Category Archives: Famous People

Historic Designation for Jack Kerouac’s St. Petersburg Home

27 Monday Jun 2022

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Historic Designation for Jack Kerouac’s St. Petersburg Home

Beat pioneer Jack Kerouac lived in the Disston Heights home less than 2 years before he died. Located at 5169 10th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida, the home passed down via Probate to Kerouac’s third wife Stella’s brother’s son, John Sampas, Jr. It was quite the journey! William Kennedy (Ken) and Gina Burchenal purchased the 1750’ home for $360,000 in 2020. They prepared the application for historic designation, which was approved this month.

American literary writer Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (simply called Jack) was an enigmatic traveler whose estate was valued at $91 when he died at the age of 47 from cirrhosis of the liver. His paralyzed mother, Gabrielle, remained in the home, along with Stella. When Gabrielle died, she left her estate to Stella, who died in 1990. Stella’s brother Sebastian was a lifelong friend of Jack’s. Her other brother John inherited her estate. Since then, Kerouac’s estate has only grown—upwards of $10 million dollars.

The Kerouacs initially resided in the home next door, 5155 10th Avenue N but bought the #5169 home, situated on a corner lot, in 1968. It’s a modest home. However, the architectural features were enough for the St. Pete City Council to vote 6-0 (with 2 members absent) to approve the application.

Although Jack and Stella did not have any children, Jack did have a daughter, Janet Michelle “Jan” Kerouac (1952-1996), for whom he had only seen twice. In fact, it wasn’t until Jan was 10 years old that Jack learned and tested as her biological father. This did not stop Jan from contesting Gabrielle’s will in an attempt to collect on the fortune. Her attempts failed when she also died at a young age.

The Burchenals do not reside at the home. It has been preserved and is open for special events by the operating non-profit 5169 10th Ave, LLC. Another non-profit, The Friends of Jack Kerouac, previously hosted events to help support the home. They no longer support the home, but they do sponsor an annual Tour de Kerouac bike tour, along with the self-walking and self-driving tours. The tours include Haslam’s Bookstore, a favorite haunt of Jack’s.

Haslam’s has been an institution in St. Pete.

Local legend is that Jack does in fact haunt the bookstore. Unfortunately, Haslam’s closed shortly into the pandemic and has not reopened—nor is it likely to.

Jack and Lucien.

One aspect of Jack’s life falls to the sideline. He was arrested as a material witness in a murder case. On August 13, 1944, Jack and fellow Beat Generation member Lucian Carr attempted to sail to France. They were kicked off the ship prior to its departure. They proceeded to spend the evening drinking, with Jack heading home before Carr. On his way, Jack met up with David Kammerer, an older man who had a complicated relationship with Carr. There is much speculation about the nature of the relationship, but what remains clear is that Kammerer followed Carr across the nation in a stalking manner. On that night, Carr and Kammerer ending up walking to Riverside Park in Manhattan. Something happened (Carr testified that Kammerer attempted to sexually assault him), and Carr stabbed Kammerer with his Boy Scout knife. Carr disposed of the bound body in the Hudson River. He ran to his Beat friends for help, and Jack obliged. After Carr confessed, both were arrested. Jack’s family refused to post bond. He spent 2 days in jail until his then girlfriend Edie Parker’s family posted bond on condition that they marry. The marriage was annulled a few years later. Carr spent 2 years in jail before being released. Kerouac turned the tragedy into two fictional stories. In total, Jack penned 15 novels and 4 short stories/novellas, with On the Road (1957) as his most famous.

If in St. Pete, take the Jack Kerouac driving tour. Even though Haslam’s is closed, park and walk around. It is a reminder that bookstores, and reading, are still popular. Who knows? Maybe Jack’s ghost will pull at the paper coverings on the extra-large windows. Let me know if he does.

Remember when Agatha Christie Disappeared?

21 Monday Mar 2022

Posted by in Famous People, Haunted England, Paranormal

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Best-selling mystery writer Dame Agatha Christie was distressed. On December 3, 1926, Christie kissed her only child, Rosalind, goodnight. She and her husband, Col. Archibald “Archie” Christie, had argued, and Christie left Styles, her Sunningdale house, in her Morris Cowley roadster needing to clear her head. The next day, the wrecked car was found abandoned and Christie missing. The mystery surrounding her disappearance has never been solved. However, there are several elements of the story that are worthy of discussion.

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller (9.15.1890-1.12.1976) was born to an American father and a British mother and grew up in England. She is decidedly British. Her father died when Christie was 11 years old. Christie has stated that his death ended her childhood. Until then, Christie was homeschooled. This ended. She found the village school too confining. Her mother sent her to Paris; however, she soon returned to find her mother, Clara, ill. The pair spent 3 months living in Cairo. The visit had a profound and lasting effect on Christie.

Archie and Agatha
Agatha with Rosalind
Styles

In 1914, Christie married Col. Archibald “Archie” Christie. She soon found literary success. In 1919, they had their only child. The family of three eventually settled into Styles, a house named from her first published novel The Mysterious Affairs at Styles. Agatha uncovered Archie’s extramarital affair with Nancy Neale. Archie was heading for a weekend with “friends,” when Christie left the home.

Day 1. December 4, 1926: The Morris Cowley was found crashed into a hedge by the chalk pits, near the Silent Pool, a popular nature park. The Silent Pool is supposedly haunted.

The Silent Pool is a spring-fed lake located in Albury, Surrey, Southern England. The online pictures show a lake in a lovely shade of green. One wonders how a serene lake could be linked to a horrible folktale.

Long, long ago, the woodcutter’s daughter named Emma was bathing in the pool. She was a young lass of great beauty. She was bathing in the “all together” (an old phrase for nude). The equally young Prince John, the youngest surviving son of King Henry II and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was riding by on his steed (a really old word for horse). John saw Emma and advanced, still on his horse. The scared Emma backed further into the water. Unfortunately, Emma could not swim. Her calls for help were heard by her brother, who quickly attempted to save her. Both drowned. John rode away, leaving behind a feather, and possibly his cap, with the family crest attached.

The woodcutter found his two dead children and the feather. Although the feather and crest incriminated John, he was never held accountable. He went on to rule England as King John from 1199-1216. The spirit of Emma is said to haunt the pool, appearing nude at midnight.

Legends embellish the hauntings at the pool. Stories claim that the birds do not sing and the pool is bottomless. Both are false. People enjoy the wildlife in the park. The birds do, in fact, sing. The wildlife is active. Further, the lake is actually quite shallow in areas.

The story is pure fiction. Martin Tupper made up the story in his book Stephen Langton, a Romance of the Silent Pool (1858). Tupper wanted to create a fantastic story about the pool in order to attract tourists and make the nearby town of Albury famous for something—anything. He succeeded.

The Silent Pool isn’t the only aspect of Agatha Christie’s disappearance linked to paranormal activity. Mrs. Christie believed her home Styles to be haunted, calling the house “spooky.” The house is now divided into apartments. There aren’t any substantive stories regarding hauntings online.

For four days, police enlisted the assistance of volunteers to walk the areas around the chalk pit where the roadster was found. Theories began to circulate. One theory was that Christie was suffering a mental breakdown due to Archie’s affair and Agatha’s mother’s death. Agatha remained close to Clara and was devasted when she passed.

Day 5. December 8, 1926: Agatha’s brother-in-law confirmed that he had received a letter from Agatha, where she stated that she was heading to an unnamed spa.

Day 7. December 10, 1926: Police expand the search. Now over 1,000 officers are searching.

Day 8. December 11, 1926: One of Agatha’s favorite terriers is brought to the chalk pit. Authorities hoped that the dog would lead them to her corpse. The dog “whined pitifully.” No body was recovered.

Authorities now report that Christie wrote three letters: 1) to her personal secretary to cancel an event; 2) to her brother-in-law; and 3) to Archie. Only the letter to the secretary survived, as the other two were burned almost immediately.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle enlisted the help from a clairvoyant, who held one of Agatha’s gloves. The medium proclaimed that the international best-selling author had met with foul play.

The working theory now was that Agatha dressed up as a man and made her way to London.

Day 9. December 12, 1926: Media were reporting that the clues of Agatha’s disappearance were contained in her unfinished manuscript The Blue Train.

Day 10. December 13, 1926: Somewhere between 10,000-15,000 people were now actively searching for Christie. Spiritualists held a séance at the chalk pit. They, too, were not so optimistic on Agatha’s return.

Day 11. December 14, 1926: The latest theory was that Agatha was hiding in London with no desire to return.

Day 12. December 15, 1926: Agatha found! Mrs. Christie was noticed by a banjo player who alerted the authorities. Agatha was, indeed, at the Harrogate Hydro or Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate. She registered under an assumed name: Tressa/Teresa/Theresa Neele, spelling dependent on the source. The name was similar to Archie’s mistress’s name of Nancy Neale.

Harrogate Hydro, now called the Old Swan Hotel.

Day 13. December 16, 1926: The police update the public. Christie checked into the hotel unable to remember how she arrived. She had cash on her, as she enjoyed dinners, activities, and visiting the library where she obtained a library card. She was suffering from amnesia, though.

When Archie arrived to pick up Agatha, she made him wait.

Fifteen months after the incident, Agatha sued Archie for divorce on March 17, 1928. Thirty months later, Agatha remarried. Her new husband was prominent British archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan CBE, 14 years her junior. They remained married until her death in 1976. Archie also remarried. To Nancy Neale.

Dame Agatha Christie
Sir Max Mallowan, CBE

Christie refused to discuss the incident. She eventually took her version of events to her grave. Her eternal resting place is St. Mary’s Churchyard, Cholsey, South Oxfordshire District, Oxfordshire, England. Max died two years later. He is buried alongside Agatha.

Winchester Mystery House Offers Free Virtual Tours

22 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by in Antiques, Architecture, Famous Locations, Famous People, History, Residences, Road Trip, Roadside Attractions, Roadtrip, Winchester Mystery House

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The Winchester Mystery House (WMH) is presently closed for tours while we isolate for COVID-19; however, you can watch a 41-minute tour of the property. The video is entertaining with lots of historical perspective and facts woven into the story.

Sarah Lockwood Pardee Winchester (1840-1922) was a wealthy woman known for continually renovating her home in San Jose, California. Back East, Sarah was known as the “Belle of New Haven” and was a desirable—and wealthy—woman in New Haven, Connecticut. On 1862, she married William Wirt Winchester (1837-1881), the only son of Oliver Winchester, owner of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Tragedy befell the young couple. Four years into marriage, the couple welcomed Annie Pardee Winchester into the world on June 15, 1866. Forty days later, on July 25, Annie succumbed from marasmus. The couple would not have any more children.

Sarah and William’s marriage struggled. Sarah’s father-in-law Oliver died, leaving William to handle the entire business. Within a year after Oliver’s death, William died from TB at the age of 44. Sarah inherited $20 million dollars in cash, plus 3,000 shares in the business. Her daily income was $1,000, which would be roughly $26,000 per day. Sarah was a very wealthy woman.

Sarah sought to live near Pardee family members, choosing to move to California. The young widow, presumably age 41, purchased an 8-room farmhouse that sat on 161 acres in California. Sarah worked every day hiring contractors, employees, and gardeners to fashion one of the largest and most mysterious homes in America.

The Winchester Mystery House documentary does a decent job guiding virtual tourists around the property. An interesting fact: Sarah stood 4 feet 10 inches tall. Therefore, some of the strange or odd building features are built for a woman of her size.

Sarah had the financial ability to indulge in extravagances. She loved to garden; therefore, it seems reasonable that she would have 2 conservatories: One to the North and the other to the South.

She had 6 kitchens. However, a couple were used for her large staff. Between 41-43 people worked and lived on the property. It is said that Sarah paid her employees well above minimum wages.

The video exaggerates a few items. The series could have gone into the more plausible theories about Sarah’s fascination on renovating the house. For instance, there isn’t any historical record of Sarah being a member of an occult group or visiting a psychic who supposedly told her to build a house across the country to confuse the spirits of people killed by the Winchester guns. These are merely anecdotes.

The question people want answered is: Why? Why did she keep on building? We will never know. Nor will we know if the “Séance Room” (as it is called in the documentary) was actually used for seances. Only one person—Sarah—had access to the room. She sat alone in the room. Sure, the room is designed a bit odd, that doesn’t mean that she held seances there. In fact, it shows she wouldn’t. Instead, I proffer that the room was more for meditation and prayer.

What we do know is that she liked to build rooms and used the most expensive materials available. Her favorite stained-glass pattern was the Spider’s Web, possibly purchased through Tiffany’s. And, boy, there are a lot of stained-glass windows in the house.

Twenty-two years into the project, and the house was 7 stories high. After the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake, several top floors became unstable and were compromised. Today, the house has 4 stories.

The site offers pre-sale tickets for when the property re-opens on April 7. Take a look, https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/. It was very satisfying.

The Wyckoff Villa: Not Haunted but Still For Sale

28 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Abandoned America, Famous Locations, Famous People, Not Haunted, Not Haunted--But Cool, Real Estate

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A 1920s image of Wyckoff Villa.

The Wyckoff Villa is not haunted. Further, stating that it is hasn’t help sell it. The abandoned structure has been on the real estate market since 2012, and still, no one bites.

Less than a mile south of the Canadian border sits Carleton Island. The island sits within a chain of islands in the St. Lawrence River known collectively as Thousand Islands. Accessible only by boat, the island has three burial grounds and 34 homes. The most infamous home is Wyckoff Villa, also known as Carleton Island Villa.

Wyckoff Villa was intended to join the ranks of other stately mansions on the other islands. Architect William Henry Miller designed the 15,000 square foot home, and building commenced in 1894. The owner was former Union Captain William Ozmun Wyckoff. Wyckoff returned from the Civil War to become a lawyer and court stenographer. Through the stenographer’s job, Wyckoff learned about a new invention: the typewriter.

  • Typewriter. ME*311041.

The first commercially successful typewriters were sold by E. Remington and Sons in 1874. William Wyckoff began selling the typewriters on a part-time basis, eventually leaving his court-appointed stenographer position to form the Wyckoff, Seamans & Benedict company. In 1886, Remington sold the entire typewriter division to Wyckoff, Seamans & Benedict, and William became the company president. Wyckoff became a typewriter tycoon.

Shortly thereafter, Wyckoff and his wife, Frances Valeria Ives Wyckoff, began searching for a location to build a summer home. They settled on Carleton Island.

However, tragedy would follow. Construction progressed through 1894 and into 1895. A month before the home was ready, Mrs. Wyckoff died. On June 1, 1895, Frances died from either cancer or a heart attack (depending on the source). William moved into the enormous home on July 11th. He suffered a heart attack that very night and died.

No one would reside in the home again. The 11-bedroom, 50 room home sits on 6.9 acres. General Electric purchased the land, seeking to demolish the home and build a corporate resort. World War II placed the development on hold, eventually tanking the project entirely in the 1940s, when the company gutted the interior. Fixtures and material were stripped from inside. In fact, the marble underneath the 5-story tower was removed, thus causing the structure to become structurally unsound. The tower was eventually torn down.

The current owners have marketed the home as a tear-down (versus a fixer-upper as it would cost a reported $10-15 million) with the waterfront land sub-divided for future homes. The realtor receives weekly enquires; however, no one seems to want to purchase. Some media sites have labeled the villa as haunted.

The villa is not haunted. There isn’t one credible story claiming that the house is haunted. It has been described as creepy and spooky, which may be the case, but there aren’t any reliable stories showing evidence that the villa is haunted. Here, the lack of evidence is clear.

What is not clear is why no one has purchased the lot with the villa or any of the other lots. The price tag may be a reason; it is listed for $495,000. Or it may be that there aren’t any year-round residents or paved roads.

Krampus, the Christmastime Monster

20 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by in Famous People, Folk Tales, Folktales, Holidays

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Krampus, the Christmastime Monster*

Stories of the dark half-goat, half-demon monster terrorizing unruly children pre-dates Christianity. Its roots come from Central-European folklore with the exact specifics unknown. His name is derived from either Dutch krampen, meaning “pick” or “iron,” or the Austrian “pickaxe.” Some rely on the German translation of “cramp.” Krampus is a Christmastime monster.

The consensus is that the story of Krampus was a pagan morality tale appropriated by Christians. The cautionary tale of Krampus lives on today as a warning to all children contemplating bad behavior, for their “reward” will be living in the underworld (i.e., Hell) for one full year where they will be tortured or possibly eaten. The punishment is severe enough to whip young children into their best behavior.

Krampus Night, or Krampusnacht, begins on December 5th. The saltier companion of Joly Saint Nicholas comes above-ground seeking devilish children. His beverage of choice is Schnapps (a fruity Brandy), go figure, as he swats at misbehaving children with gold painted birch branches.

The unfavorable kidnapping tale alarmed communities in the mid-1900s; therefore, towns were encouraged to tone it down or outright ban such celebrations. However, popularity rose again when the film industry started cranking out Krampus and Krampus-like movies. The 2015 movie Krampus was filmed on a $15 million-dollar budget and grossed over $61 million worldwide. Krampus sells.

While Krampus is NOT the anti-Santa Claus, he is the dispenser of bad news (no presents for you) and discipline. Although the tales mention his eating children, no purported cannibalistic rituals involving Krampus and children have been reported. Maybe the threat of visit was all that was needed.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! And…be on your best behavior.

Blog originally published in December 2018.

Stephen King’s Bangor, Maine Home to Be Archives and Writing Retreat

18 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by in Famous Locations, Famous People, Houses, In the News, stephen king

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FILE – This May 16, 2005, file photo shows the home of authors Stephen and Tabitha King in Bangor, Maine. The writers have petitioned the city of Bangor for a zoning change for the home where they raised their children. If approved, the mansion will become home to Stephen King’s archives, and a guest house next door will become home to writers in residence. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

Last night, October 16th, the Bangor City Council unanimously approved the zoning application for Stephen and Tabitha King to convert their 3.27 acre property into a museum and archive while creating a writers’ retreat in an adjacent house on the land. The retreat will hold up to 5 writers at one time. The deal would cause King’s archives to move from the University of Maine. Hours for access with be by appointment only. King did not want the property to become a Northeast version of Dollywood. Instead, the couple decided to give something back to his fans while continuing to support the local economy.

Once application information becomes available, I will post. Now I need to come up with a clever reason for my husband, daughter, and me to spend a winter surrounded by snow while attempting to write my novel. Gee, that sounds a tad familiar.

Henry Greene Cole House, Marietta, Georgia

02 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by in Famous Locations, Famous People, Ghost Stories, Haunted Georgia, Haunted Houses, Hauntings, Uncategorized

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Slide1

Haunted Georgia: Henry Greene Cole House, Marietta, Georgia

Henry Greene Cole was a Union sympathizer living in the Confederate South. He was also wealthy. He built a small house on Washington Avenue just outside the Marietta Square. It is told that his father-in-law urged General Sherman not to burn the Fletcher House Hotel because of his relation to Cole. Cole donated the land adjacent to his home for the Union National Cemetery, where over 10,000 Union soldiers are buried. Cole endeavored to build a larger home a block down from his small house. Although he died before it was completed, his family resided in the grand house for many years. Today, the house is a commercial building; however, it still boasts the architectural elements of a Georgian home.

It is also haunted. A local resident whose grandparents lived down the street spoke of walking past the house and seeing a woman in the upper left-hand corner. She saw this girl many times over the years. For several decades, the house was home to several law firms. Attorneys and their employees reported feeling cold drafts and hearing voices. One attorney experienced her clock running backwards. People walking past claim to see curtains shifting and lights turning on and off at night. The house sits directly across from the National Cemetery.

“Murder House” Lawsuit Continues

23 Monday Sep 2019

Posted by in American Horror Story, Architecture, Famous Locations, Famous People, Historic Places, Real Estate, Uncategorized

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The historic Alfred Rosenheim Mansion, circa 1908, was the location for season 1 of American Horror Story (AHS). The house served as a backdrop to the horror/ghost series. The first season averaged 2.8 million viewers. Eight seasons later, the franchise does not seem to be slowing down—nor does the popularity of the Rosenheim Mansion.

AHS re-titled the first season to American Horror Story: Murder House (2011). This change aligned with future seasons. The “Murder House” was an empty mansion located in Los Angeles. With a history steeped in L.A. grandeur and Hollywood mystique, the home was a perfect choice for the production.

Alfred Rosenheim was an architect who relocated to L.A. He built the home located a t 1120 Westchester Place in 1908 for his family. The homes along this road were collectively known as Millionaire Row. They resided there for 10 years, selling to A.J. McQuatters, a mining mogul searching for a winter home.

By 1932, the Sisters of Social Service came into possession of the home. It was turned into a convent. The nuns purchased the adjacent property at 1130 Westchester Place, known as the Judson C. Rives Mansion in 1946. The nuns added a chapel in 1954.

The 10,440 square foot home boasts 6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. It has 6 fireplaces and authentic Tiffany stained glass windows and lamps throughout. The enormous home fell into disarray, and by 2015 ownership changed to Greta von Steinbauer. Although the home has historic and landmark designation, it may be rented out; therefore, Ms. Steinbauer earned substantial rental income from production companies. This, apparently, was a selling feature. Shortly after the 2015 sale, the property was briefly listed on Airbnb for rentals. The property has since been removed.

Prior to the premiere of AHS, the home was on the market for $4.5 million. After the record-breaking first season, the price soared to $17 million. The price dropped significantly to $7.8 million. Actress Pier Angela Oakenfold and her partner, Cardiologist Dr. Ernst von Schwarz, purchased the home for $3.2 million. After closing and moving in, the couple suddenly realized that the home was part of the popular tourist tours highlighting various infamous locations and people associated with Hollywood. Ironically, the couple claimed that they “Googled” the property and never saw the AHS association.

Predictably, the filed a lawsuit on February 7, 2018, claiming the house is haunted by 2 ghosts (never reported or written about prior to purchasing) and the nuisance of trespassers. The Court heard summary judgment arguments last October. It is unknown whether the parties reached a settlement or the case continues. Since there has not been any publicity, it is fair to assume the case continues.

This is not the first time a house has become more famous than the production it appeared in. Consider the Brady Bunch House. Hopefully, this historic home will shed the haunted label and become the glamorous Rosenheim intended.