From beneath the long porch of the Cassadaga Hotel, I can see Stevens Street and Harmony Hall. In Cassadaga, Florida, rusty tin roofs and ancient, mossy trees line the street. Here's a vintage Florida snapshot that disappears with every new Dollar General built.
But progress hasn’t trampled these old streets yet; but then again, Cassadaga is no ordinary place. You wouldn't know it from the tiny street. But Cassadaga attracts thousands of visitors a year. They have dubbed it "The Psychic Capital of the World."
Mystery shrouds the story of Cassadaga. A small boy with an unusual beginning and a pushy Indian spirit guide named Seneca.
The Peculiar Life of George P. Colby
George P. Colby was born in Pike, New York, in 1848 to James L. Colby and his wife Elminia Lewis. The Colbys settled on 160 acres in Forestville Township, Minnesota. Later, people named the area Cherry Grove. They did this to honor George's father and his cherry orchard.
George lived on the farm with his two brothers and two sisters. Unfortunately, both sisters and one brother died at a young age.
In the winter of 1860, when George was twelve, he was baptized in a nearby lake. The ice was so frozen that someone needed to cut a hole in it. Soon after his baptism, George claimed his uncle's spirit came to him. It told him he was a great psychic and would create a great spiritual center in the South.
In his teens, George's mediumship claims grew. They included clairvoyance, spiritual readings, and healing. Spirit guides enveloped him in deep unconsciousness. This displeased George's devout Baptist parents, prompting harsh retribution and physical abuse.
In 1867, George broke from his parents' church. He then became a medium, traveling to perform private readings and parlor séances. During his travels, George would accept whatever payment his clients thought was fair, and often had to take side jobs to get by.
News of George's exceptional talent circulated, earning him recognition as a test medium. People said he could often speak with his clients' dead relatives. He could recall facts with amazing accuracy.
George claimed to have regular communion with several spirit guides. His most prominent was a Native American named Seneca. He said Seneca spoke to him during a séance in Lake Mills, Iowa. Seneca told him he was to go on a great journey, but first he had to visit Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, George met a Spiritualist named Theodore Giddings. Seneca then told him to travel to Florida with the Giddings family. They needed to get land chosen by the "Congress of Spirits" as a spiritualist center.
George and the Giddings family traveled to Jacksonville, then to Blue Springs Landing in Orange City. From there, George walked into the piney woods of Volusia County, north of modern Deltona. He found the place that would become the home of the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association.
Colby helped get land for the camp and built a house there. But he did not live there full-time. By then, George was in very poor health. But the Florida climate revived him. He then toured the country again as a test medium, lecturer, and spiritualist leader.
On December 18, 1894, the founders created a charter for the Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp. Two people were vital in forming the association: E.W. Bond and Marion Skidmore. Bond supplied materials to build many original camp structures. People knew Skidmore as the "Mother of the Camp."
Both came from the Lily Dale Assembly, a spiritual camp in New York, still active today. Many original Cassadaga Camp members hailed from it. In fact, it was Skidmore’s idea to name the camp after the Cassadaga Lakes near the Lily Dale camp. The Cassadaga name originates from the Seneca Indians, referring to underwater rocks.
George visited the camp on and off for the rest of his life, serving as the camp’s spiritual leader and lecturer. He put on plays, grew citrus, and adopted and educated several children. Colby returned to Cassadaga for the last time in 1933 when his health began to fail. The camp members provided him with a place to live and saw to his needs. He died on July 27, 1933.
Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association
Today, the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp is the largest spiritualist community in the South. A board of trustees, registered as a nonprofit organization, governs the camp.
The association says it is a community of "approximately 57 acres with 55 residences." The townspeople chose "to share a community of like-minded people. They wanted to live, worship, and work in harmony with their beliefs."
The camp's mediums, healers, and members must follow the association's by-laws and rules. The camp became a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
The community offers many activities. They include church services, meditation classes, and spiritualism lessons. It also offers spiritual counseling, historic tours, and psychic readings.
The main building is the Andrew Jackson Davis Building. It once served as the camp's recreation hall. It is now a bookstore and information center. Other buildings are Harmony Hall, Brigham Hall, the Caesar Forman Healing Center, the Colby Memorial Temple, and the Summerland House (which houses the camp's offices).
The Cassadaga Hotel
Note that the Cassadaga hotel is no longer linked to the Spiritualist Camp. The hotel we see today — although historic in its own right — is also not the original hotel.
The first hotel, owned by Emma J. Huff, burned on Christmas night in 1926. The camp started reconstructing the hotel the next year and completed it in 1928.
During the Great Depression, the camp lost ownership of the hotel and sold it to private owners. During the 1990s, someone sold it again and renovated it. The hotel now includes Sinatra’s Restaurant. The hotel offers psychic readings, séances, and meditation areas. This venue boasts benevolent ghosts and offers an unforgettable encounter.
One of the most popular ghost stories is the hotel’s resident ghost, Arthur. During his life, people said a cheery Irish ghost haunted the hotel. He would drag a chair to the end of the hall to look out the window.
Hotel guests claim to have seen brief glimpses of Arthur at the end of the hall. They also caught a lingering smell of gin and cigars, which he was fond of.
The Ann Stevens House
The Ann Stevens House is a historic B&B down the street from the Cassadaga Hotel. It has a long history of housing camp visitors. Ann Stevens, a wealthy winter camp visitor, built the house in 1895. She got the property from George Colby. She also helped fund his lecture tours.
Stevens was also the camp association's director for several years. She ran a boarding house for visitors. Today, the house is a popular 10-room bed-and-breakfast. Ann is the namesake of Stevens Street, one of the main roads passing through the heart of Cassadaga.
Spirits of Cassadaga
Some believe Cassadaga is in a "spiritual vortex." There, the veil between our world and the spirit world is thin and ragged. With so many psychics, seers, and ghosts, you may dismiss this supernatural Mayberry as a cheap Florida attraction. Yet, those who take the time to visit may glimpse something a little more significant.
This timeless place is home to many spiritualists. They welcome visitors but insist on respecting their beliefs. This community persists, its unwavering dedication rendering Cassadaga uniquely notable.
If you seek a unique Florida experience, Cassadaga won't disappoint. It is rich in mystery and history. You may find it surprising. The true spirits of Cassadaga are not the ghosts. They are a thriving, close-knit community. Devoted to each other, their religion, and their history.
For information on local Cassadaga events or about the Spiritualist Camp, please visit the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Official Website: http://www.cassadaga.org/
For information or to book a room at the Ann Stevens House please visit their website at: http://annstevenshouse.com/
Sources:
Cassadaga, Florida: Yesterday and Today (5th Edition, Revised) By Elizabeth Owens, 2015
The Ann Stevens House Official Website: http://annstevenshouse.com/
Haunted Places — The Cassadaga Hotel Cassadaga, Florida: http://joelmandre.com/haunted-places-the-cassadaga-hotel-cassadaga-florida/
Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Official Website: http://www.cassadaga.org/
Cassadaga Hotel Official Website: http://www.cassadagahotel.net/
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