Florida’s Boston House

The Boston House, located in Fort Pierce, Florida, is not the stereotypical haunted house. It is an elegant 3-story red-brick mansion that was built in 1909. With 5 bedrooms and 4,300 square feet, it was considered an architectural marvel when it was first built.

William T. Jones, an engineer for the Florida East Coast railroad, was seriously injured in a dynamite explosion that was placed on the track by a careless workman. He received $6,000 in a settlement. He used this money to have his new home, which he originally called Cresthaven built on a high ridge overlooking the Indian River.

Indian River

Jones and his wife had five children. He retired from the railroad and grew pineapples and sold real estate. Later he became the third sheriff of St. Lucie County. During the time the family lived at Cresthaven, they experienced several tragedies.

His youngest son aged 9 accidentally shot and killed a playmate with his father’s gun. Another son was killed in a motorcycle accident. His daughter died of a heart attack.

Yet another son at the age of 17 while riding on a motorcycle collided with a friends' vehicle when they were out riding with their girlfriends. He and two others were seriously injured. His friend’s girlfriend was killed. He broke up with his girlfriend and later committed suicide.

During the Great Depression Jones experienced some drastic financial troubles. He borrowed money from a friend, Irving C. Whitney. But when Whitney died his sister, Rose Whitney inherited his estate. She called in the note on the loan that her brother had given to Jones. In 1949 she gave the Jones family a week to vacate the property.

Rose, a retired schoolteacher, and spinster, then moved into the home with her older sister Isabelle. It was at this point the home’s name was changed to Boston House--most likely because Rose had moved from Massachusetts to Florida.

In 1954 when Whitney died the home was put up for auction, but it didn't sell. From 1954 to 1975 the records are unclear, so it is not known for sure who owned the property during these years. 

In 1975, Boston House was sold to an engineering firm, Wood, Beard, and Associates. This firm then sold the property to Leonard Cottern and his wife Dianne in 1976. This couple was rumored to hold séances in the home’s attic.

In 1983, Cottern sold the home to Kendall Phillips and his law partners. Phillips owned the Boston House for the next 25 years. Cottern mentioned to Phillips at the time of the purchase that the structure had paranormal activity. He told him the engineers that had worked there before he bought the house had refused to work on the 3^rd floor after 5:00 p.m.

So when odd things began to happen, it didn’t surprise Phillips. During renovations for his law firm, he noticed that paint and other materials that were put away at night would be found missing the next morning. Workers noted quick changes in temperature and heard noises that had no apparent cause.

One attorney that had a 2nd-floor office that was accessible only by key asked Phillip one morning if someone had been in his office. Phillips told him no. The day before he had left a draft overlay open on a table but when he had entered his office that morning, he found it rolled up and back in its carrying tube.

Another time when Phillips’ daughter was in the office she saw a word processor on a computer screen type random letters--this computer was turned off. Phillips at first dismissed this, but as he and his daughter left the building, a co-worker came running to tell him that the same thing happened to her.

One legal assistant that worked for the firm watched in horror as her computer keyboard lifted off her desk, and an office plant bent over. Other workers heard books crashing down to the floor above them when no one was upstairs.

Over the years most of the activity has centered in the mansions upper floors--especially the 3^rd floor--the attic, which Phillips remodeled into five offices. These occurrences are most pronounced in the northeast corner office.

Phillips intrigued by all the unexplained activity invited two psychics to come to the firm one night. They told him there was “ a strong presence of a woman.” When they asked her to appear, she refused.

Later that night as Phillips and eight others stood outside the firm on the sidewalk seven of them saw the silhouette of a woman standing at one of the attics gabled windows. They then saw her shadow as she moved from one window to the next.

Phillips on several occasions received phone calls from residents at night who told him as they had passed the mansion they saw lights on--more often than not on the 3^rd floor. When he returned to work, there were no lights on.

A copy repairman that was called in to fix a machine was working on the 3^rd floor when he saw an apparition of a woman dressed in Victorian clothing vanish through one wall.

The present owner, a partner of Phillips, Steve Ziskinder, has not experienced anything unusual, but he states that others have smelled the aroma of strong coffee when none is around.

One lawyer reported that he left 10 stacks of neatly organized and sorted papers in his office one afternoon. The next morning when he returned, he found these documents had been rearranged in random order.

A friend who is in law enforcement visited the building 4 times in hopes of capturing evidence of this ghost. He recorded the distinct sounds of a woman’s laughter.

He and another visitor saw a door open and shut on its own. When one of them stood near this door and placed his hand on it, he was surprised to feel it pull away and shut. They also heard footsteps with no apparent source.

Kendall Phillips enjoyed his association with the Boston House --at one point he even had “Ghostbusters” T-shirts” made for the firm.

But he is most proud of the work his firm did to have the Boston House placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985--preserving the property for future generations.

A popular legend states the ghost is a lady by the name of Aleaceon Perkins, who lost her husband and young son when they went fishing and never returned. It is said she is the one that stands in the attic keeping a lookout for their return. But this legend does not fit in with the real history of the home.

One version of this legend is on the St. Lucie Historical Society site, here.

The Phantom Soldier

“Even legends often originate with the belief by the storyteller that they are actually true.”

                                        --R.A. Musick

This is a classic West Virginia ghost tale.

Ruth Ann Musick originally wrote it down. It was one of hundreds of ghost tales her students shared with her at Fairmont State College over the years.

During WWl a young soldier was called to serve sooner than expected. He was newly engaged to a sweet, beautiful girl he had known since childhood. She was the only child of the town’s wealthy merchant.

He bid a fond farewell to his family and fiancé and left for Europe where he was sent to Germany.

The older brother of this soldier jealous of his brother’s good fortune set out to win his fiancé for himself. After a year had passed he convinced her his younger brother didn’t really love her.

He then married her.

On Christmas Eve, the soldier returned unexpectedly. Amidst the cold dark mountain pines he knocked on his older brother’s door. His brother let him in but he was not pleased to see him. His wife was upstairs.

The two brothers talked for a short time and the older brother admitted he had married his wife for her money and position and that if he interfered--he would not hesitate to kill him.

The soldier left but a short while later he returned with a revolver and shot his older brother. He then left the house as quietly as he had come.

The young wife rushed downstairs as she heard the shot ring out. She found her husband bleeding on the floor. Before he died he told what had happened.

She informed the police what he had told her and they searched for several days but the soldier had vanished without a trace.

One Christmas day a telegram arrived addressed to her husband. It announced that his younger brother had been killed in action on December 21^st.

The Telltale Lilac Brush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales, West Virginia University Library, 1960 Ruth Ann Musick

Yale Gracey’s Ghost Story

Yale Gracey

Yale Gracey worked for Walt Disney as a WED effects master. 

In the early 1960s, he and Rolly Crump were developing the effects for Disneyland’s latest attraction the Haunted Mansion when they were asked, “Have you ever had anything in your life that you thought was kind of supernatural?”

Without missing a beat, Gracey responded, “Oh yeah, I had a ghost read to me when I was 10 years old.” Crump now intrigued asked Gracey to tell them more.

Haunted Mansion under construction--
completed in 1962.

When Gracey was ten years old, he and his mother went to visit relatives on the East Coast for the summer. The family lived in a big old house. This was a wonderful summer for Gracey who was left to play with his cousins indoors and outdoors without much supervision.*

All the kids slept in the home’s largest bedroom together. In this room an old lady lived in the closet--she would come out from time to time. When she did, she would read stories to Yale and his cousins then she would return to the closet.

The cousins all agreed not to mention her presence to the adults in their lives for fear she might disappear for good.

At the end of that summer Gracey’s mother asked him what he liked best about their visit. Yale then replied, “The little lady who lives in the closet that reads to us every night.” The room immediately grew quiet.

His mother taken aback exclaimed, “What?”

One of Gracey’s cousins whined, “No, no, Yale, she’ll never come back.”

Gracey’s mother concerned about what her usually no-nonsense 10-year old son had told her decided to do some research about the old home. The local historical society lent her a picture of a woman who was the original owner.

When she showed the photograph to Yale and his cousins they immediately recognized her as the old woman who lived in the closet.

Rolly Crump

Rolly Crump initially told part of this story during a panel discussion held during the 30^th anniversary celebration of the opening of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion attraction. 

He emphasized to the audience that Yale Gracey was not one to exaggerate the truth. In fact, he was about the most straight-talking man he had ever known. For this reason, Crump felt Yale Gracey’s ghost story was true.

* Gracey was the son of an American Consul--he was born in Shanghai, China and he attended an English boarding school. 

Here is a short bio about Yale Gracey--it mentions the various effects he created for Disneyland.

The Woods Are Full of Ghosts

James Lloyd Breck
1818-1877

The Reverend James Lloyd Breck and two of his associates founded the Nashotah Theological Seminary in 1842. It became the center for the Episcopal Church in Wisconsin Territory.

After this, Breck went on to found many churches and other religious institutions across the upper Midwest before his death in Benicia, California in 1877.

Years after Breck’s death Episcopal leaders requested his body be brought back to Nashotah--this is when the trouble started.

Nashotah House Theological Seminary
1843-1844

When Dr. Breck’s casket arrived it was placed in a lower floor of one the seminary’s buildings. It was arranged for two clergymen, Rev. Charles P. Dorsett who was the rector at St. James in Chicago--later he became the Diocese of Texas-- and Reverend Dr. Wilson also of Chicago to watch over the casket.

In the early morning Dr. Wilson stepped outside to get some fresh air. But within moments he returned exclaiming, “Dorsett, Dorsett, the woods are full of ghosts!”

Both men went outside. In every direction they saw figures darting back in forth in a frenzied dance. The two clergymen approached these figures but they quickly drew back. They formed a line on either side of the two men. But Dorsett and Wilson stated it was impossible to draw near enough to see more detail.

Later that morning as Break’s casket was lifted it was discovered the floor beneath it appeared to be blackened by fire. A hole was actually burned through to the space below.

As the time neared for the reburial things became even stranger.

The next night as the faculty of the seminary sat in the office of Dr. Gardiner, the President, pondering these odd events their discussion was abruptly terminated by a very loud racket coming from right outside the office.

Dr. Gardiner threw open the door but not a soul was in the hall. He returned to the room but even before he could sit down the tremendously loud noises began again. He dashed to the hall but no one was there.

Several members then proceeded to search the entire building but nothing was found--the only people in the building were the faculty. When they reconvened in the office the noises began once more.

Dr. Gardiner now frustrated called out to the hallway, “If you are a gentleman, be still.” The noise stopped.

To the relief of the staff--especially those who had witnessed the previous days events--the interment of Dr. Breck’s remains proceeded without incident. At least this is what they initially thought.

Dr. A.D. Cole

Right after the reburial a student photographer took a picture of the cemetery. In the foreground of this picture two graves could be seen. At the foot of one stood Reverend Dr. Azel D. Cole who was a former president of the seminary--he had died in 1885. At the foot of the other stood a woman who was a former benefactress of the school.

At first these figures were thought to be a trick of the sunlight and foliage but when this picture was projected using a stereopticon --these two figures showed up even more clearly. There was no denying that the features of these two resembled Dr. Cole and the benefactress.

The student photographer was then accused of “trickery.” But it was discovered afterwards that there had never been a photograph taken of Dr. Cole while he was alive.

Source: New York Times, December 7, 1902, Some Wisconsin Ghosts. This story was reported on by W. A Curtis with the notation that it was a tale the good citizens of Nashotah had recounted.