Yeah, you read that correctly, I’m going to take you inside the ruins of a haunted house. It’s located in the southern part of Harbour Island (Bahamas) in a district known as Dunmore Town.
There Are Three Widely Accepted Stories Related To This Estate
The first story suggests that a wealthy Frenchman built the beautiful masion (for himself and his new bride) as part of an escape plan. He wanted to protect his personal wellbeing and his family’s wealth from the destruction that was devastating Europe, during the second World War.
The property had a spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean and the couple were deeply in love...or so everyone (on the island, at the time) thought.
Apparently the couple had a huge argument and the man’s wife left first. She was then followed by her husband and neither one of them ever returned.
They left everything just exactly as it was
Their dining table laid out with fine china, set for an evening meal, which was in different stages of being prepared.
All their clothes and personal belongings (along with all their gifts from their recent wedding) were still in the house, virtually unopened and untouched.
All just left, As If They Were Only Planning To Be Out Of Their House For A Few Minutes
The second story suggests that the house was indeed built by a wealthy European in the early 1940s.
This person then sold the estate to a Greek shipping tycoon in the early 1960s for a princely sum of a million dollars.
This is where the story starts to overlap
It was this Greek tycoon who brought his new wife to the house and after spending half an hour in the house, it was she who left the house screaming.
She vowed that she would never return to, or live in the house because it was haunted by ghosts who were tormenting her.
Shortly after that, the tycoon left the house too, presumably to follow his wife.
They both just left the house in haste before their evening meal was even ready to be served.
The third version of the story suggests that either the original Frenchman (who built the mansion) or the Greek tycoon (who purchased the estate in the 60s) had some kind of medical emergency that forced he and his wife to leave their house in haste. They never returned (presumably due to death).
Irregardless Of What Really Happened, The Mansion Stood Vacant For Decades
In the early 1980’s, the mansion was looted of its contents by vandals and it caught on fire. This reduced the house to ruins and the Bahamian government took over the ownership of the land and the shell of the structure which is still standing today.
You Might Be Wondering How I Came To Know About This House During My Short Visit To The Island
Well, one of my very best friends who suggested that we visit Harbour Island actually came with and I to show us around. He’d been traveling (with his parents and other siblings) to the island since he was a young lad.
In the early 1960s, he can remember visiting the abandoned house as a child. He said that you could actually peer into the windows and see the table set, just as it had been left.
He remembers seeing the fireplace, some of the plumbing fixtures, as well as many of the personal possessions of the home’s occupants.
He then confirmed that when he was in his 20s, the house caught fire and was badly damaged, pretty much reducing it to what it is today. A shell of a structure without much of a roof left.
My friend tries to visit the island every year.
He’s now almost 60 himself. This estate was one of his favourite childhood haunts (while vacationing with his parents) and he wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity to explore it and experience the mystery of it ourselves.
In the last 35+ years, Mother Nature has been working her magic to reclaim what was originally hers.
Without further ado, please #walkwithme so that you can #seewhatisee.
Mother Nature’s Handiwork
A Great Hallway
Where The Second Floor Joists Were Once Affixed
A Closer Look
Thank you for joining me on my exploration of Harbour Island’s infamous haunted house.
It is still a great mystery wrapped in sadness
(This is how the ruins made me feel anyway and I didn’t pick-up on any residual spirit energy or see any disembodied figures lurking between its archways.)
It’s a shame that it was so badly damaged because it is a very romantic architectural jewel...even though it’s mostly charred rubble.
I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey...if you dare. ;)