Jesmond Towers was built to a gothic design in the early nineteenth century. In 1869 it was bought by Charles Mitchell and his wife, Anne, who made it their family home. Their son, who was a great art enthusiast, displayed important paintings in the lounge. In 1890, Anne's sister, Emily, who was in a state of depression following the death of her husband, threw herself from the battlements of Jesmond Towers and is said to haunt the building: she is referred to as the "Pink Lady".