Magnolia Hotel: Celebrating 10 years as Seguin's 'Haunted' Hidden Treasure

Special by Erin O. Wallace, Photos by Lizz Daniels

Let’s restore an old building,” he said. “It will be fun!”

Those were my husband’s exact words when we were considering a weekend project in 2012. With our children grown, it was time to focus on our retirement years. We both enjoyed history, restoring/collecting antiques, and loved a challenge. It was to be just a couple’s project with no outsiders involved. We could enjoy doing something we loved and rediscover ourselves along the way. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be a two-story fading Texas Landmark.

The actual journey leading up to discovering the hotel is a story in itself. While searching for a restoration project, I was also writing my book called “Haunted New Braunfels.” One of the chapters was about a man who was charged with committing a heinous crime in 1874. Newspaper articles stated he stayed at the Seguin Magnolia Hotel on that fateful night. I wanted to include a picture of the hotel for the story, so I went looking for it. The only mention of it was in an amateur video on a popular social media site. This Vernacular Architecture frontier hotel had just been placed on the Preservation Texas Organization’s 2012 “Top Ten Most Endangered Places in Texas,” and several locals were hoping for it to be rescued.

With the purpose of just taking pictures, we arranged to view the building. We then met one of the co-owners who had inherited it in 1994 and she shared some of the hotel’s history. It began as a two-room log cabin built by a Texas Ranger and Seguin’s Co-Founder. After his death, the cabin became a stagecoach stop and Seguin’s first hotel was added in the rear in 1846. Seguin’s most famous Texas Ranger, John Coffee Hays married the hotel owner’s daughter in that same building.

The couple then went on to become the founders of Oakland, California. The basement of the stagecoach stop was used as a safe shelter for the women and children during Comanche Indian attacks until 1855. Later, the two-story addition with 10 rooms was added, connecting it to the log cabin and original hotel. It would be known as Texas’ most elegant hotel until the Menger outshines it, 10 years later, with 55 rooms. The hotel’s owner in 1858 was a Colonel in the Battle of San Jacinto. He owned one of the original Alamo Bells, which hung in front of the hotel for 50 years. It was later returned to the Alamo.

We were completely mesmerized. The history was mind-blowing. After viewing it only once and knowing it needed a great deal of work, we were hooked. We reassured the co-owners that our goal was to restore (not remodel) it and made an offer. With a huge sigh of relief, they graciously agreed. Funny note, I never did get a picture for my book.

Jim and I both agree we were not prepared for what was to come. Our lives were changed the day we signed the papers. That week we were on the local news and front page of newspapers stating, “The Historic Magnolia Hotel Rescued by Couple.” We were quickly thrust into the public eye. The community interest was exciting but definitely overwhelming. We hadn’t considered that from 1936-1994, it was simply known as efficiency apartments. There after, it was left as an inheritance and remained partially abandoned.

Very few knew it was a Texas Landmark, and now it was getting a lot of attention. Opening it up to the public was never our intention. Our little weekend project and future retirement home quickly became a full-blown rescue effort. Thankfully as I said, we love a challenge, so we dove right in.

Then on the very first day, we began our restoration, strange things began to happen. We opened all of the doors in the building to air out the musty smells, only to have them slam closed –– when there was no wind. Freezing ice-cold breezes would swirl the rooms during the height of summer. Toy balls would mysteriously roll, pinwheels would spin, and items would disappear, only to show up later in the same spot left. Shadow figures could be seen throughout the day. Laughter, music, and footsteps could be heard when no one else was in the room. The most notable occurrences were the distinct smells that would enter the rooms and then quickly disappear. We smelled bread baking, cigar smoke, assorted sweet perfumes, peppermint, beer, and the strongest being baby powder.

Jim was a huge skeptic, but he’s not anymore after so many unusual experiences. I’ve always been a believer, so I decided to just accept the activity as part of the hotel’s history. The hotel is over 180 years old. It was a frontier hotel, restaurant, saloon, brothel, and stagecoach stop. The previous owners, their guests, and those who worked there had gone through happy and sad times. So how could there not be remnants of the past still lingering within the walls?

It was reassuring once I spoke with several other historic homeowners in Seguin who have had their own odd experiences. Most of them wish to keep that hush-hush for fear of ridicule, which is something I can relate to. Some even had to sign contracts stating they were aware of the hauntings before purchasing the home. For us, we found out the hard way. There was nothing to be afraid of, so we simply co-exist with, who we call, our “permanent residents.”

Throughout the years of our painstaking restoration (that seems to never end), we have discovered a great deal about the hotel’s history and the previous owners. So much so that I’m writing a book just about the owners. When you own a historic building, you have to learn about the people to better understand its past. These guardians/owners (Ranger Campbell, Mayor Johnson, Judge Calvert, Erskine, Dr. Read, Carpenter, Governor Ireland, Shelby, Colonel Johnston, Lannom, Holley) who watched over it during their lifetime have all become our extended family. I actually know just as much (if not more) about their family line as I do my own. Each played a huge part in Seguin’s history.

Now after 10 years, we have restored the hotel back to its original 1880’s glory days. The bottom floor is our private home and is described as a residential museum. The artifacts displayed were found on the hotel property and some were donated by locals. One side of the second floor is an elegant Bed and Breakfast with modern facilities yet with period décor. The other side is still unrestored. During the Pecan Fest and the Fourth of July, our free annual Open House gives the public a chance to see this historic “Queen of Seguin.” We also offer guided tours once or so a month when Jim and I are available.

We often get asked if it was worth all the time and money invested in restoring the Magnolia Hotel. Without a doubt, yes! Bringing this dying endangered historic hotel back to being beautiful and treasured by so many has been a blessing. I wouldn’t change that for the world. •