Riddle House

Death has been in and around the Riddle House since it was built in the early 1900s. First used as a funeral parlor, and later as a private residence, the home has seen its share of tragedy.

But what makes this haunt even more perplexing? In the 1980s, the house was moved across town and it would seem from many modern-day reports that the angry ghost who dwells here has moved with it.

The man who lived in Riddle House encountered financial difficulties. He became despondent and withdrawn from his family. Seeing no other way out, the man hung himself from the rafters of the attic. After the tragedy, the beam used to hold the rope was permanently removed from the top story of the house.

The suicide was a catalyst for the darker haunting that followed. The next family to occupy the house had trouble keeping help in the home. The staff reported hearing chains rattling on the stairs and murmuring voices. Many quit, never to return.

By 1980, the building was abandoned, fell into disrepair. The house was dismantled and brought over to Yesteryear Village to go on permanent display.

During the reassembling of the Riddle House, the dark haunting inside reared its head again. When returning to work in the mornings, carpenters would find their tools thrown from the attic and sitting on the ground below. Third-floor windows would also be found mysteriously broken. At one point, reconstruction had to stop for six months because the workers were so shaken up by what they had experienced inside.

During the private unveiling of the Riddle House in Yesteryear Village, two unexpected guests showed up to the reception. Dressed in early twentieth century garb, many commented on how dashing the pair looked. Those in attendance assumed the couple to be actors. When an old photo showing the original Riddle House was unveiled, attendees were shocked to see the couple everyone had commented on was actually in the photo. The out-of-place pair was now nowhere to be seen.

The Riddle House is one of the most active haunts in southern Florida. One visitor who had arranged for a private tour was struck in the head by a piece of wood in the staircase. The wood seemed to appear from nowhere. A maintenance worker felt she was attacked while cleaning the building and refuses to enter the house again. Other witnesses have spotted a hanging torso in the attic window. Some believe it to be some kind of macabre prop, but learn no such mannequin exists in the attic. Security personnel have seen lights going on and off in the building, and many avoid the house altogether.

Places can hold memories long after the inhabitants have moved on. Even when relocated entirely, some entities are bound to the structures around them. The reasons why may forever remain a riddle.