Tombstone bed and breakfast haunted by rejected suitor
113 East Safford Street, Tombstone, AZ 85638
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Bed and breakfast nightly rates
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1880 · Arizona Territory Founding · Mining Boom Era · Historic Building Preservation · Multiple Tragic Deaths
The Buford House occupies 113 East Safford Street in historic Tombstone, Arizona, and is one of the town's oldest continuously documented structures, built in 1880. George Washington Buford, originally from East Texas, had struck silver in 1879 and moved to Tombstone in 1880 to establish himself as a mine owner. Buford constructed an impressive two-story adobe house during the peak of the Tombstone silver mining bonanza, bringing European architectural sensibility to the frontier town. The house featured imported wallpaper, crystal chandeliers imported from San Francisco, and notably, the first indoor plumbing in Tombstone—two sunken, tiled concrete bathtubs on the ground floor. George and his wife Annie settled in the house and started a family. The structure witnessed significant tragedy during the 1880s. In 1888, a diphtheria epidemic swept through Tombstone. Three of the Buford's seven children succumbed to the illness within the home, representing the first major layer of trauma embedded in the building. The Buford family departed Tombstone in 1888. Following their departure, the house was rented to various residents and tenants. On April 13, 1888, a tragic incident occurred involving George Daves, a tenant or resident of the house. Daves had developed romantic intentions toward Petra Edmunds, who lived nearby. After learning that Petra was romantically committed to another man (Louis Lombardi), Daves became emotionally distressed. He shot Petra four times with his revolver, striking her twice, then turned the weapon on himself and died instantly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound outside the Edmunds gate. Petra Edmunds survived her injuries and ultimately married Louis Lombardi in 1890, living to age 89 and passing in 1960. The Buford House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been restored as a bed and breakfast operation.
Sources
The Buford House's paranormal reputation encompasses multiple categories of manifestation attributed to different tragic events embedded in the structure's history. The primary paranormal entity is believed to be George Daves, the suitor who died by suicide in 1888. Witnesses report observing his apparition both within the house and walking along the street in front of the property, particularly in the area where the original shooting incident occurred. The apparition is described as an active, mobile presence rather than a stationary one, consistent with intelligent haunting behavior. Secondary manifestations include poltergeist-type phenomena attributed to Daves' continued emotional disturbance. Guests report experiencing loud knocking sounds originating from wall surfaces without identifiable mechanical source. The bathroom faucet located down the hall manifests autonomous behavior: turning itself on and off without human manipulation, creating water flow and cessation cycles independent of physical valve operation. A phantom doorbell rings during late night and early morning hours, with investigation revealing no physical visitors present at the door upon opening. These phenomena are consistent with poltergeist manifestations: object movement and manipulation suggesting emotional expression through environmental disruption.
Cold spots manifest throughout the property with particular significance: they are reported to move and shift location independently, creating traveling zones of temperature depression rather than stationary anomalies. Guests report strange lights appearing in various locations, potentially representing visual manifestations or environmental luminescence phenomena. The manifestations attributed to child victims from the diphtheria outbreak are reported as apparitional sightings of young figures, particularly in residential spaces. Some paranormal accounts suggest that Daves' emotional distress may create a misogynist or misandrist entity targeting specific gender among guests, with reported aggressive responses toward women and men depending on narrative variant.
The house has been featured in paranormal television programming including "Haunted History—Tombstone," creating documentation and increased awareness of the phenomena among paranormal enthusiast communities. Contemporary bed and breakfast operation acknowledges and incorporates the paranormal reputation as part of guest experience marketing.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
The Buford House operates as a bed and breakfast where guests experience documented paranormal phenomena including apparitions, poltergeist activity, and temperature anomalies.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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