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Audubon House – The Lost Dauphin
The Audubon House is home to yet another apparition.
This one, a tall man dressed in a ruffled shirt and a long jacket of another era, has appeared on the entry porch and in the gift shop gallery which displays the famous Audubon bird prints.
Since no other person in these parts would dress in such an affected manner, it could be none other than the famous naturalist himself, John James Audubon, who visited Key West to find tropical bird specimens for his work on “Birds of America.” He stayed on the island for less than two weeks in 1832 – long before the house was built. He never stayed overnight on the island; as a matter of fact, rather, he chose to stay on a boat anchored in the harbor, so fearful was he of catching the dreaded yellow fever.
Some say he is back – searching for more of our lovely birds to shoot. You see, in his day, when there were no cameras to record images, Audubon had to kill his subjects in order to paint them accurately.
The Perils of Taking Work Home
Across the street from St. Paul’s Episcopal was the home and office of Dr. Warren - another local physician. It is now a guesthouse: the OLD TOWN MANOR.
Dr. Warren, it appears, still takes his work home with him.
As was common in his day, the right front half of the first floor of the house, across from the parlor, was his office. It has been converted into guest rooms at the inn. Guests staying in those rooms have been awakened in the night by a dream – the same dream: a doctor looks down at a patient lying on a table writhing in pain. The doctor appears unable to do anything. He walks back and forth in distress. That would explain the pacing other guests have heard outside the door of that very room.