About This Location
The site of the deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history. On December 7, 1946, 119 people perished in the Winecoff Hotel fire, including the original owner and four high school students. The tragedy led to nationwide fire safety reforms.
The Ghost Story
The Ellis Hotel, formerly the Winecoff Hotel, stands at 176 Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. Designed by William Lee Stoddart and opened in 1913, the 15-story building was advertised as "absolutely fireproof." While the steel structure was indeed protected against fire, its interior finishes were combustible and the building's exit arrangements consisted of a single stairway serving all fifteen floors.
On December 7, 1946, the Winecoff Hotel experienced the deadliest hotel fire in United States history. The blaze claimed 119 lives before burning out - more than one-third of the 304 guests staying that night. Many died from asphyxiation, while nearly three dozen jumped to their deaths from upper floors. Among the dead were the hotel's original owner W.F. Winecoff, his wife, and four high school students attending a YMCA Youth Assembly that weekend.
Photographer Arnold Hardy captured an image of Daisy McCumber as she plummeted toward the sidewalk. Remarkably, she survived the fall, and Hardy won a Pulitzer Prize for his photo. The tragedy spurred nationwide fire safety reforms - requiring multiple protected exits and self-closing fire-resistant doors in hotels.
When the building reopened as the Ellis Hotel in 2017, the echoes of the devastating past refused to fade. Construction workers complained about tools being mysteriously moved and going missing. They reported footsteps and voices coming from empty rooms. Guests today see ghostly figures in the halls and windows, hear sounds of chaos and running, and smell strange whiffs of smoke where no fire burns.
The 119 spirits who perished that December night may never leave the place where their lives ended so suddenly. The Ellis Hotel stands as both a memorial and a haunted reminder of America's worst hotel disaster.
Researched from 6 verified sources including historical records, local archives, and paranormal research organizations. Learn about our research process.
