The historic two-story home looms just beyond the sidewalk, in stark contrast to the endless row of sky scrapers it is nestled between. It’s mossy covered roof tiles, covered in dew, caused by the thick humidity in the air. The old wooden exterior is echoing the architectural styles of a bygone era. Gazing upon the unassuming exterior, one might walk by and never give this structure a second thought. Once in a while, usually on a foggy night, you might just catch a pale hand drawing back the tattered lace curtains in one of the windows. Hollow eyes peer from the dark abyss towards the street below.
Quite possibly Fort Lauderdale’s most haunted building, The King-Cromartie House, can be found along the New River in the downtown Fort Lauderdale district, only one block from the bustling restaurants and nightclubs of Himmarshee street. The home was relocated from its original location, to what is now the History Fort Lauderdale Museum complex. The home's colorful past is peppered with success, tenacity, and tragedy of the pioneer families who resided there. The hauntings inside have been experienced and studied by countless members of staff, guests, and paranormal researches for years. Learning more about the history may shed some light as to why some folks have chosen to remain inside this iconic home long after their natural lives ended.
Edward T. King constructed the home from local pine and wood from salvaged ships. The original structure was only a one-story bungalow. When fellow pioneer Bloxham Cromartie asked for Edward King’s daughter Louise to marry him, King gifted the new couple the home to live in. Around this time a second story was added to accommodate the Cromartie’s growing family. The newly added second story featured a sewing area, bathroom, children’s room, and bedroom. The Cromarties lived in the home until 1968. During this time, the property was purchased by the Junior League of Fort Lauderdale and relocated to the current museum property. It now sits next to the New River Inn, old school house, and Philemon Nathaniel Bryan House.
A common paranormal sighting is a ghostly female gently pulling back the curtains covering the second floor windows. Many sources claim this female is that of Louise Cromartie who according to authors John and Julie Carr, “suffered and died from yellow fever at what we would consider a young age,” which is a strange claim considering Louise Cromartie’s obituary claims she passed in 1973. Whoever this phantom woman is, many have claimed to have witnessed her apparition. Children laughing and playing in the yard and on the porch are also a regular occurrence. This may be from spirits of the family members, neighbors, or from the nearby historic school house that sits behind the home. Porch swings moving by themselves and phantom laughter are regularly reported. Throughout the years, many people report seeing a young blond-haired girl in Victorian clothing sitting on the pathway that winds along the river. Since this path is only about a block from the busy bars and restaurants, it is a common spot for couples to visit to enjoy some quiet time after a busy evening out. Many people that take this path late at night report seeing the girl playing alone on the sidewalk. Concerned, people ask where her parents are or where she lives. She quietly points towards the museum property and vanishes. These witnesses claim the girl looks like a living person and the only time they realized they were having a paranormal experience is when she seemingly disappears into thin air. The girl’s identity was thought to be that of a young girl named Lula who attended the old school around the turn of the century, as her likeness bares a similar appearance to photos taken of the children from historic archives. She has also been seen by staff inside the New River Inn’s lobby area, sitting in the chairs by the front desk. Author John Carr claimed this girl was that of Lula in his book, Haunted Fort Lauderdale. Museum board members have debunked the Lula theory on account of pointing out how the real Lula lived until she was in her 80s. It is possible the child is confused and takes refuge on a property that feels familiar to her? Paranormal activity was caught on camera and featured on the FRIGHT CLUB television show hosted by Jack Osbourne and The Ghost Brothers. The video clip shows activity captured in the children’s room on Season 1 Episode 4. Many believe that this evidence captured is that of the same little girl spirit seen throughout the property.
Personally, I have investigated this property many times with my team, Afterlife Allstars. I have experienced paranormal activity and I can say it is one of the most haunted properties I have had the pleasure to investigate. I have gotten evidence to suggest there are several female spirits of varying ages in the home as well as a crotchety old man. I have my theories on who the man is, but there is no way of telling for sure. After doing my research on the property and family, I believe it could be that of Wallace King. He was an authoritarian patriarch of the family. In photographs he appears cold and stoic with a piercing gaze that demands attention. After visiting the family grave plot, I have more reason to suspect he was not the favorite member of the family based on his headstone proximity to others. The entire family of several generations sit side by side in a neat row. Wallace’s headstone sits much further out from the rest in a larger open area of land. Strange how his is the only one sitting alone… Maybe one day I will receive some confirmation regarding the true identity of the man, but for now Wallace remains my best guess.
Hot spots in the house for investigating are the main living room, dining room, kitchen, upstairs bathroom, doll room, and main bedroom. Some activity I have witnessed personally include hearing disembodied voices, phantom footsteps, flashlights turning on and off by themselves, voices caught on digital recorders, figures caught on SLS ( Structured light sensor camera), motion sensor devices going off by themselves, and much more. I do believe some people still reside in the home and wish to let others know. Who they are exactly is certainly up to debate. False reporting without fact checking continues to perpetuate the lore and legends perhaps doing a disservice to the real spirits who roam the structure. The Carrs have written books and even founded a local ghost tour so perhaps they chose to ignore the facts in order to make more money. Thankfully the museum has dedicated staff who work passionately to preserve the history of the property through their official tours.
Whoever these spirits are, they are willing to make themselves known to anyone curious enough to make contact. My team hosts ghost hunting events pretty regularly at this location. These events are open to anyone who might be curious in what lurks behind the curtains of this haunted home. Who might you encounter?
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