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Queen Anne Hotel
HauntedHouses.com
Haunted
Place - Queen Anne Hotel
ADDRESS:
1590 Sutter Street
San Francisco, California 94109
(800) 227-3970
Queen Anne Hotel web site
DESCRIPTION:
Besides being an upscale Bed and Breakfast,
The Queen Anne Hotel is a favorite spot for weddings and
receptions, and other special receptions, because of its style,
decorum and room layout.
The pink-colored Queen Anne B & B Hotel
is a San Franciscan crown jewel of Victorian architecture both
inside and out. The inside of the hotel is often decorated for the
season. We stayed in the hotel over the Thanksgiving weekend and it
was like stepping into a Victorian Christmas, as the hotel's
Christmas decorations were out in force!
There are 4 floors, with many of the rooms
having fireplaces. One enters from the street into a Victorian
style foyer (check-in area), parlor, library, salon (Queen Anne's
dining room), courtyard and boardroom, first floor rooms which have
ten foot ceilings.
The Parlor - One finds
grand columns, authentic antique, dark natural wood furniture, in
various shades of burgundy, and a glorious fireplace.
The Salon - Through doors
on the left of the parlor, one walks into The Salon, which seats
about 80 people. This dining room has gold and burgundy wallpaper
and heavy Victorian drapes hang in the windows. Of course, there
are also mirrors, chandeliers and a fireplace.
The Courtyard - Can be
visited via two sets of doors. This area has been newly renovated,
and has a glass ceiling and outdoor heaters. There is a gazebo and
a water fountain here as well.
The Library - Can be
visited by going through the elegant French doors located at the
north end of the parlor. It is described as a comfortable room
which has Victorian antiques, a 150 year old bar and lovely oil
paintings hanging on the walls. The wood-burning fireplace is the
"centerpiece" of this room.
A Grand wooden staircase, located in the
parlor, leads the visitor up to the upper floors, where one finds
the 44 rooms and suites, with their own bathrooms.
HISTORY:
Senator James G. Fair, who made a bundle of
money from his silver mines in the Comstock lode, located in
Nevada, built an elegant boarding/finishing school, a fine example
of Victorian architecture, in his hometown of San Francisco, in
1889. In 1990, the boarding school opened, known as the THE MARY
LAKE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, mainly so his daughters Virginia and Tessie
could move to San Francisco, to be near him. James G. Fair wanted
to spend more time with his teen daughters, as his relationship
with them was strained due to family dynamics.
Senator James G. Fair had a favorite
mistress, Mary Lake. She became the Head Mistress, in charge of
teaching 100 well-to-do girls the behavior norms of women from
upper-class society, including etiquette, social skills, and polite
standards of the times. She truly enjoyed teaching and taking care
of her young charges, as she loved the girls and earnestly took her
position of responsibility very seriously.
However, the school closed in 1896,
probably because of financial difficulties. Poor Mary was crushed
when the school was closed. It broke her heart. She disappeared
from San Francisco. The building sold a few years before the
destructive earthquake of 1906, which leveled many parts of San
Francisco through quake damage and fire, which resulted from the
moving earth. This building was one of the lucky ones to escape the
destruction!
Throughout the years, this building passed
through many hands. In 1980, it was bought and given much needed
renovation work, and opened for business as The Queen Anne B &
B Hotel.
MANIFESTATIONS:
When an old building is renovated, often
the spirits who reside there make their presence known to the
living. Mary Lake must have been overjoyed when the building was
rejuvenated, both inside and out! Instead of girls, she now has
upscale guests to take care of! This gentle, loving entity can be
useful again!!!
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Psychic people have felt a benign presence throughout the
hotel.
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The entity of Mary Lake wanders
around, keeping an eye on her "guests." The most common occurrences
are unexplainable cold spots and the sighting of a misty apparition
of Mary Lake.
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Gentle, concerned Mary Lake dedicates herself to making sure
that her guests are comfortable, wanting them to have a pleasant
stay.
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She has unpacked and hung up clothes, picks objects off the
floor that were dropped, and has tucked covers in around people in
the middle of the night.
- The fourth floor is the favorite place for manifestations to
take place. The manifestations, mentioned above in 2 and 3, are the
strongest in room 410, which once was her office and now is a
lovely suite, complete with a sitting area and a fireplace.
- Mary takes special interest in guests who spend the night in
her old office. She doesn't mind sharing her special place with the
living, like other entities found in other stories on this
web-site, but shows a gentile hospitality and caring for the
living.
STILL HAUNTED?
Yes Indeed!
Mary Lake has made her home here where she
was the most happy and fulfilled when she was alive. She can do
what she likes best! She gets to take care of the guests, offering
them turn-of-the-century hospitality, while having fun watching the
social events which take place on the first floor as well.
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