Florida’s Most Haunted House - The May-Stringer House
601 Museum Ct, Brooksville, FL 34601
Date Built: 1855 | Type of home : Victorian Era | Floors: 4 | Rooms: 14
Introduction:
Welcome to The Weird Project - Where I highlight haunted locations, objects, and oddities that tickle the brain of those who can’t get enough of the weird.
Here is what to expect:
Everything created here from the research, writing, and illustrations are all done myself (and maybe some friends, whom which I will highlight) with no AI assistance.
This project will always be free. I will never ask for money to subscribe to this content. What will be available to purchase for limited amount is the art prints and stickers of each illustration I make. You can find those drops on my website and on my etsy.
These articles will be episodic, meaning I will be making these ahead of time and scheduling them in advanced.
Now that that is out of the way, enjoy the pilot:
If you would like to use the images seen, please contact me: bethanieblackdesign@gmail.com
History:
In 1842, Richard Wiggins homesteaded the land under the Armed Occupation Act. In 1855, John L. May purchased the property. John built a four-room home for his family, which included his wife, Marena, and their two daughters, Matilda and Annie. Unfortunately, he only enjoyed their quaint home for three years before he died of consumption in 1858. After John's death, Marena remarried Frank Saxon, a Confederate soldier. Marena had a baby boy named Frank, who sadly died in infancy. Later, Marena died giving birth to a baby girl, Jessie Mae, in 1869.
Marena and Matilda owned slaves of which they freed, with three recorded in their history. One of these was Rev. Arthur St. Clair, who became a leader in the Reconstruction-era politics of Hernando County. He founded a church and an African-American school. Rev. St. Clair presided over a mixed wedding ceremony, which was taboo at the time, and was later killed by a mob of twenty white individuals. In an attempt to cover up the crime, the perpetrators set fire to the courthouse, which John May had donated a portion of his land to.
Frank Saxon eventually sold the home; however, records of the sale are unknown. The property was then sold to Reddic and Johnson, who later sold it to Dr. Sheldon Stringer. Stringer renovated the house, adding ten more rooms. During his time, Stringer treated patients afflicted with yellow fever and smallpox. He remains a prominent figure in Hernando County's history due to his medical contributions.
In 2007, Arthur St. Clair was recognized as the sixth Great Brooksvillian, 130 years after his tragic death.
If you would like to use the images seen, please contact me: bethanieblackdesign@gmail.com
Haunted Claims:
Before we learn about the ghosts and paranormal claims of this home I want to honor the family members of all those who have passed away and lived in the home. The legacy from the Mays and the Stringers they have left on this land to the slaves that were and were not freed. These are people who once had heart beats, hardships, and accomplishments. Let us be respectful.
Object Attachment: The Actor’s Trunk & Mr. Nasty - This trunk, donated to the museum, is believed to be linked to an entity named Gary, AKA, “Mr. Nasty”, which reportedly scratches, shoves, and verbally assaults during spirit box sessions. This is based on anecdotal evidence and lacks verification.
Local Folklore: James - A World War I soldier said to have hanged himself on the 4th floor. Visitors often feel uneasy, experience cold spots, dizziness, or a sense of being watched. Claims of an obituary exist, but these have not been verified, and there are no historical records associated with him.
Marena May Sightings - She’s been seen in the hallways, and local docent, on her first day of volunteering, saw a women on the second story patio in a long brown dress.
Frank Saxon Sightings - He’s been seen to also be on the second story patio looking out.
Ghost Stories:
There are a lot of stories from the volunteers who were helping restore the location or looking after the house.
One of my favorites is a brand new volunteer was about to start her day, and as she drives by the front of the house she sees a woman on the second floor patio in a long dress. She had mentioned the woman on the patio when a docent said no one should be there. The docent believes she saw Marena May.
Another favorite story of mine is of the volunteers who were restoring the location removing a baby doll from the crib upstairs to clean the location. They would later find the baby doll moved in a spot no one else said they placed her in. That baby doll now has a permanent place inside the crib.
This isn’t the only restoration team that experienced things happening, there was a cop that was helping with the flooring and he was alone left to his job when he heard giggling from what sounded like a little girl. He quickly rose up from the floor to look around and see where this little kid is and could not find her.
Sending the Drawing to May-Stringer!
I sent a nice email to their ghost tour email which I think might be the best place to put these illustrations. So far I have not heard from them. (Womp womp 🥲) I will check back in if they ever do. It is run by volunteers, so it may not get checked often.
Gratuity
My deepest thanks to both Stevi from Truth Or Demons Podcast and J'aime Rubio for their help in researching this.
Also, my thanks to you for making it this far specially on my first project. Please enjoy the rest of the series. New episodes will be coming out every Saturday at 11:00 AM EST with a Season 1 finale being on Halloween.
Art Prints and Stickers from this episode is available! I will only be doing 50 total prints and stickers for the May-Stringer! These are EXTREMELY limited!
References:
https://www.hernandohistoricalmuseumassoc.com/may-stringer-house/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkAxUl92v-c&ab_channel=ErikQuigley
https://www.pbs.org/video/1021-may-stringer-house-26madx/
https://www.hernandosun.com/2020/01/30/may-stringer-house-be-featured-travel-channel/