Texas State Capitol

The largest state capitol building in the country, this pink granite structure was finished in 1888. In 1903, Comptroller Robert Love was assassinated in his office inside the building — something the walls apparently haven't forgotten.

Comptroller Robert Marshall Love walks up the promenade to the Capitol building on misty days, dressed in a top hat. Visitors on free tours don't even blink — he looks like a staffer until he vanishes.

Love was murdered in his first-floor office in 1903. He had started his political career in 1872 as sheriff of Limestone County and risen to Texas State Comptroller by 1901. Former employee W.G. Hill came to his office, handed him a letter, and shot him twice in the chest before Love could finish reading it.

The Capitol, constructed in 1882, has collected spirits the way old buildings collect dust.

Governor Edmond Jackson Davis walks the halls too, bringing a sharp chill despite the Texas heat. He stares down anyone in his path before disappearing. A young woman in a red dress shows up so often that employees and visitors can no longer dismiss the reports. She looks normal enough — until she walks through a wall.

The third floor, where Love was killed, produces the most intense activity after dark. Staff report flickering lights, doors slamming shut on their own, the sensation of being watched. Some feel an invisible hand brush them or tug at their clothing. The strangest phenomenon: handprints appear on windows that cannot be scrubbed off. Replace the glass, and the prints return.

The Capitol continues to function as the seat of Texas government. Its living occupants share the building with those who refuse to vacate their positions.