Overview
The Jefferson Hotel occupies a building dating to 1851 in Jefferson, Texas, a town that was once a busy steamboat port on Big Cypress Bayou; built by town founder Allen Urquhart and reportedly first used as a cotton warehouse, it became a hotel in 1858 and over the decades served many uses, including a Prohibition-era speakeasy known as the Crystal Palace. Now operating as the antiques-filled Jefferson Palace Hotel, it is one of the most storied haunted lodgings in the state, with staff long keeping a guest log in which visitors record their experiences. Its lore centres on a young woman associated with the building's rougher early history, particularly a much-discussed upstairs room, along with reports of footsteps, knocking, cold spots, items moving and apparitions. Because some of this history touches on real hardship, the record should treat it with care and present the paranormal material as guest reports and legend rather than fact. Current room and booking details should be confirmed from the official site before publishing.