During this summer I'm going to post haunted spots that people don't really hear about often. So, this is the kick off post.
Villa Paula Mansion is located in the section of Miami known as Little Haiti. It was built in 1925 by Senior Don Domingo and his wife Paula. It was a neo-classical '20's mansion with a Cuban air to it's look. Ten rooms, 18 foot ceiling and hand painted tiles. Paula died 6 years later from complications of a leg amputation. The next owner was Muriel Reardon. She lived there for more then 30 years. Later the mansion became a home for seniors. In 1974 it was in disrepair and had become a place for the homeless to use. A gentleman bought it from HUD and invested thousands to restore it back to it's original state.
Many goings on have been happening at the mansion. There has been a steady knocking on the front door. The spirit of Muriel, who was known to hate cats, may be the one causing the deaths of several cats at the front gate. The main bedroom door would slam shut by unseen hands. It was known that Paula used to like her door closed so she wouldn't get a draft on her shoulders as she played her piano. The smell of Cuban coffee would permeate through the kitchen. Even though no one is brewing any coffee. The smell of roses in the dining room. Even though it's the most coldest part of winter. There was been sightings of the women. Once, clearly a Cuban woman with black hair in a bun was seen. You can hear also the swishing of a dressing gown happily going down the hallway of the house. The sound of clumping high heels have been heard on the stone path in the rear of the house. One of the ghosts is known to have temper tantrums. Huge noises can be heard in the kitchen. Dishes and silverware thrown all over the floor of the kitchen. The front porch chandelier became loose and crashed to the ground. A psychic once went to the home. Said that not only the two women are there, but, 4 more as well.
A tall thin man with a top hat. A crying woman in the garden looking for her metal. A young woman that may have worked there had a baby. And, buried it on the grounds of the home. Also, a heavy set woman dressed in red.
The house now is owned by a doctor. In 1989 The Miami Herald named the mansion the most haunted house in Miami.
Sorry to inform you that your information is outdated. Villa Paula is sold to the Villa Paula Restoration Group in 2003. The doctor you mention denies that any panorama activity ever happened at this location.
ReplyDeleteEd de Jong
President and co-founder of the League of Paranormal Investigators
This was the only information (in several websites) that's out there for those outside the area. Hope your group have a chance to investigate. If you have a website. Let me know I will be more then glad to put it up on my blog.
ReplyDeleteCatnipthyme,
ReplyDeleteWe did not investigate Villa Paula yet but doing an intensive background research on this location. More information of our group and cases can be found at the following web site: wwww.parahelp.com
Ed de Jong
President and co-founder of the League of Paranormal Investigators
It's great that you guys are looking into this story. Keep me posted!
ReplyDeleteIn 2006 the house was up for rent/sale and I went to look at the house NOT knowing anything about the haunted history, but because I was entranced by the house each time I'd driven by. Upon entering Villa Paula and walking around the front rooms then the bathrooms I lost my breath because I had had at least two dreams that I could remember about being inside those bathrooms and running water in the tubs! Then I heard the rapping/knocking of multiple hands on the doors and walls of the kitchen (that door to the kitchen was closed). I asked the real estate man if he heard the knocking and he looked at me like I was crazy! Unfortunately the rent was over 3K a month so I had to pass on taking the house.
ReplyDeleteAfter being in the house I went by my favorite thrift store and purchased an antique style doll that caught my eye; once home I found that the doll had one of it's porcelain legs chopped off at the thigh. I kept the doll anyway since the long skirt hid the missing leg.
Long story short: after all this I was at this funky bookstore and picked up a book on 'haunted miami' and found Villa Paula and saw that the lady of the house had a leg amputated--just like the doll I bought after visiting the house in person!
I'm a psychic/spiritual healer so often times I'm like a 'lightening rod' for anything ghost; that being said, the average person might not have as intense of an experience.
p.s. I was never frightened, just intrigued and wanted so very much to live in Villa Paula.