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Haunted Hotels
Formatted By CammoDude
04-08-00

Newspaper: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, pp. L05.
Date: 10-18-98

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With Halloween lurking just around the corner, Historic Hotels of America, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's collection of more than 125 historically significant hotels, is scaring up its favorite ghost stories. These golden-oldie lodgings, dating from the early 19th century, have hosted the great, the obscure and everyone in between. And it comes as no suprise that some visitors have hung around longer than others --- indeed, beyond the grave. Here are tales from some historic Southern hotels:

Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa, St. Petersburg Beach, Fla.:

This grand pink palace was built in 1925 by Thomas Rowe, who included a replica of the courtyard and fountain where he and his beloved Lucinda used to meet. The two met in the 1890s when Rowe was studying in Europe. Their relationship forbidden by Lucinda's parents, the forlorn Rowe returned to America. Upon Lucinda's death, he received this note: "Time is infinite. I wait for you by our fountain . . . to share our timeless love, our destiny is time." Although the fountain that Rowe built no longer exists, employees at the Don report seeing a couple that suddenly appears walking hand in hand in the hotel, then disappears.

The Menger Hotel, San Antonio:

One night, after an argument with her husband, Sallie White, a chambermaid at the Menger, stayed at the hotel, presumably with another man. The next day her husband threatened to kill her. On March 28, 1876, Sallie was attacked by her husband, and she died two days later. The hotel paid the funeral cost of $32, as recorded in the hotel ledger. Legend has it that Sallie still roams the halls of the hotel's Victorian wing. A few years ago, when a guest wanted extra towels, he opened the door of his room and called out to a maid, who ignored him. The guest called the front desk to inquire why the maid was so rude. He described the maid and her uniform --- one that was worn in the late 1800s, about the time Sallie worked at the hotel.

The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, Washington:

The hotel hosted its first Inaugural Ball honoring Calvin Coolidge, on March 4, 1925, just two weeks after it opened. The new president, mourning his 16-year-old son's death from blood poisoning, did not attend. In 1937, Inauguration Day was changed to Jan. 20. The hotel has since experienced unusual occurrences on that day. In the Grand Ballroom, the lights seem to dim and flicker around 10 p.m. --- the exact hour when the fanfare announced the guests of honor at Coolidge's Inuagural Ball. The electrical circuits have been checked by experts, who can find nothing wrong. Hotel staff have reported finding a plate of hors d'oeuvres and a glass of fine wine left in the Grand Ballroom balcony. (Strangely, neither was served at any function that day.) One elevator refuses to move from the eighth floor to the lobby level until 10:15 p.m., the time the president would have arrived from his holding room to the ball. Could it be that "Silent Cal" is making up for that historic evening and attending, in spirit, every Jan. 20?

Jekyll Island Club, Jekyll Island:

Every morning at this former exclusive hunting club, Samuel Spencer, president of the Southern Railroad Co., insisted that The Wall Street Journal be delivered to his room. For years, it was his ritual to drink a cup of coffee while scanning the paper. In 1906, he was killed instantly in a train accident. For years, club members and hotel guests who have occupied Spencer's former room have found copies of their newspaper disturbed, moved or folded in their absence. Coffee cups have been mysteriously poured or "sipped on" when guests returned from a shower or a brief outing.

Le Pavillion, New Orleans:

This Big Easy landmark, which dates to 1907, hired a research team to study the otherworldly visitors at the hotel. This group of psychics, parapsychologists and investigators of the paranormal identified the overwhelming aura of a frightened and confused teenage girl. They believe she lived during the 1840s and may have been named Eva, Ava or Ada. It appears that she was preparing to embark on a ship when she was struck by a carriage and died from resulting internal injuries. The researchers' report also indicated the presence of a young, aristocratic couple from the 1920s and a dark-suited man from the same era, who is reputed to play pranks on the hotel cleaning crew.

Wayside Inn, Middletown, Va.:

Both guests and employees report seeing images of Civil War veterans in the lobby. During the war, the area was occupied by soldiers from both the North and the South, and the inn served as a hospital. Reports range from seeing outlined figures of soldiers to hearing footsteps and someone talking.

Rooms at any of these Historic Hotels of America can be reserved by calling 1-800-678-8946.

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