Haunted St. Augustine and St. Johns County

Haunted America

by Elizabeth Randall, Bob Randall (Photographer)

St. Johns County and St. Augustine are some of the earliest settled areas in the United States, and both are home to fascinating history. The area's story is filled with tales from Native Americans, early European settlers and modern-day Floridians. In some places, the habitants of those historical moments have remained. From the Castillo de San Marcos to the Huguenot Cemetery and the authentic old drugstore, the city and the county are filled with fascinating and terrifying stories of lingering spirits. Join photojournalist couple Elizabeth and Bob Randall as they recount the stories of the things that haunt one of America's oldest regions.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2013

About the author

I am a widely published free lance writer, the author of four books and a high school English teacher.

Reviews

[Dawn Ames · Rating 2 out of 5]

More history than ghosts

For a haunted tale book it didn't go on a lot about ghosts. Lots of historical information though. I've read countless other ghost books and this was not up to par. Glad it was a free read. For a city that is rumored to be very haunted this book came across as written by skeptics that didn't seem to work hard to find stories and lore of hauntings.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As others have said, this is extremely light on ghost stories, but heavy on brief sketches of St. Augustine history. Some of the featured sites mention nothing more ghostly than a whispered name or half-hearted reports of a door closing in a room upstairs, while others outright say they aren't reported to be haunted at all. I'm not expecting groundbreaking proof of the supernatural, but at least a recounting of local legends would be expected in a book like this. I got the feeling while reading this that the author was rolling her eyes at the ghostly aspects of the book. I'm not convinced she even likes the topic. It certainly doesn't come across that she does.

There is more care in the true crime and historical passages, which is where the content was strongest, and the photography is great. I bet they're stunning in color!

I'm a little confused about the Carcaba Family Plot section. Charlotte Carcaba is likened to Casey Anthony and is described as "a mercurial nymphet." The former is comparing apples to oranges, and the latter is just disturbing. It's also inaccurate, since Charlotte was an adult when her husband's murder occurred.

Lastly, I felt a little bad for the cashier in the Spanish Military Hospital section, the "wrinkled, stooped employee dressed in nineteenth-century costume" who speaks in a gravelly voice. I was training to be a ghost tour guide with the company that operates out of the Spanish Military Hospital before I had to quit due to personal unforeseen circumstances. I know very well the counter with the brochures mentioned. I also know that they stock pretty much every "Haunted St. Augustine" book printed in that section. Everyone I met at the job said they read all the books, which tells me the employee mentioned probably was treated to a very unflattering description of themselves. Not exactly something you can pull out and brag to friends and family, "Hey, I was mentioned in a book!" It just felt a little...mean, I guess? Unnecessary? This isn't a fictional character, after all.

Last two minor complaints aside, this is a ghost story book about my town that bafflingly has almost no actual ghost stories. Hence, 2 stars. Maybe even 1/4 of a single 🌶 for cheeky Charlotte Carcaba, who needed not one, but two chauffeurs to satisfy her, and who probably showed a little ankle at some point, making polite society ladies faint in their parlors at the retelling.

[Jason Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enter the haunted realm of the Ancient City of St Augustine where you will encounter the Old Jail, Tolomato Cemetery, and the scary Lighthouse and other places. Both the Old Jail and the Lighthouse were featured on episodes of Ghost Hunters. This book is more of a causal guide book about meeting different people, recommending restaurants, and pointing out local attractions than an in depth look at the paranormal. With all due respect, Randall does a good job when she is giving concrete details of the historical facts relating to the old buildings and homes and she falls short when attempting to deliver a chilling ghost story. For a scarier book, I recommend Ghosts and Gravestones of St. Augustine by John F. Stavely because it is a true page turner that had me pondering the mysteries of the spirits long into the night.
Haunted St. Augustine is an average introduction to the many ghosts and hauntings of the Old City and gives a brief glimpse of Old Town, however, there are better books out there that get inside your head and you find yourself wondering if there are ghosts in St. Augustine or not. My advise is to take a trip and see.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book lost me in the Introduction, where it said "it rarely rains" in St. Johns County. There were some interesting history facts, but very few ghost stories or hauntings, and some credibility is lost when your interviewee has "worked here less than a year and never saw anything but has heard stories."
It came across as a book that was written as a hobby, and if the focus had been strictly history and went deeper into the facts,.it would have been better received.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointed really. I expected ghost experiences I could shiver at. What I read was the outline for a history lesson. Two stars because it was a short, interesting read about one of my favorite staycation spots being close to home. It made me want to delve in to local lore so I guess there’s that 🤷‍♀️

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was relieved this was not a book trying to convince me there are ghosts all over St Augustine. I believe in spirituality but not on demand. This was a lite look at historical places in St Johns County and whetted my appetite to take a closer look.

[Dewin Anguas Barnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well researched book. More history than ghost story, but very interesting. Excellent photos as well.

[Patti Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like others said, light on ghost stories but I enjoyed the history and will use it to plan my next trip to St Augustine

[Liz Kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a travel book with many locations closed to the public. Was hoping for more stories about ghosts. Very dated to 2013, didn’t age great.