Fleur-de-Lys Studios — the ghost of Angela O'Leary in Providence

The Fleur-de-Lys Studios in Providence, Rhode Island, is a Romanesque Revival building designed by architect Edmund R. Willson and built in 1885. The building has served as an artists' studio, a residence, and a cultural center over its long history. The haunting centers on Angela O'Leary, a woman who reportedly worked as a washerwoman in the building in the early 20th century and who died under circumstances that remain unclear. Staff and visitors have reported seeing the apparition of a heavyset woman in working clothes on the ground floor, particularly near the rear of the building where the laundry facilities were once located. The ghost is described as going about her work — the sound of washing and wringing has been heard when no one is present, and wet spots have appeared on floors that were dry moments earlier. Other reported phenomena include the smell of soap and lye in the entryway, footsteps on the upper floors when the building is closed, and a door on the second floor that refuses to stay closed despite repeated repairs to its latch. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its ghost story is well-known in Providence's artistic community.