HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
An 1895 Victorian home that housed the Opelika Chamber of Commerce for nearly four decades, where child-sized footsteps on the stairs, a water stain shaped like a girl, and a fireball of light barreling down the staircase have been reported for generations.
Opelika, Opelika, AL 36801
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
The house was a private Chamber of Commerce facility through 2024. Current access status as of 2026 is unconfirmed — drive-by exterior viewing from public street is possible.
Access
Limited Access
Victorian-era home; interior access unconfirmed.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1895 · Opelika Chamber of Commerce building 1987–2024 · Victorian residential architecture, Lee County
The Whitfield-Searcy House was constructed in 1895 in Opelika, Alabama, and represents the Victorian residential architecture common to Lee County's growing commercial center at the close of the 19th century. Beyond its construction date, the early ownership history of the property is not fully documented in the sources available for this record.
A five-year-old girl died in the house in the early 1900s, according to accounts collected by Auburn-Opelika Tourism. The cause of her death is described as hay fever in those accounts. Her presence has been associated with the house's paranormal reputation ever since.
The Opelika Chamber of Commerce occupied the building from 1987 until 2024. During those decades of semi-public use, staff, contractors, and visitors reported repeated episodes of unexplained activity. Among the most frequently described: child-sized footsteps heard on the stairs, alternating on each step. A water stain appeared in the downstairs bathroom that occupants described as shaped like the outline of the same young girl. Contractors doing renovation work on the building reported feeling physically pushed. Furniture and objects moved independently. The single most dramatic account describes a 'fireball of light barreling down the staircase,' a report collected by The Bama Buzz from witnesses in the building. The Chamber vacated the building in 2024; the house's current status is unconfirmed in sources reviewed for this record.
Sources
The paranormal reports at the Whitfield-Searcy House have a specific and consistent character: they center on a child. Auburn-Opelika Tourism's documentation of the site records that a five-year-old girl died in the house in the early 1900s, reportedly from hay fever. Her presence is the framework through which occupants interpret the activity.
The footstep accounts are among the most detailed: those who heard them described the sound of small feet climbing the staircase, alternating steps as a child would climb rather than the adult pattern of alternating weight. The water stain that appeared in the downstairs bathroom and traced the outline of a young girl was seen by multiple people in the building and is noted across sources.
The fireball account — described to The Bama Buzz as 'a fireball of light barreling down the staircase' — stands apart from the quieter phenomena. It was reported by witnesses who were in the building during the Chamber of Commerce years. Furniture movement and the experience of a contractor who reported being pushed while working in the house round out the documented pattern.
No formal paranormal investigation results for the Whitfield-Searcy House are documented in the sources reviewed. The accounts derive from occupant and visitor reports collected by local tourism and regional news coverage.
Notable Entities
The Whitfield-Searcy House sits within Opelika's historic core. Visitors interested in the paranormal lore can view the exterior from the public street as part of a broader Opelika historic district tour.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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