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| Photograph ©Blue Skyways |
Address:
720 North Fourth Street
Kansas City, Kansas 66101
(913) 721-0081
The Historical Evolution of the House:
Constructed in the quaint year of 1887, the original section of the house, as captured in the image above, marked the inception of its architectural journey. Over the subsequent years, the mansion underwent four expansions, metamorphosing into a sprawling structure encompassing three floors, forty-two rooms, an attic, and a basement.
Fast forward to twelve years later, the mansion witnessed a new chapter when Margaret Kerstetter Cruise, a widow and mother of four, married John Scroggs. This blended family chose the mansion as their abode. Unfortunately, tragedy struck when Margaret's eldest son passed away prematurely, leaving three children to grow up, marry, and establish their own families. Following the demise of Margaret and John, one of their offspring inherited the house, eventually selling it to the Sisters of the St. Francis of Christ the King. The nuns, moved by compassion after the 1918 flu epidemic, transformed the mansion into a haven for orphaned children.
In 1987, the Strawberry Hill Ethnic Cultural Society acquired the property, heralding the establishment of the Strawberry Hill Museum—a beacon of cultural history.
Accounts of Paranormal Phenomena:
The ethereal tapestry woven around the mansion includes the spectral presence of the "Lady in Red," purportedly a homeless woman sheltered by the nuns. Legend has it that she met her tragic end during a failed abortion. Her apparition, adorned in 1940s-style red attire with flowing red hair, has been encountered by numerous witnesses. The Lady in Red first materialized before two nuns during a chapel moment, inquiring about the "house of the priest" before vanishing. She has since posed the same question to others, appearing as a solid figure and even greeting visitors amicably.
Another ghostly inhabitant, an unidentified male entity, predominantly roams the third floor. Unappreciative of visitors on his floor, he's been known to startle and scare those who dare to explore. One particularly chilling encounter involved a woman who stumbled upon the apparition inside a closet; she claimed to have been pursued down the stairs, with the specter tapping her shoulder throughout.
A spectral child, often perceived in the first-floor tower room seated in an antique rocking chair, adds another layer to the paranormal narrative. Reports extend to sensing or hearing the child's presence, as well as playful movements in the basement.
The house is no stranger to various anomalies, including lights flickering autonomously, phantom footsteps echoing through empty corridors, mysterious music or singing resonating through unseen vocal cords, and doors engaging in a curious dance of unlocking, locking, opening, and closing—all seemingly orchestrated by the unseen forces lingering within its historical walls.