This house was built by Captain W. Pierce (later to become a director of Orlando’s “National Bank”) in 1873. It was first constructed in Boston, then shipped to Florida and reassembled. Originally it was located on Boston Ave in Altamonte Springs, but it was moved to its current location in Longwood in 1973 after being saved from demolition by the Central Florida Society for Historical Preservation. It is now open to the public.
The name comes from its unusual construction – the house was built in shiplap fashion, with exposed-stud framing on the outside.
Staff in the gift shop have agreed for years now that both Captain Pierce and his beloved cat, Brutus, haunt the home. Intense cold spots form when no air conditioning is on, and voices and footsteps are frequently heard.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 141 W Church Ave
Longwood, Florida 32750
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 28.7010333, -81.34731870000002
- County:
- Seminole County, Florida
- Nearest Towns:
- Longwood, FL (0.6 mi.)
Casselberry, FL (2.0 mi.)
Winter Springs, FL (2.4 mi.)
Altamonte Springs, FL (3.0 mi.)
Fern Park, FL (3.6 mi.)
Lake Mary, FL (4.4 mi.)
Heathrow, FL (4.6 mi.)
Wekiwa Springs, FL (4.7 mi.)
Maitland, FL (5.2 mi.)
Forest City, FL (6.3 mi.)
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
I asked the owner of the gift shop if she would let my group do a paranormal investigation at her shop and she said she wouldn’t allow it. It would bring bag publicity and she didn’t want people burning crosses on her front lawn.
While visiting the shop in the fall of 2012 with my mother, we were upstairs discussing the Captain and the history of the house. While browsing the merchandise, I jokingly said “hello” to him out loud. Within several seconds, the most chilling air I’ve ever felt descended down over me from the ceiling. When I moved to warm up by a lighted shelving unit, the icy air followed me. Amazingly, it “wrapped around” me but never touched my mother! The a/c unit in the room was running but blowing much warmer air when I approached it to actually warm up. After several minutes, I had to leave the house. It took over an hour to shake the chill, with the back of my neck feeling ice-cold to the touch. I’ve since been back to visit, but have never had any another odd experiences.
I was shopping here last year. I went upstairs while no one else was up there…but I didn’t feel alone. I went down stairs to check out and both the owner and I heard heavy footsteps like boots upstairs. Again, no one else was up there. I was the first customer of the day. We both looked at each other and she nonchalantly said, “Yep! That’s Captain Pierce! Used to it.”