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Reported phenomena, as catalogued
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A Mayport sailors' boarding house built atop a Spanish graveyard in 1907 — Duke University's Rhine Institute documented paranormal phenomena including a self-rocking chair
4627 Ocean St, Mayport, FL 32233
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Drive-by exterior viewing only; building currently operated by Mayport Cats Program
Access
Wheelchair OK
Street-level, paved road
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1907 · Spanish Colonial Burial Ground · Rhine Institute Paranormal Investigation · Mayport Village History · Sailors' Boarding House
Ocean Street in Mayport Village has hosted a sailors' boarding house on this lot since at least 1881, the date a fire destroyed the first structure. The site's prehistory is older: the ground beneath it was used as a Spanish graveyard during the colonial period, a fact documented in local historical records and referenced in Duke University research.
William Joseph King rebuilt the boarding house in 1907, and it became known simply as the King House. Over subsequent decades it occupied an unusual variety of uses for a single structure: sailors' lodging, a local gathering place, a house reportedly operating as a house of ill repute at various points, a venue for Catholic Mass during the 1940s (with congregants reporting the sound of high heels moving in the attic while services were held), and finally a family home. William King's son occupied the house until his death in 1977.
Researchers from Duke University's Rhine Institute — one of the more academically rigorous paranormal investigation programs of the twentieth century — visited the property and investigated reported phenomena, concluding that 'the atmosphere in it is perfect for hauntings.' The site is also documented in Donald J. Mabry's academic paper published by the Mayport Waterfront Partnership. Today the building serves as operational headquarters for the Mayport Cats Program, a nonprofit that assists feral cats in the Mayport area.
Sources
The Rhine Institute investigators documented the rocking chair as the King House's most consistent reported phenomenon: a chair in the parlor that moved on its own accord, associated by residents with the spirit of a woman who had been killed on the property. Local accounts describe her as a relative of William King — identified variously as an aunt — who died at the hands of a jealous former boyfriend.
Additional reported presences emerged over decades of accounts from residents, boarders, and visitors. One is referred to as 'Little Butler,' a described as a mischievous male figure who would open doors for visitors and engage in minor pranks. A second is described as a woman in white, believed to be the spirit of a bride killed in a car crash near the house on her wedding night. Poltergeist-type activity — bedcovers pulled from sleeping guests, doors opening without cause — was reported frequently enough that psychical researchers noted the property as having an atmosphere particularly suited to paranormal manifestation.
WJCT News independently covered the King House in a 2021 survey of haunted places around Jacksonville, corroborating the pitchfork-killing account and Rhine Institute investigation.
Notable Entities
The King House sits on Ocean Street in Mayport Village. The building is visible from the street and is part of the Mayport historic neighborhood. The village itself is a walkable fishing community with waterfront access and nearby ferry service.
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