Somewhere in the hills of California’s San Diego County is the Julian Hotel that can be located in the town by the same name. During the 1860s, a few men founded the town, which soon turned out to be filled with gold. The town of Julian became quite a popular hot spot. It wasn’t until after the 1870s that the town changed directions in terms of profit, shifting from gold to apples.
Today, when visiting Julian, you will find a resident ghost tied to the town, amidst the old gold mine and delicious apple pie. In 1897, Albert and Margaret Robinson made their home in Julian. They were freed slaves, who purchased a building and turned it into the Hotel Robinson. Although the inhabitants of the town were opposed to blacks living with them, they soon accepted the Robinsons as welcome residents. Many people traveling back and forth from San Diego stayed at the Hotel Robinson, bringing more business to the area.
A little over 15 years after the establishment of the Hotel Robinson, Albert had passed away. This is when the controversy erupted. The family members that Albert had left behind wished that Albert would be buried in the cemetery located in town. They felt that Albert’s presence in the community had earned him a place within the “whites only” cemetery. It was the collective view of the town that Albert should be buried outside of the town with “his own kind.” The slap in the face to Albert and his family is believed to be the reason that his spirit haunts the hotel.
Albert’s wife continued to run the hotel until she sold it in 1921, where the new owners changed the name to Julian Hotel. Years after this transaction, guests reported that what was once the Hotel Robinson had become a violent haunting ground. Some of the details included claims of shattering glass and furniture moving on its own. This even led to an exorcism on the hotel where the spirit has seemed to calm down a bit.
Most of the ghost reports come from people who have stayed in room 10, which is also Albert’s old room. The maids who clean the room also have tales of their own, describing how newly made beds become undone, as well as the scent of pipe smoke within the non-smoking room. Albert was a pipe smoker and sometimes the sight of smoke can also be seen.
Without reason, the furniture in Albert’s room also returns to its original positioning when it was Hotel Robinson.. The hotel is also filled with slamming doors, as well as cold spots. Objects belonging to guests have been known to become hidden. There have also been claims that the ghost of Albert can be seen walking by a stained glass window located adjacent to the stairway.
The Juilan Hotel can be visited at 2032 Main Street in Julian, California. You can make reservations by calling (760) 765-0201.