Santa Fe New Mexico
La Posada
It seems that Julie Staab never left the mansion that she loved.
DESCRIPTION
Located in downtown Santa Fe, just two blocks from the city’s historic Plaza, making its home on six lush, landscaped acres.
HISTORY
The land on which this resort is located on has been farmed as far back as 1610 by Spanish settlers. In the early 1800s the land became the property of the Baca family.
In 1882, a well to do, wealthy merchant, Abraham Staab built his grand, luxurious mansion, known as The Staab House, which is now part of the La Posada Resort and Spa. It was a 3 story brick mansion, showcasing the French Second Empire-style, built with the finest imported European materials to create a lovely place for Abraham and his wife, Julie, to entertain Santa Fe high society, as they loved social functions and loved to entertain. Of course, there was a ballroom on the third floor, a grand staircase which led up to it and the second floor, where the large Staab family lived. The 6 surviving Staab children grew up in this house and the spacious grounds where the estate was located.
The family tragedy happened when the Staab’s seventh child died soon after being born, which deeply affected Julie Staab, sending her into a deep depression. She kept herself in her room, and stayed there until she died at the age of 52 in 1896. Abraham died in 1913.
In the early 1900s, the original third floor ballroom was destroyed by fire.
In the 1930s, R. H. and Eulalia Nason, became the owners of The Staab House and surrounding estate, expanded the business possibilities by building adobe casitas in the Pueblo Revival-style, in the areas around The Staab House and Carriage House. They called their new venture, La Posada, which in Spanish means “inn” or “resting place.” La Posada became a popular place to be for the arts community. A summer arts school held there every summer drew many guests, who were leaders in the Santa Fe arts movement.
After several owners, La Posada and its estate was bought by Rock Resorts in the late 1990s, and La Posada underwent extensive renovation and new construction of additional lodging units, a Avanyu Spa, and the Conference Center, to be all part of the La Posada Resort and Spa, an upscale, luxury resort. The new guestrooms and suites can be found “among beautifully landscaped gardens that feature exotic native plants.”
The second floor of the Staab House is no longer used for guests, but the first floor offers a bar where guests of La Posada enjoy “cocktails and light Southwestern fare,” and rents out to private parties 3 different banquet/reception rooms for special events; The Rose Room, The Library, and The Salon.
MANIFESTATIONS
It seems that Julie Staab never left the mansion that she loved.
Room 256
Located on the second floor of the Staab Mansion, and was the room that Julie stayed in until her death and is her favorite place to be.
In the early 1990s, Julie likes the modern bathtub, and was known to draw a bath in the middle of the night, regardless if other people were sleeping in the room.
A workman cleaning the chimney outside of Room 256 happened to look over at the window and saw a woman, dressed in a old fashioned dress peering at him through the curtains. Imagine his surprise when he recognized the woman as being the same one whose portrait hangs in the drawing room of the Staab House, Julie Staab!
Restaurant
Located on the first floor of the Staab House.
An employee of the bar was preparing for the day early one morning and saw her calmly sitting in a chair, dressed in a white laced dress, perfectly at home. She disappeared a moment later.
The Grand Staircase
People have seen her in a black evening dress moving up the staircase.
The living who visit/or work in The Staab House have felt her gentle presence on all of the floors and have experienced unexplainable cold spots.
STILL HAUNTED?
YES!
The gentle, contented spirit of Julie Staab must be very happy. Her house is in superb condition, lots of entertaining takes place in the first floor rooms and she currently has her room basically to herself!
LOCATION
330 East Palace Avenue
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
(866) 331-ROCK
Our Haunted Paranormal Stories are Written by Julie Carr
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