HAUNTED HOUSES
Ashton Villa
Lovely antiques, family heirlooms and original art fill this stately mansion built before the Civil War by James Moreau Brown, one of Texas’ wealthiest businessmen, and presided over by his colorful daughter, Miss Bettie Brown. It is constructed of brick and cast iron, which helped make it one of the very few homes to survive the Great Storm of 1900 that killed 6,000 people and led to the island's virtual abandonment. Interestingly enough, during the 1900 Hurricane, the Browns opened the front door of the mansion and allowed the flood waters to flow all the way through the home exiting out the back door so that the home would not be pushed by the waters and possibly damaged.
One of the youngest daughters of the Browns sat on the main staircase that faces the front door and the water was as high as the 10th step up flowing through the home like a river. Apparently the daughter just sat there and watched the flowing water with much fascination!
Ashton Villa is often called the "most haunted building in America."
The ghost of Bettie Brown has been seen standing in the Gold Room, standing
at the top of the staircase, and heard playing the piano at one of her
famous music recitals. People on tours have reported feeling a presence
joining them on the tour. A chest of drawers purchased in the Middle East
stands in Bettie Brown's dayroom. It reportedly locks and unlocks
spontaneously even though the key has been missing for years. Ceiling fans
have been known to turn themselves on. One bed refuses to stay made. No
matter how many times a day the sheets are straightened, they end up rumpled
anyway. The dayroom, incidentally, was the only room where Bettie could go
without wearing her “stays” and she apparently spent a lot of her time
there. The top of the staircase where Bettie's ghost has been seen leads to
the dayroom.
Oh by the way, the Tour Guides never seem to mention the fact that Ashton Villa is reputed to be haunted. Bad publicity? Maybe so.
