TWO GIRLS ONE GHOST
Episode 368 – Haunted Rhodes Hotel & The Doll Room
April 12, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Corinne Vien and Sabrina Deana-Roga dive into the spooky, multifaceted history and hauntings of the Rhodes Hotel (sometimes spelled “Roads”) in Atlanta, Indiana—an atmospheric former inn from the 1890s now famous for its paranormal activity, secret brothel past, and an infamous “doll room.” The duo covers the site’s historical context, notable deaths, shifting lore, and the unnerving experiences reported there. True to the show’s style, the hosts also discuss the intersection of supernatural phenomena with mental health, listener-submitted stories about haunted objects, and how real-life events can mirror the stories told on the podcast.

Key Discussion Points

1. Real-Life Hauntings Come for the Team

• A Chilling Coincidence: The episode opens with Corinne sharing a ghost story from their editor/producer Jamie Ryan. While editing a prior episode involving a mysterious fire, Jamie was staying at a cabin and (just like in the story she was editing) woke in the night to the smell of burning wires—a real fire had started, which she narrowly caught in time.

  • Quote: “Had she not woken up, it would have turned into an actual fire. And Jamie's like...the coincidence and the timing of it is so spooky.” (04:06)
  • The hosts consider whether consuming or creating scary media can attract paranormal events, and riff on synchronicity and psychic intuition.
  • Sabrina then mentions experiencing intrusive, almost premonitory thoughts about fire and later finding a burnt outlet—blurring the lines between anxiety and intuition.

• Notable Conversation about Intuition & OCD:

  • Sabrina discusses how being a mother has changed her ability to distinguish between anxious intrusive thoughts and genuine psychic intuitions, leading to constant mental rehearsals of disaster scenarios. (07:02)

2. The Rhodes Hotel: History & Urban Legend

2.1 Foundation and Economic Context

• The Rhodes Hotel was built in 1893, during Indiana’s “Gas Boom.”
  • Quote: “Basically, what's so important ... is that it is one of the last remaining structures...from this time period from 1893, which isn't that old when you compare it to Europe, but in the context of America...” (13:04)
• It's an elegant Queen Anne building, initially a fancy stopover for railroad travelers between Chicago and Indianapolis.
• The structure features a central hall, an original (or reportedly original) clawfoot tub, and marble sink—though documentation is fuzzy.
  • (Clawfoot tub and sink discussion at 14:12 and 43:11)

2.2 Ownership, Adaptation, and Lore

• Newton Rhodes (original builder/owner or later purchaser) and his wife, Clara, ran the hotel with their kids, Hazel and Everett.
• The Great Depression forced a pivot: Clara adapted, reportedly turning the hotel into a speakeasy and brothel:
  • “She turned it into a speakeasy and brothel... Sex and alcohol always has buyers. ...She had hidden rooms and trick doors built...” (17:30 – 18:18)
• Local legends claim visits from gangsters like Al Capone and John Dillinger.
  • “Where has Al Capone not been?” (18:53)
• After 1937, the building closed as a hotel, becoming apartments, then was largely abandoned, then restored in the ‘90s.

2.3 Confirmed and Rumored Deaths

• Three confirmed deaths: Newton, son Everett (died of tuberculosis), and Clara. Possibly Newton’s stepmother and a young woman (“Sarah”) killed in brothel days.
  • Quote: “Visitors have reported hearing a woman sob and then...feeling their hair or their clothing being tugged, which to me suggests...someone help me. I'm here. I need help.” (30:55)

3. Hauntings and Paranormal Reports

• Typical activity: lights flickering, doors opening/closing, disembodied voices/conversations, footsteps. (25:13)

• Apparitions/Entities:

  • Shadow figure (potentially Newton Rhodes): Seen lurking near the staircase and living room; sometimes communicates through footsteps (27:17).
  • Aggressive female entity (“Sarah”): Allegedly killed in the brothel era, her presence marked by crying sounds and pulling at people (28:43).
  • Family ghosts: Newton, Clara, Everett sometimes appear; Hazel isn’t reported.
  • Ghost cat: Small dark shape, darting between legs, accompanied by purring or meowing (32:07).

• The Storm Effect: Activity spikes during storms—"storms seem to energize the atmosphere.” (32:31)

Special Focus: The Doll Room

• A second-story room packed with vintage dolls—donated by locals or left by former tenants. (33:24)
  • Why is it there? No direct historical connection; the tradition evolved organically.
  • Paranormal activity: Dolls move when not observed, are tossed, rotate heads, are seen captured on cameras; oppressive atmosphere.
  • A little girl’s voice (“Goody”) is picked up on recorders in the room.
    • “There’s apparently some famous recording… Goody, which is either a name or expression...captured multiple times...” (35:39)
  • Theories: The girl’s spirit plays with and moves the dolls; Sabrina wonders about “beef” between haunted dolls.
    • “Just because they're a doll doesn't mean they're all going to get along with each other.” (36:18)
  • Many references to captured EVPs, videos, but little is widely available to the public; much of the evidence is exclusive to onsite tours. (38:06)

4. Listener Story: The Haunted Doll Pillow [42:55]

Sabrina reads a submission from listener Bex about an unsettling experience with a gifted princess doll pillow brought home from a friend’s playhouse.

• Bex’s younger sister dreams of a little girl in white, who escalates to asking “where the knives were because she wanted to play doctor with my brother with the knives.”
  • Quote: “She had dreams of this little girl. This little girl in the dream asked where our little brother was and where the knives were because she wanted to play doctor with my brother with the knives.” (47:45)
• Parents respond by cleansing the house and disposing of the pillow, and the experiences stop.
• Hosts discuss alternate interpretations (possibly an innocent spirit mimicking adults, or a truly sinister presence).
• They reflect on the wisdom of not bringing haunted objects home and the importance of family communication and spiritual boundaries.

5. Listener Engagement, Podcast Community, and Humor

• The duo discusses their thriving Patreon community, which includes live “campfire” sessions, witch classes, and book club. (51:51 – 54:30)
• Ongoing jokes about the “pyramid scheme” of podcast success: “If you tell two people and they have to tell two people, next thing you know, it's world domination.” (54:51)
• Spontaneous references and callbacks: Spongebob’s Invisible Boatmobile, daily life, and hosts’ favorite internet rabbit holes (plants, witches, etc.).
• Grateful shout-out to editor/producer Jamie Ryan: “Thank you for not quitting on us.” (55:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Annabelle gave you such a bad rep. And on behalf of all dolls, we apologize.” (Corinne, 09:38)
• “Also, death doesn't need to happen on a property for it to be haunted.” (Sabrina, 20:46)
• “Visitors describe their clothing being tugged, their hair being pulled… Our first suspect is a tall, dark figure... referred to as being a shadow man or shadow figure.” (Sabrina, 26:46)
• “The dolls move. They're speedy little eyes. Especially when storms roll in, which is so creepy.” (Corinne, 09:54)
• “Once you start collecting haunted dolls, you can't stop.” (Sabrina, 33:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:06 – Jamie's haunted editing/fire story
• 07:02 – Discussion of intrusive thoughts vs psychic intuition (Sabrina as a mother)
• 13:04 – Rhodes Hotel architecture and town origins
• 17:30 – Hotel’s Depression-era shift to speakeasy/brothel
• 25:13 – Reported hauntings and staff background
• 27:17 – Shadow figure (speculated to be Newton Rhodes)
• 28:43 – The “Sarah” legend: brothel death, sobbing, hair-pulling
• 32:07 – Ghost cat phenomena
• 32:31 – Storms amplifying paranormal activity
• 33:24 – The doll room and its origins; doll movement evidence
• 35:39 – Little girl “Goody” voice in the doll room
• 42:55 – Listener story: the haunted doll pillow
• 51:51 – Patreon community, book/witch club, and fan engagement

Tone & Style

• Conversational, witty, and intimate—with the hosts’ signature blend of in-depth research, irreverent humor, and candid self-reflection.
• Frequent asides, pop culture references, and spontaneous “what if” scenarios.
• Deep empathy and acknowledgment for mental health, the trauma of the past, and community experiences.
• A careful but playful balance of skepticism and belief, leaving listeners both informed and unsettled.

Summary

In Episode 368, Corinne and Sabrina transport listeners into the atmospheric world of the Rhodes Hotel, unpacking its gas-boom era history, tangled hauntings, notorious brothel years, and the singular doll room that’s earned it a place on every paranormal investigator’s bucket list. The show weaves together local legend, personal supernatural encounters, and the subtle ways that haunted stories bleed into our own lives. Peppered with laughter, compassion, and spine-tingling tales from listeners, the episode exemplifies why “Two Girls One Ghost” is known for summoning chills long after the credits fade.

If you’re curious about haunted dolls, old hotels with gangster pasts, or how easily folklore and experience intertwine, this episode is a can’t-miss.

To share your haunted stories or join their witchy, bookish, or spooky communities, visit the show notes or their website. Just be careful what you bring home…