Wilmington Pub in Connected 1806 Brick Row Houses
618 North Union Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
Age
21+ in bar area; all ages in dining
Cost
$$
Gastropub with full menu and bar
Access
Limited Access
Connected historic row houses with multiple levels
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1806 · Connected 1806 Federal-style row houses · Former family chapel in the basement · Mid-20th-century tavern history · 1998 Dead Presidents Pub opening
The buildings at 618 North Union Street in Wilmington's Trolley Square / Forty Acres neighborhood date to roughly 1806 and were originally private residences in a row of connected Federal-style townhouses. Over the years the residences were physically connected to create one larger building. The basement once served as a family chapel; a large carved Jesus figure discovered there is preserved in basement storage among the pub's bar supplies.
The building operated as a tavern through much of the 20th century. The most colorful tavern-era character in local memory is 'Lemonade' Mullery, a 1950s-era patron known for practical jokes and for throwing objects at staff. According to local tradition repeated in newspaper coverage, Mullery's antics were tolerated because he was a beloved fixture; his death is reported in one Shadowlands-era account as occurring after a slip-and-fall in the men's room.
Dead Presidents Pub & Restaurant opened on the site in 1998 under Mike and Steve Lucey. The current owners, Brian and Sarah Raughley, purchased the business in December 2009. Esquire magazine has named Dead Presidents one of the best bars in America on multiple occasions. The pub's collection of Presidential memorabilia covers every wall and is the establishment's signature decor.
Sources
The Dead Presidents Pub haunting is anchored to the figure of 'Lemonade' Mullery, the building's mid-20th-century tavern-era character. As remembered locally, Mullery was a prankster who tolerated little restraint at the bar in the 1950s and was permitted his pranks because of his standing in the neighborhood. According to local tradition repeated in earlier Shadowlands material, Mullery died after slipping in the men's room.
Wait staff and bartenders since the 1990s have reported phenomena consistent with Mullery's reputation. Dishes have been described as thrown, with the staff member able to verify nobody was in the position to throw them. Dominoes have been described as lifting from the recreation-room game tables. Screaming, taken for a prank in progress, has been reported when the building is empty of customers and staff.
The overall report from regulars is of a building with a strong felt presence rather than a visually dramatic haunting. The basement, with its former family-chapel use, contributes to the building's older institutional history but is not the focus of contemporary reports.
Notable Entities
Visit the Dead Presidents Pub in a connected pair of 1806 row houses on Union Street. The walls hold a substantial collection of U.S. Presidential memorabilia. The pub's signature ghost lore centers on Lemonade Mullery, the building's tavern-era prankster.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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