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The Casablanca Inn in Haunted St. Augustine
H. Carrington (The Story of the Poltergeist Down the Centuries, 1953) The Casablanca Inn was constructed in the year of 1914. The original architectural design reflected the “Revival” style of the Mediterranean. Originally, this inn was called the “Matanzas Hotel”. This was largely due to the fact that the splendid building overlooks the beautiful, tropical Matanzas Bay. Several travelers and locals alike would reside at the Matanzas Hotel while it was opened for business. Eventually, the structure would come to be known as the “Bayfront Boarding House”. Several children resided at the structure during this time. This organization soon tapered off and made way for yet another change, this one resulting in the opening of the inn – the “Casablanca Inn”. The lady that owned and operated the boarding house was the same woman who owned and operated the Casablanca Inn when it opened. Unfortunately, the lady who owned the structure began to experience financial difficulties. This occurred at the same time in which bootleggers were bringing in various types of alcohol from the ocean, into the city. There were law enforcement agents that would often visit the Casablanca in order to uncover the bootleggers of the time. This is when the lady developed an idea in which she believed would resolve her financial problems, and it did. She had two sole responsibilities when it came to the bootlegging industry that was occurring at the time. The first was to notify the individuals bringing in the alcohol that agents were there to research the industry. The second responsibility was to provide the customers that she had with the alcohol that they desired. She became so good at both of these responsibilities that she ended up making a lot of money. The bootleggers came to respect her as a valuable source and she was well rewarded for the contributions that she made to their illegal business endeavors.  It is believed that the elderly lady who served as the “eyes” and “ears” of the individuals in the alcohol business would go to the second floor and wave her lantern back and forth towards the ocean when it was not safe for the bootleggers to come onshore. To date, several individuals traveling the seas, or walking nearby are said to have witnessed a light waving back and forth as to warn not to come too close. This is still observed despite the fact that this lady is buried away at the popular and
haunted Huguenot Cemetery
in historical downtown St. Augustine.
In addition to seeing the light that appears to be a lantern, many individuals have observed a strange, wispy fog like apparition appear in various locations on the inside as well as the outside of the Casablanca Inn. The sound of someone stepping lightly on the floorboards, people talking, and even the sounds of children playing have been heard in and around the infamous Casablanca Inn in haunted St. Augustine, Florida. If you are looking for haunted St. Augustine, Florida places to go, this haunted bed and breakfast should be one of the first on your list! Check here for the lowest price, directions, photos, and to read visitor reviews and traveler tips for the Casablanca Inn. Return To Casablanca Inn Top Of Page
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