When I left you in my last post, we were still on the first floor, poking our heads into rooms, closets, nooks, and crannies. This rear staircase leads to the third floor. Inside was a wooden box covered in fabric. The owners discovered this years back when they purchased the building. When they removed the lid, this is what they found inside...
Stacks of the original registration sheets and cards. The large ones were at one time in books and the pages had been removed. But remarkably you can read most of them. These delicate pages hold a significant and historical record of the hotel's past visitors. They forever preserve The Josephine's contribution to tourism in the city of Union Springs.
It's amazing how far away they came from just to stay here at the Josephine Hotel.
Below are various types of paperwork, like bills, bookkeeping, and correspondence.
Also found in the closet with the box was this small red cradle. Most likely made for a doll, it is too small for a human baby. It was probably left behind years ago by a child who was told to go and gather her things and get ready to depart. Children often leave behind toys in hotels even to this day.
Long corridor leading to a rear corner room and a storage closet on the right.
This is the view from a room in the back of the building. Note that you can see Amerifirst Bank. It is interesting to note that the property where the bank sits today was once owned by The Josephine Hotel. That's right. The exact spot where the bank sits was the living quarters for the hotel staff. That parking lot is where the main kitchen was located. There was a walkway from the 2nd floor directly to the second floor of the living quarters. The are behind the Chinese restaurant next door was also owned by the Josephine and was the site of a beautiful courtyard.
An old tape dispenser, a Bible, and more light globes.
The old rolls of textured wall paper they used to put on the walls and paint over it.
Old screens and window panes.
Many of the rooms still have the old linoleum rugs on the floor.
This old Cable - Nelson piano came to live here at the Josephine around 1906 and has been here ever since. It has seen better days and probably provided lovely music when someone sat down and played it. Today, the owners and several of the ghost hunters have heard notes being played from time to time on its own. I guess ghosts love old pianos. After all they were once people too.
A few weeks ago, the owners rolled the piano out into the main hall from one of the front rooms where it sat. Mr. Creepy came too. He provides a little extra fun when the ghost hunters come for a night of hunting.
When the owners moved the piano bench and placed it by the piano, they opened the lid to the bench. Joyce, the owner, never had looked there before, figuring that it had been cleaned out long, long ago, but found a torn and crumpled piece of paper. Joyce just uncrumpled the paper and discovered this handwritten music. Each note was hand penned, including the lyrics to what she decided to call, "The Ghost Song", since it is about ghosts. This is all there is. But isn't it delightful? Who could have written this? How long has it been there? So many questions beg to be answered. I even wonder if it was written by one of the many long term tenants who may have stayed here and knew the hotel's ghosts intimately. Who knows. But it is interesting to say the least.
As I've mentioned in a previous post, people use to come to the Josephine to get their portraits made by a traveling photographer from Olan Mills in the earlier years. Later there were different photographers representing different companies.
The owners have had plans to convert one of the old rooms into a photography studio. The idea is to use a room like this:
To restore this room and be using fireplace mantles, antique sofas, furniture, and props of all kinds, they would have an unique approach to using old world style and class in a modern day digital photography era.
Portraits like these can be recaptured in this modern day. What the owners want to do is recreate the scene with a modern twist. I think that will not only be awesome but who wouldn't love to have their portrait made in a historic hotel?
When these stairs are cleaned up and restored how cool would it be to have an engagement or bridal pictures made here on the grande staircase?
For now, this will complete our journey of the 2nd floor. There are always a few treats I may save for later, but we will begin touring the 3rd floor in my next blog post.
Be sure to check back soon for part 4 of 7 of "Inside The Josephine", a 7 part blog series on the never before photographed places inside the Historical Josephine Hotel.
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Thank you,
Stephanie
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