Est. 1901 · National Register of Historic Places · Fort Myers Cattle Ranching Era · Georgian Revival Architecture · Caloosahatchee River History
John T. Murphy completed the mansion at 2505 First Street in 1901, working with architects C. S. Caldwell and G. T. Barker. The Georgian Revival structure was described at the time as Fort Myers' first year-round luxury home — a distinction tied to the city's rapid growth following Henry Ford and Thomas Edison's decision to winter on the Caloosahatchee. Murphy used the house to host the Edison family and other prominent winter visitors.
Nelson Burroughs bought the property in 1919. In 1922, Burroughs transferred ownership to his daughters Mona and Jettie, and the house became known as the social center of Fort Myers' snowbird community through the 1920s and beyond. Mona Burroughs outlived her sister and remained the home's steward for decades. She bequeathed the property to the City of Fort Myers before her death in 1978. Her husband Franz Fischer died in 1983, at which point the house ceased being used as a private residence.
The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1984. It operates today as a historic house museum and event venue, with a waterfront pavilion added in 2015. A living history tour program runs Tuesday through Thursday and is staffed by volunteer guides. Lunch on Mona's Famous Dancing Porch is offered on tour days.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy-Burroughs_House
- https://burroughshome.com/
Phantom footstepsSelf-activating faucetsApparitionsUnexplained lights
The Burroughs Home's paranormal reputation is built on a specific, repeatedly documented incident rather than diffuse atmosphere. Beginning in the early 1990s, property director Gina Taylor found the upstairs bathtub faucet running on a Monday — the house's regular closed day — despite the building being locked and empty. Plumbers investigated and found no mechanical explanation. The phenomenon recurred across multiple subsequent Mondays and eventually expanded: kitchen and bathroom sink faucets were also found running, all on Mondays, all in a locked and closed building.
Local lore connects the activity to Mona Burroughs, who lived in the house for more than five decades and reportedly maintained the habit of bathing before parties on the days the house was not open. The running-water reports are the most consistently cited and best-sourced paranormal activity at the site.
Taylor also reported a separate incident: a light in the attic and the image of a veiled figure visible from outside. Footsteps have been reported on the upper staircase by staff working alone in the building. The ghost-tour literature places the Burroughs Home within the broader cluster of Caloosahatchee riverfront haunted sites that US Ghost Adventures and other operators feature on the Fort Myers walking circuit.
Notable Entities
Mona Burroughs
