History of the Heritage Hotel

1. History of the Heritage Hotel Presented by: Brandy Stark, SPIRITS & SWFPI

8. OKAY…. If you don’t want to know….now’s the time to go!

14. Reported Haunting: Others In the year long investigation that the SPIRITS has initiated, there have also been two other presences detected: A woman by the china cabinet, dressed in 1930s dress --She is an unknown, possible residue entity An “angry man” sensed in the bar are of the attached restaurant (one person had the sense that she was going to be pushed) and on the second floor (he was resentful of the media intrusion). --There have been other reports of a “sense of unease” in some hotel rooms, particularly from women guests. Formerly: There was a bar that was stored in the hotel lobby (removed 2 weeks ago from lobby). It was allegedly bought from the estate of Jefferson Davis. Once housed in Julian’s, a bar tender, alone in the bar at night, reported seeing a man’s refection in the mirror behind him. He turned to look and he was completely alone. The bar tender was so terrified he quit that night and never returned. (Verified on an another investigation where homeowner was a cook for Julian’s and knew the bar tender).

15. Reported Haunting: Other The restaurant: Julian’s: Haunted Bar (see prior slide) SPIRITS, August 2007: With witnesses and one reporter, lights came on and off of their own accord 3 times. When asked “Are you doing this?” Lights came on and off one more time. Everyone together in one room, light switch plainly in view. Wiring checked that week, all sound. During renovations: Reports of bar stools being thrown down, tools going missing, and a knife moving in the kitchen (among others).

16. Haunting Reports: Misc. The SPIRITS has a team member who works for the hotel. She has helped to keep a running log of reports at the hotel. A second SPIRITS member works for a ghost tour company and brings clients through the hotel on a regular basis. She also gets reports of activity. To see a running log of these reports, please visit the SPIRITS webpage at www.spiritsofstpetersburg.com es: With specific SPIRITS pages focused on the Heritage Hotel: http://centralflghosts.homestead.com/Aug1.html http://centralflghosts.homestead.com/Heritage2.html http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=21232878 http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/02/Neighborhoodtimes/Girls_of_ghost_huntin.shtml

17. Works Cited Research acquired @ St. Petersburg Museum of History, Friday, March 28, 2008 by Denise Tuson & Tracy Niesent/SWFPI Research of St. Petersburg public records, census records, obituaries by Mary Noell of S.P.I.R.I.T.S. of St. Petersburg. SPIRITS of St. Petersburg website: www.spiritsofstpetersburg.com Tales of a Haunted Peninsula, The Martha Washington Hotel (pg. 80) The Ghosts of Downtown St. Petersburg (pg. 81) St. Petersburg Old Hotels, St. Petersburg Historical Society (pg. 21, dated March 30, 1993) St. Petersburg Times/Evening Independent, Money Section- Around Town, Martha Washington Hotel’s identity undergoes change by Mark Albright, dated October 17, 1986. St Petersburg Times (1986) Furniture Restoring as an Art by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds (page D-1) St Petersburg Times , Heritage Holiday Inn Expansion Back on Track (July 25, 1999) by by Sharon Bond