I had a nice holiday weekend with James. We did a road trip down to Naples then ended back up in Orlando. We stayed at the Dr. Phillips House, which was absolutely gorgeous. After driving most of the day, we arrived at around 8:00 pm. We were almost too tired to enjoy the hotel room's amenities. But I did get to soak in the jetted Jacuzzi tub for a few minutes before my eyes began to droop.
The house is reputed to be haunted. We stayed in the best room, Room Number 6, located in what used to be the attic.
Here's a picture I took outside once we arrived:
As we walked up to the house, I could actually feel energy, and I don't think it was from the band playing Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" at the wedding party next door (Although the band did sound really good).
I'd heard this home was supposed to be haunted. I was actually invited to participate in an investigation that "Ghost Adventures" was doing a few years ago when they were in town interviewing potential new cast members. I lost track of the days (as I often do, and missed the opportunity by forgetting completely about it until after the day had passed).
Although I'd vaguely heard of the rumors, I hadn't done any research on the house. So I had no idea what to expect when we arrived, but I wished we had arrived earlier so we could explore the area.
The home is located just off I-4, on beautiful Lake Lucerne.
After I got home yesterday, I did some research on the house, and the man who bought it in 1907. The house was originally built by a Colonel Peckham as a wedding present for his daughter, Miriam, in 1893. It cost a little over $37,000 to build. Dr. Phillip Phillips, a citrus magnate, bought the home in 1907 and moved in with his wife, Della. I'll tell you a little more history after I tell you about our experience.
Like I said, as I approached the house, I could feel something. To me, it felt like an abundance of energy, but not negative or sad energy. It still gave me goosebumps, though...
I've felt this "energy" at other places at different times in my life, and most of the time, the energy felt negative. I remember going to a seemingly innocent looking restaurant in Seattle and having the feeling that I had to get out of there as fast as possible. I felt that same kind of energy at the nursing home my mom was in.
But this was different. I wasn't really scared, but more curious. We lugged our bags up the stairs to what used to be a dreary attic, but had been beautifully renovated into a guest room complete with a jacuzzi tub and separate marble shower.
I took a lot of pictures around the house, which seemed to be empty except for us. We didn't explore much that night, because we were pretty tired. As we were falling asleep, we were suddenly wakened by people talking, but we couldn't make out what they were saying. I heard what sounded like a little girl (maybe a baby) babbling, and maybe a lady's voice. James heard what he thought was a woman and maybe a man. But we both heard the voices, which sounded like they were right outside our door. There's only one other guest room at the top of the stairs, which creak as you walk up them. We hadn't heard any creaking stairs before or after the voices. We didn't hear any door open or close. Just the voices, which were loud, but the words just unintelligible.
I continued to hear the baby, or little girl (although the babbling grew more and more distant), and the name "Sarah" or "Mary" came into my mind. I told James that I was thinking of those names. He laughed and probably thought I was nuts, Lol. It was very strange, though. Occasionally, under the door, I would see moving shadows (but no voices), and James saw it once or twice, too.
This is the doorway, and you can make out the light under the door...
The next morning, we woke early because we had to pick up Joe from the airport. As I was packing my bag at 5:59 am, I decided to take a pic of the weirdest piece of decor in the room--a Komodo dragon.
Then, after I packed, I wandered around downstairs and took some video and more pictures. Later that day, after James left to head back to Seattle, I went back through the pics I took. Immediately after I took the Komodo Dragon pic, this picture was taken, also at 5:59 am. I don't remember taking another picture at that time, and I don't recognize anything in this picture as anything in the room or anything anywhere in the house. It's weird, because my cell phone has never taken a picture like this...
So, that's my ghost story experience at the Dr. Phillips House. I researched a little about the history of the house, and found Dr. Phillips was known as a benevolent philanthropist, and there are many buildings named after him in Orlando. He was particularly involved with charities that helped women and children, and he established a children's wing of what is now the Arnold Palmer Hospital.
I tried to find anything that would explain the Mary or Sarah names I was getting, and why I heard a baby babbling. I learned that as far as anyone could tell, no one ever died in the house. However, a skeptical journalist who followed a ghost hunting crew describes Room 6 as having a lot of energy.
In the article that appeared in The Orlando Sentinel, the manager of the B&B told of a customer from England that frequently visited and stayed in Room 6. He told the manager that his home in England was haunted, but was nothing compared to what he experienced in Room 6.
The manager also told the story of a couple who stayed in Room 4. They were in the bathroom packing and getting ready to leave, and when they came out of the bathroom, there was a baby's sock lying in the middle of the bedroom floor. The couple didn't have children, and the sock hadn't been there before they went into the bathroom.
So, maybe that explains the baby, but I don't know where Mary or Sarah came from. Probably from my overactive imagination. Lol. But maybe Miriam's husband called her Mary? I have no idea, and I guess I'll never know if that was a figment of my imagination or if Mary or Sarah's energy still lingers in the old, beautiful home.
Some things remain lost in time...
You were adorable listening intently for more baby noises. Super fun to ghost hunt with you!❤️