History & local legend
Duquesne University’s Pittsburgh campus has several separate ghost traditions. Archivist Tom White described them to student reporter Emma Polen in October 2021, explaining how stories passed between generations of students and staff.
At Laval House, an older residence used by the university, students reported a woman dressed in black on the stairs and near an upstairs room. Another group of stories belongs to the original Des Places building, formerly a Newsboys’ Home. Here the presence was described as a child, associated with laughter and small disturbances. A newspaper editor reportedly returned to discover pages that had been left in order moved and rearranged on another table.
The old Des Places was demolished and replaced by a residence hall bearing the same name. Stories of unexplained laughter and elevator movements continued at the replacement building.
