Haunted St. Augustine

Nestled along the northeastern coast of Florida, St. Augustine stands as a testament to centuries of history, culture, and maritime significance. Affectionately known as the "Nation’s Oldest City" and the "Ancient City" by its inhabitants, St. Augustine holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement and port within the continental United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, this charming city has witnessed a tapestry of events, from colonial conflicts to the rise of American independence. But beyond its historical importance, St. Augustine possesses a reputation of a different kind – one shrouded in mystery, whispers, and tales of the supernatural. After more than 450 years of existence, it is also said to be one of the most haunted cities in America. The weight of history, the echoes of battles fought, and the lives lived and lost within its borders have contributed to an aura of the uncanny. It is said that in Haunted St. Augustine, the veil between the living and the spectral is thin, and the past lingers in the present.

Casablanca Inn

Constructed in 1914, the Casablanca Inn stands as an example of Mediterranean Revival architecture. This two-story building originally opened as the Matanzas Hotel. Around 1920, a new owner, a widow, acquired the property and renamed it the Bayfront Boarding House. She took pride in providing a clean, comfortable lodging with exceptional meals. This boarding house gained popularity quickly, requiring guests to make reservations to ensure a room. After some years, the widow changed the name again to the Casablanca Inn.

During the era of Prohibition, bootleggers were actively smuggling alcohol into St. Augustine from Cuba. Legend suggests that the widow became involved with one of these bootleggers, using her establishment to facilitate their operations. While catering to a diverse clientele of salesmen, families, and travelers, she also hosted FBI agents who were in town to enforce the law. When the agents were away, she would signal the smugglers by swinging a lantern from the top of her inn, indicating that it was safe to deliver the alcohol. She also provided her customers with the liquor that the smugglers delivered. The rumrunners compensated her generously for her assistance.

On one occasion, an agent questioned her, but the suspicion was dismissed. By the time Prohibition ended in 1933, she had accumulated enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of her life. Upon her death, she was buried in the Huguenot Cemetery. However, many visitors to the inn claim that her spirit remains present.

Reports suggest that boaters have witnessed a lantern swinging atop the hotel at dusk, and some have described seeing a dark figure swinging the lantern. Staff and guests have reported sightings of a misty, fog-like female apparition within and around the inn. Others have experienced gentle touches, the sound of footsteps when no one is nearby, disembodied voices, and the strong scent of oranges associated with her.

In addition to these experiences, there have been reports of mischievous activity, such as beds becoming unmade, televisions and lamps turning on and off spontaneously (even when unplugged), items being moved, and tablecloths being removed from tables. One night, an innkeeper heard loud footsteps and doors opening and closing on the floor above him, even though that section was unoccupied.

Today, the Casablanca Inn has been restored to its former glory and operates as a bed and breakfast.

Castillo de San Marcos

The Castillo de San Marcos, an imposing fortress constructed between 1672 and 1756, stands as the oldest existing permanent seacoast fortification in the continental United States. It is located in St. Augustine, Florida.

Although the Spanish founded St. Augustine in 1565, it would be another century before they began building the Castillo de San Marcos. The wooden forts they had constructed previously had not lasted long due to storms, fires, and neglect.

In the mid-1600s, two events occurred that convinced the Spanish of the need to build a more substantial fort to defend their town and the colony of La Florida.

The first event was in 1668 when the pirate Robert Searles attacked St. Augustine. Unlike Sir Francis Drake, who had attacked and burned St. Augustine to the ground a century earlier, Searles did not burn the town or destroy the wooden fort. However, the Spanish feared he might return with more men and turn St. Augustine into a pirate camp to attack Spanish treasure ships. They needed more protection.

The second event was the founding of South Carolina by the English in 1670. The English had settled in Jamestown, Virginia, 42 years after the Spanish founded St. Augustine, followed by the Pilgrim’s settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. But, these colonies were too far away to be a threat. Even the establishment of Maryland and New York over the following decades did not much affect the Spanish. However, that changed in 1670 with the establishment of South Carolina. The English were now much too close for comfort and the Spanish Crown sent money to St. Augustine to build a stone fortress.

After more than three centuries, this magnificent fort continues to stand, and today, is not only a destination for tourists but also is called home to several restless spirits. The largest masonry structure of its kind in the nation, this 17th-century fortress has survived years of battles and storms, changed ownership five times (Spain, Britton, America, Confederate States of America, then back to US control again), pirate attacks, and served as a prison throughout the years, witnessing the deaths of many. The fortress has also been a silent spectator to several gruesome stories. It is no wonder that it is haunted. Many believe that the Haunted St. Augustine legends are concentrated within this area.

During the fort’s construction, many workers died due to the harsh labor, tropical heat, and diseases. During the Spanish control, a hidden room in the lower chambers was allegedly used as a torture chamber during the Spanish Inquisition. It wasn’t until years later that the room was discovered when a heavy American cannon fell through the floor, revealing a room containing ashes and human bones.

In 1702, when Spain was at war with Great Britain, the British launched a major attack on St. Augustine. For 50 days, the British besieged the fort, captured hundreds of Indians for slaves, and burned the hospitals, monasteries, and the valuable Franciscan library. Ultimately, the Castillo de San Marcos was the only structure to survive in St. Augustine. Dozens of men on both sides of the conflict were killed.

In 1784, the fortress was under the command of a Spanish officer named Garcia Marti. Colonel Marti was married to a woman named Dolores, who was renowned for wearing a distinctive perfume that she used liberally. Marti was a busy man and began to suspect that his younger beautiful wife was clandestinely with one of his subordinate officers. His suspicions were confirmed when his young and handsome assistant – Captain Manuel Abela – reported for duty smelling of his wife’s distinctive perfume. Suddenly, both Dolores and Captain Abela went missing. It was explained that Abela had been sent on a special mission to Cuba and that Dolores had become ill and had been sent to live with her Aunt in Mexico. Though rumors abounded, Colonel Marti wasn’t directly challenged.

It would be nearly five decades before the truth would be discovered. In 1833, the Castillo de San Marcos was under American control when an American officer discovered a hollow sound in one of the walls of the dungeon area. Puzzled, he removed a brick and outflowed the smell of a strong perfume. Soon, an entire hidden room was discovered, within which were two skeletons chained to the wall. It is believed that the couple was chained to the wall and left there to die a slow death.

Today, it is said that a female apparition, thought to be the forlorn spirit of Delores Marti, roams the grounds of the Castillo wearing a white dress. Other reports say that the screams of the slowly dying couple can be heard through the stone wall of the room where they were held when visitors place their ears against it.

The dungeons below the Castillo have kept numerous prisoners, including that of Chief Osceola in 1837 during the Second Seminole War. Other captives over the years included more than 500 Apache prisoners who were followers of Geronimo, which included women and children, pirates, and prisoners of war. Though a few escaped, others were released, there was no doubt, many who met their deaths while being held in cramped, dank conditions in the dungeon.

Reports of paranormal activity at the Castillo include sightings of Spanish soldiers patrolling the grounds, the ghost of a Seminole Indian who seemingly leaps to freedom from the high fortress walls. This Spanish soldier is often spied at sunrise and sunset standing at the edge of the fort looking out to sea. In the 18th century, a Spanish soldier was killed by a cannonball while searching for a ring on the grounds. His spirit is said to be seen still looking for the ring.

Other paranormal activity includes a light that shines from a watchtower on stormy nights even though the tower has no electricity. In the dungeon, visitors report several sensations including feeling as if someone with cold hands had touched them, unexplained noises, and people talking. Many report having felt goosebumps and feeling ill while walking through. Photos taken at the fort often display misty shapes, strange lights, and what appear to be translucent ghosts.

In other places within the fort, flashes of light have been seen coming from the brass cannons, wisps of smoke, more spirits dressed in soldier’s uniforms, and the sounds of screams.

Flagler College-Hotel Ponce de León

In 1882, Henry Flagler, a New York entrepreneur and co-founder of Standard Oil, became interested in the historic city of St. Augustine and its potential as a winter resort. Flagler’s subsequent development of transportation and resort facilities in St. Augustine and along the east coast of Florida spurred rapid development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A focal point of this development was Flagler’s Hotel Ponce de León. In 1887, Flagler hired two young architects from the prominent New York firm, McKim, Mead, and White, to design the hotel. With the design of the Ponce de Leon, John Carrere and Thomas Hastings launched a new architectural firm, Carrere & Hastings, which would gain national prominence. Flagler chose the Spanish Renaissance Revival style so that the hotel’s design would complement its historic surroundings. Retained to decorate the hotel’s interior, Louis C. Tiffany used stained glass, mosaics, and terra cotta relief on the walls and ceilings and commissioned several grand murals. The hotel was the first large-scale building to be constructed entirely of poured concrete.

The popularity of “the Ponce” and its style strongly influenced the architecture of southern Florida for the next 50 years. The success of the Hotel Ponce de Leon was episodic, immediately contending with a yellow fever epidemic and the worst freeze in state history in 1895. St. Augustine’s weather proved not to be as warm and sunny as other resort areas that were developed further south along the peninsula, and the town never boomed as a winter resort. However, tourists did come during the first decades of the 20th century, and the Ponce de Leon was one of only three Flagler Hotels to survive the Great Depression. Following a lull in tourism during World War II, the hotel attracted large crowds for several years. Some of its famous guests included Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Babe Ruth, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. Unfortunately, however, over the years, the hotel declined, and in 1967, the hotel closed and was sold to Flagler College. It has been renovated today and retains most of its original integrity. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and became a U.S. National Historic Landmark on February 21, 2006.

Today this historical landmark is said to remain home to several unearthly residents including Henry Flagler himself. When the wealthy entrepreneur died in 1913, he was laid in state in the hotel’s rotunda. When his casket was being carried out, all the doors suddenly slammed, and legend has it that his spirit was trapped in the rotunda. Reports are that Flager continues to keep an eye on his hotel. Many visitors seek out Flagler College to catch a glimpse of these Haunted St. Augustine figures.

Another spirit is said to be that of Henry’s second wife, Ida Alicia Shourds. Ida, who was the nurse for the first Mrs. Flagler. She was described as frivolous and high-strung when Henry Flagler married her two years after his first wife’s death. But, as time passed, it began to appear that she suffered from mental illness – potentially manic-depressive or bipolar disorder. She began to dabble with an Ouija board and became involved in a popular spiritualist movement in St. Augustine at the time. As she talked with the dead, read tarot cards, and attended spiritual meetings, her behavior became more and more erratic – so much so that she was forced to spend some time in a mental hospital.

However, she was soon released, returning immediately to her Ouija board sessions again. Before long, she was sent back to see a psychiatrist, at which time she attempted to kill the doctor by stabbing him with a pair of scissors. In March 1899, she was legally declared insane. A year and a half later, Henry Flagler divorced Ida and quickly remarried a third wife.

Today, Ida Alice is said to haunt the East Wing women’s dorm, walking the halls of the top floor and, at one point, taking up residence in a dorm room occupied by a girl who looked much like her. Though not harmful, the girl eventually transferred to another college.

A third lost soul is said to be a former mistress of Henry Flagler. Called the “Woman in Black”, the story says that Flagler had an on-going extra-marital affair with a young woman while he was married to Ida Alicia. Henry was said to have kept his mistress, who was always dressed in black, in a suite of rooms in the hotel and forbade her to leave the rooms whenever Ida stayed at the hotel. Legend has it that the young woman eventually became so depressed that she hanged herself.

Other restless spirits are also said to continue to reside at the hotel, including a young boy who fell to his death in the hotel. Several people have reported a little boy who tugs at them and asks to play. Others have reported seeing a ball bouncing or rolling down the hallways.

Yet, another mistress is said to haunt the hotel, though this wasn’t Flagler’s. The story tells of a woman who, while a guest at the hotel, had an affair with a married man, which resulted in a pregnancy. Of course, she wanted the man to divorce his wife and marry her. This led to a meeting between the man, his wife, and his mistress at the hotel. The meeting didn’t go well for the mistress, as she is said to have emotionally run away from the meeting, fleeing up the stairs to her room. However, along the way, she tripped and fell down the stairs to her death. Called the “Lady in Blue”, this spirit is said to be the one who is most frequently appears, seen and heard crying in the hallways or the dining room.

In addition to sightings of the spirits, other paranormal activity has been reported, including the sound of footsteps and voices when no one is present and objects that mysteriously get moved about.

Huguenot Cemetery

Located just across from the Old City Gate, the Huguenot Cemetery served as a Protestant burial ground between 1821 and 1884. When the Americans took possession of St. Augustine and Florida Territory, the only burial ground within the city, the Tolomato Cemetery, was reserved for Catholics. Recognizing the need for a Protestant cemetery, the new American officials chose an area just outside the city gate. The cemetery was established just before a yellow fever epidemic, which claimed the lives of a large number of the city’s residents. Burials continued until 1884, when both Huguenot and Tolomato cemeteries were closed. The cemetery is believed to hold the remains of about 436 people.

Today, the old burial ground is said to be the most haunted cemetery in St. Augustine, so much so that it is often called “Spirit Central.”

One of the most often-seen spirits is that of Judge John Stickney. From New York, the judge fought in the Civil War and moved with his three children to St. Augustine. His wife had already passed away. He first worked as a lawyer and was appointed a state attorney for the 6th Judicial Circuit of Florida. He was also a U.S. Commissioner for the Northern District of Florida and Justice of the Peace. He soon became well-known and much liked within the community as he was often known to offer free legal advice. Unfortunately, he contracted yellow fever and died in 1882. He was laid to rest at the popular Huguenot Cemetery, and his children moved back north. Some years later, they wished their father’s remains to be moved to Washington D.C., to be re-interred. Gravediggers were hired to do the work, but when they took a short break, they returned to find the grave being robbed. The thieves immediately ran, but they had already made off with some valuables, including the Judge’s gold teeth. Today, though his remains are gone, the Judge is said to haunt the graveyard. He is sometimes seen walking the grounds day and night as if looking for something. Other times, he has been spied on while sitting in a tree.

Another restless spirit that has been seen in the cemetery is a young girl, said to be around 14 years old. She, too, died of yellow fever, and her body was unceremoniously dumped at the Old City Gates. When no one claimed the body, she was buried in the Huguenot Cemetery. She isn’t resting peacefully as numerous people have seen her spirit floating in the trees; described as wearing a flowing white gown, she often waves at visitors.

Other reports from visitors tell of seeing strange mists and unexplained flashes of light, the sounds of a man laughing, and the crackling of leaves while in the ancient graveyard. Many also describe photos they’ve taken that include strange phenomena such as orbs and misty areas. The Huguenot Cemetery is considered a hotspot for those seeking to experience the Haunted St. Augustine.

The Lighthouse

Standing at the north end of Anastasia Island in St. Augustine, Florida, the St. Augustine Light Station is an active lighthouse built in 1874. However, a Spanish watchtower was built on this site in the late 1500s. Over the years, a series of wooden watchtowers evolved into Florida’s first lighthouse, built on the site in May 1824 by Florida’s American territorial government.

The first lightkeeper was a man named Juan Andreu, the first Hispanic-American to serve in the Coast Guard and oversee a federal installation of any kind. He continued to serve until 1845. Nine years later, his son, Joseph, took up the same position in 1854. Unfortunately, Juan was killed in an accident when he fell 60 feet to his death when the scaffolding gave way while he was whitewashing the tower in 1859. Joseph’s wife, Maria Mestre de los Dolores Andreu, took over as keeper, becoming the first woman to serve as an official lighthouse keeper in Florida and the first Hispanic-American woman to lead a federal shore installation. She served as keeper of the St. Augustine lighthouse for three years. In 1862, with the Civil War underway, the light was extinguished, fearing it would aid the Union Navy. Paul Arnau, collector of customs in Saint Augustine, removed and buried the lens. It was eventually recovered, but the light was not relit until 1867.

By 1870, the shoreline erosion threatened the lighthouse, and Congress appropriated $100,000 to build a new one. Construction began in 1871 and lasted three years until the beacon was lit in October 1874. The original Fresnel lens remains one of only a few such operating lenses in the United States today. In the meantime, a jetty of coquina and brush was built to protect the old tower. However, it wasn’t enough, as the 1824 lighthouse was destroyed during a storm in 1880.

On August 31, 1886, the Charleston earthquake caused the tower to “sway violently,” according to the keeper’s log, but no damage was recorded. In 1907, the lighthouse received modern plumbing; in 1925, it received electricity in the keeper’s quarters. The tower light was electrified in 1936. During World War II, Coast Guard men and women trained in St. Augustine and used the lighthouse as a lookout post for enemy ships and submarines that frequented the coastline.

The U.S. Lighthouse was incorporated into the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939.

In 1955, the light was automated, and the positions of three lighthouse keepers slowly dwindled to two and then one. No longer housing lighthouse families by the 1960s, the keepers’ house was rented to residents. Eventually, it was declared surplus and suffered a devastating fire at the hands of an unknown arsonist in 1970.

In 1980, the Junior Service League of St. Augustine, which included 16 volunteers, began a 15-year campaign to restore the Keepers’ House that was destroyed in the fire. The League then began to restore the lighthouse tower with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard. A maritime museum was opened to the public part-time in 1988, and in the Spring of 1994, the full site was opened to the public full-time.

Today, the Lighthouse is St. Augustine’s oldest surviving brick structure and has been restored to the colors and materials used in 1888. The lighthouse rises 165 feet above sea level. At the top, the original, first-order Fresnel lens still serves as the beacon, but today is lit by a 1000-watt bulb and maintained by the museum and volunteers. The grounds also consist of the 1876 Keepers’ House, two summer kitchens added in 1886, a 1941 U.S. Coast Guard barracks, and a 1936 garage home to a jeep repair facility during World War II.

Numerous reports of spirits continue to reside on the grounds of the old lighthouse, some of whom are believed to be previous lightkeepers and their families. During its long history, several tragic events have occurred that many feel attributed to the unusually high level of paranormal energy. It is no wonder that the Haunted St. Augustine lore often includes this landmark.

One of the first was the unfortunate accident of Juan Andreu, who is said to have continued to look after his beloved lighthouse. An apparition caught on film by the Ghost Hunters show is believed to be the old lightkeeper. He is often spied moving on the top level of the stairs inside the lighthouse and staring through the window.

Another accident occurred on the grounds when three young girls played with a handcart near the ocean. When the cart broke, they fell into the sea and drowned. Today, there are several tales about the girls seen roaming the ground, visitors who hear the voices of children playing, apparitions of the girls sometimes seen swinging on the swing set, laughter, faces seen peering from the windows, and the spirit in a blue dress floating above the grounds.

Though no tragic accident is known to have occurred to a former lightkeeper, Peter Rasmussen, he is also said to keep a watchful eye on the property, leaving behind a strong odor of cigar smoke.

Throughout the lighthouse’s history, San Augustine has often been the site of violence, disease, and murderous storms. Perhaps some of the paranormal energy comes from others unknown to the property. Further events include random unexplained noises, objects that have been moved and thrown, a woman’s voice that is sometimes heard, laughter heard from the top of the tower, locked doors that are mysteriously found open, music boxes that turn on by themselves, and cold spots and drafts.

The Old Jail

The Old Jail building was built in 1891 and financed by Henry Flagler, owner of the Ponce de Leon Hotel. The former jail building stood on land that Flagler needed for the construction of his hotel and he wanted to ensure a safe and pleasant environment for his customers by creating a secure building to house criminals. He also wanted the building to be farther from the hotel and to blend beautifully into the neighborhood. To accomplish this, the building was designed with a Romanesque Revival style that gave it the distinct appearance of a Victorian home, so much so that it was almost unrecognizable as a jail apart from the barred windows.

Originally built to house up to 72 prisoners, the two-story northern wing of the jail was a general population and maximum security area, a women’s section, and a lower-level kitchen. Maximum Security housed the most dangerous prisoners and included a Death Row cell. During its history, eight men were hung from the gallows on the jail compound. The two-story southern wing of the Jail consisted of an Office for the Sheriff and living quarters for his family.

During its more than six decades, life inside the jail was in stark contrast with the beauty of its exterior. Conditions for the prisoners were said to have been very poor, with meager rations. These infrequent bathing toilet facilities consisted of one bucket per cell, and hard labor during the day as prisoners were sent to work in neighborhood farms. Disease, violence, and death were said to be commonplace.

The jail served as the St Johns County Jail until 1953, and just one year later, it became a local attraction. In 1987, it was listed on the U. S. National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Old Jail Museum provides guests to St. Augustine with a glimpse into the penal system’s history and its prisoners’ daily life. The guided tour includes the restored jail and sheriff’s living quarters, a display of weapons and artifacts, a pictorial history of the executions, and more. The Old Jail is often featured on ghost tours highlighting the Haunted St. Augustine.

Today, it is said to be haunted by former inmates and a former warden, Sheriff C.J. Perry. Perry lived with his family in the residential quarters and was known to have been strict and harsh in his punishments. Strange sounds are often reported, including rustling chains, dropping gallows, and barking and whining in dogs. Apparitions have been sighted in the form of both inmates and the sheriff.

The Old Jail Museum is located at 167 San Marco Avenue, just north of the downtown district.

Spanish Military Hospital

The Spanish Military Hospital Museum is an authentic reconstruction of a military hospital that stood on this site during the Second Spanish Colonial Period (1784–1821). The three-part facility consisted of a west wing constructed in the first Spanish period, an east wing constructed during the British Period, and the Apothecary in the William Watson House, which was also constructed in the British Period.

Strictly a military facility, the three parts, plus their outbuildings and gardens, functioned as a hospital complex during the Second Spanish Period.

In 1818, the west wing burned, but the remaining parts were still in operation. In 1821, the city needed to replace water lines that ran under the building, at which time they discovered thousands of human bones buried underneath the hospital. The hospital remained operational until two years into the American Territorial Period, officially closing in 1823. The east wing was destroyed in a fire in 1895. Only the original Watson house still stands today. Over the years, several buildings were built over the land where the hospital wings once sat. Potter’s Wax Museum is located on the lot of Hospital West. The last building over Hospital East was demolished in the early 1960s. Archaeological digs at that time uncovered the original foundations of the hospital building. The building was reconstructed using those foundations and the Spanish records of the hospital.

Today, the reconstructed east wing of the old hospital is a museum that recreates the hospital practices of the late 1700s. They include a full surgical demonstration of procedures at the time, an apothecary demonstration discussing the medicines used and their manufacture, and a tour of the medicinal herb gardens.

With the many deaths that have occurred at the old hospital, it comes as no surprise that some of the spirits of those who passed remain today. Paranormal reports tell of hearing cries, moans, and screams as well as ghostly apparitions seen in hospital gowns, with some of the missing limbs,

The St. Francis Inn

Dating back to 1791 during the city’s Second Spanish Colonial Period, this building is St. Augustine’s “oldest inn” and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Gaspar Garcia, the property’s first owner, was a military man who was granted the lot by the King of Spain and shortly thereafter built a home. At that time, the threat of invasion was so significant that the King of Spain ordered all houses to be constructed so that they might “serve as a defense of fortress against those who might attempt to occupy the town.”

In 1838, it was bought by Thomas Dummett, and six years later, after his death, it was turned into a boarding house by his daughter, Anna Dummett, in 1845. From that time forward, the building has served continuously as a lodging house. The name was officially changed to the St. Francis Inn in 1948. Fully restored today, it continues to cater to St. Augustine visitors. This is another of the locations that solidifies the Haunted St. Augustine reputation.

It is also said to be haunted by what is believed to be several former tenants. Paranormal activity includes sightings of misty spirits, objects being moved and thrown, and some visitors reporting being touched by an unseen apparition.