The legend goes that a little boy haunts a particular Queen Anne Victorian home in Santa Ana.
Volunteers with the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society report hearing footsteps, and even seeing a ghost near the main staircase of the Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House… despite there being no record of a small child ever passing on the property.
This is just one of many stories about the historic home. Closet doors in the Wysteria Bedroom are known to open on their own, there’s a shadow figure that allegedly appears in the parlor, and members have reported seeing orbs appear in the living room.
While the stories become legends and fascinate visitors, there is actual history behind the home. The Dr Willella Howe-Waffle House is the Queen Anne Victorian home of the first female physician in Santa Ana. She was only the second female physician in Orange County.
Her 38 years of practice started in 1886 after she graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in Chicago. Her dedication to her patients lasted until her very last day, as she died by the bed of a patient at the Santa Ana Community Hospital in 1924. She was 74 years old.
The home was recently featured on the popular YouTube series, Can’t Sleep. The hosts report hearing footsteps and doors slamming.
The home was built with a speaking tube installed at the back door for patients who would arrive in the middle of the night seeking assistance. In the present day, paranormal investigators have used that speaking tube as a conduit of sorts to attempt to communicate with the deceased.
The Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society is opening doors for visitors. You can get tickets to a Día De Los Muertos tour on November 1st. The Society is also hosting its 4th annual Victorian Holiday House Tour this holiday season. All funds raised go directly back to preserving the home.
The all-volunteer Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society continues to run the home today as the Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum, and it is open for tours twelve times a year.
If thrill seekers are looking for other historic homes in the Santa Ana area, here are others that are also preserved:
Thomas House/Vogel Victorian: 621 N Spurgeon St, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Claycomb House: 1106 North Spurgeon St, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Harmon-McNeil House: French Park, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Kellogg House: 3101 W Harvard St, Santa Ana, CA 92704
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