May-Stringer House owns its ‘Florida’s most haunted’ title

Associated Press subordinate speech communicative from the Tampa Bay Times.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – The May-Stringer House looks similar a gingerbread-trimmed Victorian location overlooking the metropolis of Brooksville. It’s reportedly 1 of Florida’s astir haunted spots.

The backmost story, arsenic successful astir shade stories, lies successful tragedy. With much than 160 years of past successful the house, astatine slightest 11 antithetic ghosts person been identified by dozens of searchers of the paranormal.

In 1855, John L. May built what was past a four-room location connected a plantation for his wife, Marena, and their daughters, Matilda and Annie. John died of tuberculosis 3 years later. Marena remained successful the location passim the Civil War and yet joined Confederate worker Frank Saxon. She died giving commencement to the couple’s child, a miss named Jessie Mae, successful 1869. The kid died astatine property 3.

The location was owned aboriginal by Sheldon Stringer, whose household lived determination for 3 generations and expanded it to 14 rooms crossed 4 stories.

In caller years, researchers person tried to find retired if much than 50 enslaved radical who worked the plantation mightiness beryllium buried connected the depository grounds successful Brooksville.

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There are reports of Marena May walking astir and immoderate of proceeding her girl outcry for her mother. Other ghosts, they believe, are linked to the communicative of plantation beingness successful Florida. An aggravated tone known arsenic Mr. Nasty has been said to curse visitors.

Restoration volunteers heard footsteps and voices successful bare rooms. Workers noticed acold spots, mists and eerie shadows. Museum guides person reported moving shadows, glowing orbs of airy and the dependable of a crying child, perchance small Jessie Mae.

The Atlantic Paranormal Society, amended known arsenic TAPS from the SyFy bid Ghost Hunters, and the Florida Ghost Team person made respective stops there. A three-ring binder astatine the depository documents immoderate 80 ghost-hunting groups that person investigated the house.

“They emotion it due to the fact that they cognize they are going to get evidence,” saiddocent Bonnie LeTourneau, who said the location was “like Grand Central Station for ghosts.”

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The Hernando Historical Museum Association has utilized the “most haunted” crown arsenic a fundraising tool.

Its two-hour shade tours are booked months successful advance. Visitors are brought successful precocious astatine nighttime and fixed immoderate of the gadgets shade hunters usage to grounds a beingness and are allowed to rotation the house. No preservation is needed for GhostFest connected Oct. 30. The depository decided to person immoderate amusive with its estimation by adding an outdoor maze and festival ambiance from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It charges $8 admission.

IF YOU GO

May-Stringer House Museum: The Victorian epoch location is unfastened for tours Tuesdays-Fridays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 601 Museum Court, Brooksville.

Admission: $5, $2 property 6-12. Ghost tours are $20 and necessitate a reservation. Call 352-799-0129 oregon info@hernandohistoricalmuseumassoc.com.

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