Haunted Brenham: The Shadow Ghost at The Citadel

During the 1920s, Brenham society spoke of the need for a new place in which the community gathered.

The appropriate funds were allocated, and in 1924, the townspeople gathered outside of The Citadel for its public debut.

Brenham’s History Party Hotspot

Updated 2/11/2020 – The facility was an instant success.

Many parties, and social gatherings were held in Brenham, and everyone loved the elegance and style of the Citadel.

The building operated as a public use venue for several decades.

Then, a new family purchased the Citadel, and converted it into a private residence.

For several years the building was nothing more than a luxurious home for a family.

Until it was put up for sale again during the 90s.

The Smith family eagerly snatched the property up.

They wanted nothing more than to turn the Citadel into the romantic meeting place it once was to the town.

So they hired a construction crew, and renovations were quickly underway.

The Unknown Woman at The Citadel

Joe worked for one of the companies that was hired at the time.

“I grew up in Brenham, and I’ll admit it was nice to think that the Citadel would be open again—I say that like I have been to a party there before,” Joe said, laughing at himself.

“Anyway, what I mean is that I thought it was a good idea…I liked what the Smith family was trying to accomplish.

“So anyway, I’m there every day, just working.

Some of my friends on the crew came up to me on the third day, looking worried about something.

They crouched down by me and said that they thought the building might be haunted.

“Well, naturally I laughed and told them they were lousy jokers.

But they all kept staring at me, as if I was the one who had said something ridiculous.

‘Joe, I swear on my mother’s life,’ one of them murmured to me, looking quite pale.

“So I told them to take me to the spot where they saw this supposed ghost,” Joe said.

“I followed them to the back of the property, where the exterior was getting a little TLC.

‘Back here,’ one of my buddies said, ‘switch spots with me?’

“I grumbled a lot, but I agreed.

My friends walked around to the front of the house again, looking much happier.

I mildly whispered about them under my breath as I worked,” he chuckled.

“I was adjusting a joist when I saw the shadow of someone walking behind me on the sunny grass.

But when I turned to face the person, nobody was there.

I thought perhaps it had just been my own shadow, moving around as the sun tucked behind a cloud or something,” Joe said nonchalantly.

“But then it happened again a few minutes later—and this time I felt a small hand touch my spine as the shadow passed.

Now this time, I marched all around the backyard, looking around.

At that point I had already accepted that this was some elaborate prank being played on me by my friends.

“Finally, I saw a female figure walking in between two trees in the short distance.

I ran after her, knowing that it was her who had touched me, and I wanted her to help me get the boys back with another prank.

But when I reached out for her…” Joe said, then shook his head, at a loss for words.

“I went to grab her shoulder, and she vanished, right then and there.

I’ve been working in construction for ten years all over Brenham, but I never experienced anything quite like that before.”