HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
A 1952 YWCA converted to Jackson's most atmospheric boutique hotel, a block from where Union troops burned the Confederate capital in 1863
226 N State St, Jackson, MS 39201
Research updated August 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Boutique hotel rates; varies by room and season. Check oldcapitolinn.com for current pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Multi-story historic building with elevator access
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1952 · Former YWCA Building 1952–1990s · Renovated as Boutique Hotel 1996–1999 · Located in Jackson's 1863 Burn Zone
The building at 226 N State Street was completed in 1952 as a YWCA facility, serving Jackson women through the mid-twentieth century. When the YWCA vacated the property, the building sat underutilized until an investor-led renovation transformed it into the Old Capitol Inn between 1996 and 1999, according to the hotel's own history page.
The 20-room boutique hotel opened to provide an alternative to chain accommodations in downtown Jackson, capitalizing on its location a block from the Old Capitol and its proximity to the city's antebellum and Civil War-era sites. The property takes its name and identity from the historic statehouse nearby.
The location's Civil War significance derives from the larger context of downtown Jackson. Union forces under General William T. Sherman occupied Jackson twice in 1863 — first in May and again in July. During the July occupation, Sherman ordered the burning of the city's industrial and infrastructure targets; the destruction spread to much of downtown. This event is the basis for Jackson's wartime nickname, 'Chimneyville,' a reference to the brick chimneys left standing after wooden structures burned. The area around N State Street was within the burn zone, giving the hotel's location historical resonance beyond its 1952 construction date.
Sources
The Old Capitol Inn's haunting tradition is more atmospheric than specific: it relies on the documented history of its location rather than a particular incident in the building itself. Ghost tour operators include the hotel area in their coverage of the Confederate-era downtown, citing the burning of Jackson in July 1863 and the general concentration of Civil War deaths in the surrounding blocks.
Guests have reported sensed presences in the hallways and unexplained sounds at night. These accounts, relayed through the Natchez Trace Travel site and Jackson tour operator materials, frame the phenomena as Confederate-era spirits persisting in a district that saw significant wartime destruction.
The hotel does not operate a paranormal program of its own. Its location, directly adjacent to the Old Capitol and within the historical burn zone of Jackson, places it in a broader downtown circuit that ghost tour companies have developed around the city's Civil War-era history.
The Old Capitol Inn occupies a 1952 YWCA building one block from the Old Capitol, in the heart of the district that Union forces burned in 1863. Guests report sensed presences in the hallways, with accounts attributed to Confederate-era spirits remaining in the area.
Jackson ghost walking tours include the Old Capitol Inn area as part of the downtown circuit covering the burning of Jackson and Confederate-era history.
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