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January 19, 2006
Haunted Houses of Key West
The Artist's House
This is the house that Robert the Doll grew up in. His room was on in the turret on the third floor.
Eaton Lodge. Once the home and office of Doctor William Warren, he still paces back and forth in the hallways at night waking the visitors and keeping them up with his heavy footsteps. The shadow of his feet has been witnessed moving back and forth in front of doorways, blocking the light coming in from the crack between the door and threshold. The disrupted sleepers who confront the noisy nightwalker find the hallway empty moments after they heard the footsteps pausing just outside their closed door. Maybe the doctor is still worrying about his patients, or maybe one of the unfortunate patients still hangs around waiting for a second opinion!
The Oldest House in Key West, now the Wrecker’s Museum.
The house was built in 1829, and since then has weathered hurricanes, fires and the corrosive marine environment. Its resiliency is largely due to Capt. Richard Cussans, the ship’s carpenter who built the house. Working with cedar and pine, Cussans employed his maritime techniques to landlubber construction. His mortise-and-tenon joinery, horizontal wallboards, and ventilation hatches or ???scuttles???, have enabled the house to withstand the tests of time. Architecturally, the house reflects aspects of both the Gulf Coast cottages typical of 18th century Pensacola and the Classic Revival vernacular found throughout Key West. It stands one and a half stories, and its pitched roof supports three dormers. A central hall divides the first floor into four equally sized rooms. The black door lies directly in line with the front, providing excellent ventilation- an important feature in the steamy tropics.
It belonged to Capt. Francis Watlington, originally from New York, who arrived in Key West in 1828 and worked as a harbor and coastal pilot, as well as a wrecker. He also served time as the Customs Inspector, Captain of the Sand Key Lightship, Captain of the government schooner Activa, member of the Florida House of Representatives, and ‘Lieutenant of War’ under Key West hero and Secretary of the Navy for the Confederacy, Stephen Mallory. Capt. Watlington lived here with his wife, Emeline and their nine daughters, but two of them died at a very young age.
Today, as the Wrecker’s Museum, it is furnished in the fashion of Watlington’s era, complete with his family’s portraits, and holds impressive displays that reflect the lifestyle and collections of a wrecker. Many caretakers have shared their similar experiences of hearing noises during the night. The most commonly heard is the rocking chair on the second floor. With the windows sealed tightly and no chance of a draft moving the chair in either direction, the rocking chair moves back and forth slowly and consistently, making a ‘creak- THUNK’ noise due to it being slightly off balanced.
Another experience reported is the sound of marbles being rolled across the floor and down the stairs. As soon as one marble came to a stop at the bottom, another would start its descent from the top. The caretaker decided to take a peek and, looking to the top of the stairs, he saw “a little girl surrounded in a white glow playing marbles on the floor hallway. As soon as she saw [him] she ran into the bedroom???. When he went to check the bedroom it was, of course, empty. As he turned to leave the room, the rocking chair began to rock.
A visitor to the museum, upon entering, was overcome by a strange feeling. After her self-guided tour she spoke to the caretaker, asking him if he knew there was a presence in the house. She walked over to a portrait of the family, pointed to Emeline Wattlington and said, “This is her. She likes to stay in the upstairs bedroom where her daughters are. There is also a little girl. She became quite ill and there was nothing that could be done. Her mother rocked her back and forth for hours until she eventually passed on. Both spirits remain here today. You are very lucky to have such a caring spirit around you???.
Now, when the caretaker hears the rocking chair at night he calls upstairs “Good Night Emeline???!
The Marrero Guest Mansion
Francisco and Enriquetta Marrero, who lived in this house with their eight children, owned a large share of the Key West cigar market and lived a very luxurious lifestyle. Their house was furnished with valuable furniture and pieces of art, and they were assured by their wealth that their kids would be taken care of if anything were to happen to them. After Francisco’s unexpected and unexplained death on a business trip to Cuba, Enriquetta was left to raise the kids alone. Six months later, a woman showed up at her doorstep and claimed to be Francisco’s first wife from Cube, whom he had never divorced, and she had the documents to prove it. After a bitter court battle, Maria Ignacia Garcia de Marrero was named administratrix of Francisco’s estate. Enriquetta not only lost her home and the cigar business, but she lost all of the house’s possessions as well. She was to be left penniless on the streets of Key West with her eight children. As she was evicted, a small crowd gather in front of the house. Enriquetta, surrounded by her children, said to the crowd “You are witnessing a great injustice today. And though you are removing me from my home, you should know that this house is rightfully mine; and with God as my witness I will always remain here in spirit???. In the years that followed all of the Marreros’ lives were claimed, many by consumption or diphtheria. Francisco’s first wife sold the company, the house and everything inside and returned to Cuba.
Ever since Enriquetta’s death there have been many reports of sightings and unexplained noises. Radios change stations by themselves, air conditioners, lights and other electronic devices turn themselves on and off, even when the main power line to the house has been disconnected. Loud banging occurs, and the sound of typewriter typing can be heard even though there isn’t a typewriter in the house. It is said that she doesn’t like negative energy, and when cranky visitors or people she doesn’t like come to the hotel she will make the chandelier swing and cause problems until those people check out; it usually doesn’t take too long. Once she pushed a pool boy into the pool after he blamed her for the towels running out. Her lavender perfume has been smelled on occasion, and her figure has been seen walking the halls and brushing her hair while standing in front of the mirror in her old bedroom. Some guests have even woken up to see her sitting on their arm or on the side of their bed.
The Hard Rock Café
This building is haunted by William Curry, one of Key West’s first millionaire’s, who commited suicude in the second floor bathroom. Tables and furniture overturning, pacing and footsteps have all been reported. One man who was renting out the third floor apartment (before it was the Hard Rock) was putting up pictures around the room, and after hanging a picture of Columbus in a lifeboat paddling away from the edge of a flat earth on the wall facing Duval street, he turned around and found that it was on the floor leaning up against the wall. He placed it back on the hook and turned around again. When he looked back, the painting was again leaning up against the wall on the floor. He replaced the picture once more and sat down to watch it. It immediately crashed to the floor, shattering the frame and the glass. He had it repaired, and hung it on a different wall. When he returned to the room a few minutes later, he found the picture again smashed on the floor.
Posted by Heather at January 19, 2006 12:37 PM