Southernmost Ghosts

11. The Curry Mansion

Key West, FL

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Welcome to the Curry Mansion, which has been home to millionaires and has witnessed at least one cold-blooded murder. William Curry was a destitute Bahamian who became Key West's first millionaire. He made his fortune preying on the poor unfortunate souls who wrecked on the perilous coral reefs surrounding the island. He began building this mansion in 1855 and the architectural encompassed elements from many famous ports of call. The widow'??s walk made famous in New England and the magnificent trellises and balustrades of New Orleans are prominent features of the Curry Mansion. Mrs. Curry would watch from the widow's walk for her husband's ship to appear on the horizon. When it finally came into view, she would begin playing her trombone until his ship made port. This often took a day or two. Her neighbor, a retired sailor, was sick and tired of hearing the constant and annoying noise coming from the Curry Mansion. He finally became so angry that he shot her with a cannon, blowing her right out of the cupola. Not surprisingly, she did not survive. It seems that Mrs. Curry is quite unaware that she is in fact dead because she continues to make her presence known. A visitor to the home had plans to stay for a week. During her second night, she awoke to the feeling of hands on her shoulders and those hands began to violently shake her until she was wide awake and upright in bed. The figure of a woman was standing her the bed and slowly disappeared from sight. She packed her things and left the mansion. Other guests have been awakened by intense shaking of their bed. Still others have felt hands resting on them. If you book a room at the Curry Mansion, don't expect to sleep through the night.