An 1812 Newport mansion built by a Kentucky founder, later the birthplace of the Tommy Gun's inventor, and home to reported apparitions since its 44 years as a live-music venue.
24 E 3rd Street, Newport, KY 41071
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Varies by event; many shows ticketed. Check website for current programming.
Access
Limited Access
Multi-story historic mansion; stairs throughout
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1812 · Built by Newport co-founder Richard Southgate · Birthplace of Tommy Gun inventor John T. Thompson · Abraham Lincoln visited in 1855 · Nationally recognized music venue (Paste Magazine top 40, 2007)
Richard Southgate, a Kentucky state representative and one of Newport's original founders, commissioned the three-story mansion at 24 E Third St in 1812. Historical accounts hold that the building's construction was partially carried out by British prisoners of war captured during the War of 1812. The house quickly became the social center of early Northern Kentucky life.
Abraham Lincoln visited the house in 1855, before his presidency. The building later became the birthplace of Brigadier General John T. Thompson, inventor of the Thompson submachine gun — the Tommy Gun — whose name the venue now carries. During a period of ownership by the Knights of Columbus, a brick porch and balcony were added to the original structure.
The venue has operated as a live-music space since 1976 under the name the Southgate House, hosting national and local acts across genres. Paste Magazine named it one of the top 40 music venues in the country in 2007. In 2026 the property was listed for sale at $1.5 million. Today it continues to operate as a performance space with a bar, billiards rooms, and art gallery.
Sources
Multiple accounts from tour operators and news coverage describe the Thompson House as one of Newport's most active locations for reported paranormal experiences. The most consistently documented figure is a woman in 19th-century dress observed standing in a window, looking toward the Ohio River. Tour guides and paranormal accounts name her as Elizabeth, a servant whose husband was a riverboat man; she reportedly took her own life after believing he had died in an explosion on the river. Her reported presence is a fixture of Newport's haunted walking tours.
A second figure, alternately identified in sources as Francis Parker, has been described by tour guide Miranda Bratton of American Legacy Tours, who notes a persistent unsettling quality to specific areas of the building. A third presence is reported but not specifically described in available sources.
The Spectrum News 1 account from 2023 quotes Bratton directly: 'There's a weird feeling in there. I would not go in there alone.' The accounts come from tour operators and journalists rather than investigators; no formal paranormal investigations have been documented in available sources.
Notable Entities
American Legacy Tours includes the Thompson House on their 90-minute Newport haunted walking tour circuit. Tours operate seasonally and include the building's documented paranormal accounts.
The Thompson House operates as a multi-room event venue with live music, a bar, billiards rooms, and art gallery. Visitors can experience the historic space during public events.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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