4 minute read
Haunted & Historical
Magnolia Hotel Bed & Breakfast
Story by Dalondo Moultrie, photos by Felicia Frazar
They got a brief history of the building during a walkthrough in the purchasing phase, but soon, the couple would unearth even more of the Magnolia’s history.
Their first hint of things to come was the big splash a local publication made about the Ghedis’ acquisition.
“When we bought it, we were on the front page of the Seguin Gazette: ‘The Magnolia Hotel has been purchased,’” she recalled reading.
“We were like, ‘Oh my God, what did we do.’ From that point forward, we realized we had a Texas landmark. It couldn’t just be a hobby. We knew we had to take care of this building and preserve it.”
Still, the couple intended to preserve the building, mostly for themselves. They planned to do the work and, presumably, marvel at their accomplishments; however, the public had other things in mind.
“We had no intention of opening up a bed and breakfast,” she said. “We weren’t even supposed to open it to the public. It was supposed to be a hobby, and we wanted a place we could come on the weekends.”
While rehabbing and researching the property, Erin said she found some fascinating information. She discovered that a cofounder of Seguin, James Campbell, built the Magnolia.
Campbell was a frontiersman who fought many battles, including a famous one against Comanches in San Antonio. Campbell constructed an Indian raid shelter under the log cabin that stretches the length of the original two rooms he built. According to Erin, Comanches eventually killed Campbell. Soon after, businessman Joseph F. Johnson bought the property.
Johnson turned the log cabin into a stagecoach stop, and in 1847 built a white, limecrete building at the original Magnolia. The portion of the property Johnson made still stands today.
“It’s one of the oldest limecrete buildings in Seguin,” she said. “It was a three-room hotel. It was the first hotel in Seguin.”
A couple bought the property a few years later and added a two-story, wood-framed hotel attached to the log cabin. Thus began the glory days of the Magnolia.
“That’s when it came to its peak in 1850,” Erin said.
Following those good times and the passage of many years, the property eventually fell on tough times. The Ghedis, in their pursuits, purchased the Magnolia and spent much time and even money restoring it.
Even before they completed their work, tons of curious people began showing interest in what was taking place at the Magnolia Hotel.
“The thing that happened was when we started restoring it, everybody in the world wanted to come see this building,” she said. “When we started restoring it, everybody wanted to come in. We’re like, ‘we’re not open; this is our home.’”
Along with finding throngs of people interested in the Magnolia’s makeover, Jim and Erin found artifacts on the property. They even unearth a little bit of paranormal activity.
With increased interest, the couple decided to allow occasional access to view the building. Word spread, and fame grew for the Magnolia Hotel.
“One of the most famous things about our building is she’s incredibly haunted,” Erin said. “When everybody found out about the haunting, every paranormal enthusiast in the world wanted to come check her out.”
Now, management at the hotel provides guided ghost tours along with the bed-and-breakfast amenities and overnight stays.
Party sizes of up to four, no more than five, guests are permitted during overnight visits to the bed and breakfast. Guests get the entire second floor of the hotel to themselves for their stay and are treated to a trip back in time to the 1800s.
“We have information throughout the entire second floor,” Erin said. “When you come and stay, you can see the history and learn about people who stayed there and owned it.”
The historical aspect draws the majority of the guests to stay at the facility. People want to see what it was like to live in the 1850s.
Guests get to use an antique foot warmer such as was popular in centuries past. The bed and breakfast has artifacts like a bowl and pitcher people used in the olden days to wash their faces.
“It makes you feel like you have no electricity and no water flowing, although we do,” Erin said. “It has all of the modern amenities, but we make you feel like they did (in the 19th century).”
However, guests won’t find things like wifi or cable television, which gives them a sense of what it could be like to be “off the grid” for a short while. Usually, people who stay at the hotel don’t miss those amenities; they’re too busy playing games, reading and enjoying each others’ company.
People also enjoy the haunted aspect of the Magnolia.
“I think that’s what makes us unique,” Erin said. “We’re historical and also paranormal. You choose what you want.”
With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, owners of the Magnolia halted the ghost tours. They’re restarting them in October, a scarily appropriate month if the owners do say so themselves.
