Hemingway’s Haunted Home

Today people still hear the tap, click, click, and clack of his typewriter early in the morning.

Ernest Hemingway, the American novelist who wrote, A Farewell To Arms and The Old Man and the Sea, won both the Pulitzer and the Nobel Prize in the early 1950s.

Key West Home

In the 1920s and 30s, Hemingway lived with his second of four wives, Pauline and their two sons in Key West, Florida. The couple bought a run-down house built in 1851. They then lovingly restored this home.

Ernest told friends that when he died, he intended to spend his afterlife in this home. It appears he kept his word.

While living in Key West Hemingway was a prolific writer. He spent the early morning hours in the homes’ loft writing on his favorite Corona typewriter. * He wrote all but three of his novels during this period.

Hemingway at age 21 then most famous photo of him.

In 1940, he divorced Pauline and moved to Cuba with his third wife, but he often returned to his beloved Key West. Pauline lived in the home until her death.

Shortly after his death in 1961, Hemingway’s ghost was first seen at this Key West home.

A couple, walking past the house looked up and saw him on the second-floor veranda. He waved at them, and they waved back.

Later they were informed that this was not possible for he was dead. Shocked, they realized they had seen a ghost.

Tragically, Hemingway, while living in Idaho with his fourth wife, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His fourth wife claimed it was an accident, but it was a suicide.

  

Second-floor veranda

Since this first sighting, many witnesses have seen Hemingway standing on this veranda. He always waves.

He is also seen wandering through the house and grounds. Witnesses state they were startled while in the loft. As mentioned, the keys of his typewriter are head striking, and he is seen standing at the window in this room.

Hemingway and Pauline's
wedding photograph

Neighbors and visitors have also spotted Pauline’s ghost. She is observed standing at the entry gate smoking a cigarette. After these sightings, people find the butts of her favorite brand lying on the sidewalk.

While living in Key West, Hemingway befriended a sea captain. When this man sailed, Hemingway agreed to take care of his six-toed cat. Descendants of this cat still live at home.

It seems this cat became attached to the house, just like Hemingway, for his ghost is observed roaming the property. This six-toed feline is often seen guarding the pet cemetery in the garden.

When Pauline died the mansion was bought and turned into a house museum, visitors can take a guided or self-guided tour.

* Hemingway always wrote longhand first then he typed up his notes.

Here is a short video tour of his home. 

The Spirit of Mr. Jeeves

The Spirit of Mr. Jeeves

A popular post on this blog is about ghost cats—it is located here.

One interesting story about a ghost cat returning happened in St. Augustine, Florida, in the late 60s.

A chef who worked a second shift started to notice a sizeable Himalayan cat that accompanied him as he walked home. Someone in his apartment building evidently owned this cat, for he always veered off around the corner when the chef reached his front door.

He befriended this cat and noticed on its collar was the name “Mr. Jeeves” clearly printed.

The cat was friendly and often rubbed against his legs but the chef found it odd Mr. Jeeves would not let him pet him or pick him up.

After a month had passed and the cat was still accompanying him home. When he went to pay his rent, he asked the landlords if they knew who owned the large cat.

As he described the cat he noticed the elderly couple clammed up and refused to talk about it.

Later, another tenant told him that the landlords had a daughter named Helen. She was killed seventeen years before while she crossed the busy street in front of the apartments. Her cat was killed with her.

She mentioned she had also seen the ghost cat over the years.

He now understood why the cat never let him pick him up.

The chef tried to take a photograph of Mr. Jeeves but when the prints came back, the cat was not in the photo. Mr. Jeeves had been in the center of the frame when the chef snapped the picture.

The Purring Ghost

Much has been made about haunted objects recently. This kind of phenomena has been noticed for years. Minerals, and building materials are known to store what is referred to as residual energy. Antiques seem to be particularly susceptible to this phenomenon.

John Izzard in his book entitled “Ghosts” retells the story of a haunted antique desk. I really like this story because it involves a ghost cat. What I find interesting about this story is that the owner of the desk claimed that once she understood the history of the desk the activity then ceased.

I have met several people over the years that once they understood the history or knew the story behind the activity they were experiencing they then became much more accepting or even in some cases became attached to it.

This story takes place in an English village. Izzard writes that an English writer by the name of Mrs. Williams bought an antique desk from a second hand store. She was excited because it was exactly the size and shape she was looking for. She knew this desk would give her a comfortable place to write.

Once the desk was delivered Mrs. Williams started writing, she found the desk inspired her creativity. But she experienced something even more unexpected. From day to day as she sat writing she noticed she had a companion—an invisible purring cat. At first she though it must be a cat outside her window purring in the sunshine. Perplexed she heard the cat purring even when it rained.

Amazed she realized that the cat wasn’t outside at all. In fact, the sound was actually coming from under her desk. She could almost see the cat curled contently near her feet. Every time she sat at the desk it was there purring at her feet. So when it brushed against her legs it didn’t surprise her. In fact one day this ghost cat even jumped into her lap.

Curious she returned to the second hand store where she had bought the desk to ask if they knew anything about its history. The shopkeeper told her that a lady who bred and raised Siamese cats had owned it. After this she never felt or heard her furry companion again.

The two main theories that explain the presence of a residual haunting are the observer’s own emotional state or sensitivity to weather conditions, such as high humidity or barometric pressure. Whatever the cause, this kind of activity is always intriguing.

Happy Ghost Hunting!