themed ghost story." (p. 258)

"There are some subtle commonalities between the Winchester Mystery House mythology and the Indian burial ground trope, as well as a shared timeline in terms of their development as a kind of mea culpa for past injustices perpetrated against indigenous peoples. In both, the Native American is simultaneously ever-present, yet conspicuously absent. A long, dark shadow cast by a faceless, nameless form. And perhaps this is to be expected, since the history of relations between Native American and white settlers is a history of erasure." (p. 261)

An interesting throughline was how much women were involved in these ghost stories, not only because the most famous ghosts are all female, but also because it was usually a female proprietor of a 'haunted' location to see its potential - either spiritually or from a business perspective. I loved reading the author's reflections on how this could have come about.

"As we saw with Chillingham Castle, an ancient fortress that was likewise used and occupied by countless men, it also became populated by the ghosts of women and children. The haunted house (or castle or palace) of our modern understanding is inevitably tied up with notions of the 'domestic' and of 'family' - ideal or otherwise - which is traditionally defined by the presence of women. On top of this, there has long been a tendency to hold up famous women of the past - particularly those who died tragically - as amorphous symbols of time and place; their ghosts symbolising the social and political dynamics of their period in history." (p. 149)

"It is surely no coincidence that haunted house narratives, particularly those of nineteenth-century American Gothic fiction, are largely populated by single women. If the haunted house represents the inverse of the ideal family home, then it makes sense that the canonical central character for the haunted house story should be the opposite of the ideal woman. Childless and unmarried governesses, boarding-house matrons, adult daughters and widows feature heavily in works by Henry James, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edith Wharton and Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, among others." (p. 250)

I appreciated the author's approach to these stories: there was humour and a healthy dose of scepticism in her retelling of ghost stories and reflection on what makes us think of specific buildings as haunted, but she never ridiculed those who believed they experienced supernatural phenomena.

"Why is it that all abandoned houses are popularly assumed to harbour ghosts? Partly, it comes down to that 'melancholy' look that columnist Lucy Hardy spoke of. A home bearing signs of years of neglect results in a tangible image of decay, evidencing the decline of the house itself - and of the people who once lived there. (…) As people accustomed to living in homes with our nuclear family, we simply can't stand the idea that a structure that was designed as a dwelling lacks the one thing that makes a house a home. We must, therefore, populate these empty houses with the inhabitants that we believe should rightly be there." (p. 210)

[Annette Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which one big 'haunted' house per chapter has its stories of hauntings unpacked. Includes lots of historical details. Very interesting overall although I found some parts a bit dry (but that's me and history) Loved the delightful illustrations of each house complete with ghosts.

[Zandt McCue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caitlin Blackwell Baines’ How to Build a Haunted House is a refreshing and much-needed take on a subject that is often shrouded in cliché. Too often, haunted house lore gets reduced to the same recycled ghost stories—sometimes even with the wrong names, dates, or events attached. This book cuts through that fog. Instead of retelling campfire tales, Baines traces the history of these houses, exploring how and why they became labeled as “haunted” in the first place.

What makes this book stand out is its focus on the real history of the locations. Baines dives into the cultural, social, and psychological factors that shape our fascination with haunted houses, rather than simply repeating sensational claims. It’s a study of belief, atmosphere, and storytelling as much as it is about the buildings themselves. Reading it feels like peeling back layers—what’s fact, what’s folklore, and what’s a projection of our own need for mystery.

As someone who is often frustrated when TV shows or articles get the history of these places wrong in service of a good ghost story, I found this approach both honest and refreshing. It doesn’t spoil the fun—it deepens it. Haunted houses aren’t just eerie because someone insists a ghost lingers there; they’re haunted because of the complex dynamics of history, culture, and imagination that surround them.

This is a truly original and thought-provoking book, offering an intelligent yet accessible lens on a subject that too often gets trivialized. If you’re interested in haunted houses, folklore, or cultural history, this is absolutely worth the read.

[Kristen Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caitlin Blackwell Baines delivers a fascinating, atmospheric, and beautifully researched exploration of one of culture’s most enduring obsessions the haunted house. How to Build a Haunted House is far more than a study of ghost stories; it is a rich examination of how architecture, history, folklore, and imagination combine to create spaces that linger in our collective fears and fascinations.

What makes this book especially remarkable is the way Baines connects physical spaces with emotional and cultural memory. By moving through haunted locations from Medieval Scotland to Victorian suburbs, Enlightenment London to pre Civil War Louisiana, she reveals how certain buildings become symbols of dread not simply because of superstition, but because of the histories, anxieties, and social meanings attached to them. The haunted house becomes not just a setting, but a reflection of cultural psychology.

Her expertise in Gothic art and architecture gives the book exceptional depth. Every chapter feels immersive, balancing historical scholarship with vivid storytelling that makes readers see familiar spaces in entirely new ways. Whether discussing folklore, design, class, or the aesthetics of fear, the writing remains elegant, accessible, and consistently engaging.

This is an essential read for anyone interested in horror, cultural history, architecture, folklore, and the strange relationship between place and imagination. It is intelligent, eerie, and impossible to forget.

A standout contribution to cultural history.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really well researched and written look at why we perceive some structures to be haunted, mostly focussed on the west but with some interesting looks further abroad. I felt that I got the full story at each stage of the book based on it fun structure which focussed on a different house per chapter. The structure of telling the popular story and then the facts allowed a spooky vibe to combine well with the more academic side although I’m always going to say I want something a bit more spooky. Also interesting to discuss was the impact of architecture as well as history however this could have been supported better with pictures instead of just the artistic renditions of the houses at the start of each chapter as all the detail became hard to visualise. I also felt that some information was repeated in a way that didn’t effectively reinforce the narrative but instead become boring at times. This said, I was engaged for the large majority of this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in historic houses or spookiness.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting look at what makes a house feel 'haunted.' Mainly, it concentrates on famous (or infamous) houses in the UK or US. So, we have Horace Walpole, author of possibly the first Gothic novel, 'The Castle of Otranto,' and his home, Strawberry Hill House. There are castles of course - Chillingham in Northumbria, Hampton Court and country houses, such as Raynham Hall. In the US there is the Myrtles Plantation, Amityville and Winchester. Other houses are less grand, such as Borley Rectory and, in the final chapter, the author looks further afield.

Much of this book uses locations to explore history and culture. There are digressions into Harry Price, famous spectres, poltergeists, American heiresses and seances, among other things. Some houses have a lot of history, others have particular issues and many have similar stories. I found this an enjoyable, social history of houses known as haunted and why such labels existed.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched and an interesting selection of houses. Each chapter started off very engaging but I did find there were some dry bits and I felt my interest slacking off. It's a good sociological, historical dive into what makes a house seem to be haunted in popular culture. However, the conclusion seemed to be large gothic mansions, which fits the stereotype, but the famous hauntings in Pontefract and Enfield happened in postwar semis, so maybe the definition of a haunted house in the UK is much broader. The chapter about ghosts in other countries/ cultures was very interesting and I would have liked more on this. Given that the focus is on Anglo culture, including the US, it would have been interesting to see if the ideas of a haunted house are the same in Australia and New Zealand. An interesting and thought provoking book, but could have expanded some ideas and cut some of the dry bits.

[one.too.many.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect non-fiction for this time of year! A book dedicated to places that are known for being haunted. The author has done an incredible amount of historic research for this and it’s very interesting.

We learn about a number of different places, ranging from houses and mansions to castles, some in the UK and some abroad. There is also a lot of information about the residents that played a vital role and where the supposed hauntings may have their origin. It’s just a really intriguing read even though it sometimes feels like reading an academic text.

This book also tries to explore the question of what makes a house more prone to being haunted, despite the obvious suggestion of apparitions and ghostly goings ons. What is it about a house, castle, place that makes us shiver and feel something otherworldly is at play?

Definitely recommend if you’re interesting in this!

[Seriesbooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fascinating look at Haunted Houses in England and the US from the aspects of its history,  inhabitants and the works of fiction and art they inspired. This includes Horace Walpole, author the first Gothic novel, 'The Castle of Otranto,' and owner of Strawberry Hill . Chillingham Castle in Northumbria,  the famous Hampton Court  and Raynham Hall.  The book focusses on Myrtles Plantation, Amityville and Winchester in the US.

I really enjoyed the haunted houses in England but could only read the Amityville House ( the haunted places in the US just doesn’t have the same spookiness and sense of history of the ones from England

This is a well-researched book with plenty of rich detail but would have been so much better if there were a few photos and pictures.

[Liberty · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, the most interesting chapter was the one about the haunted plantation house in the deep south of the United States, as the most distant from the old English Castles haunted by posh people. I found the argument that condensing a number of real-life horrors experienced by enslaved peoples into one Ghost Story can be a way of teaching history in an otherwise commercial, sanitised heritage venue, a convincing one.

[Alice Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fascinating historical and sociological examination of the concept of the haunted house, as explored via a handful of classic ‘true’ haunting cases from history. Whether you have an interest in the supernatural or simply just horror as a genre, this is a really interesting read and I highly recommend it. Some chapters were stronger than others, but it was balanced and thought-provoking throughout.

[Olivia Mudrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read not only from a like sociological perspective but also history. I wasn't necessarily expecting history lessons but the context which the author puts all the houses in gave a great well rounded view of the times and ours

[Vikki Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. interesting but rather repetitive

[Christopher Vowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accessible survey for Gothic newbies.

[6ykmapk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Phil Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me far too long to finish it but found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable and educational read. Loved that my favourite hardcore skeptic and parapsychologist Kieran O’Keefe gets a mention.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.

[mrsbookburnee Niamh Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fascinating read, some of the houses where familiar, so was interesting to learn more about them and to be introduced to further haunting.

You can tell that the author put so much effort into researching each house and they wrote about differing factors from cultural, generational and people’s own perspectives.

This is a must for non-fiction fans and I will be added to my TBR from the books used in the bibliography.