CaledoniaWineCottage

The Caledonia Wine Cottage is situated on lot #18. A partial list of past owners is given below. I am still working on completing the list so check back occasionally for updates:

Miles Goforth, a Revolutionary War Soldier, obtained the property that the Caledonia Wine Cottage now sits on in 1803 in a large Spanish Grant.

William Buford, purchased what would later be the village of Caledonia property from Goforth in 1815 for $1,000.

Alexander Craighead, a Scotsman, purchased the property from William Buford. Craighead then platted the town of Caledonia & lots were sold at auction. Lots were sold for $1.50 to $5.00.

William Buford - purchases Lot #18. On an 1818 plat map of Caledonia it shows William Buford, a wealthy slave owner, as the owner of Lot #18. William owned the lot for four years then in 1822 sold it to Jacob Fisher for $60.

Jacob Fisher, a wealthy & brutal slave owner, purchased Lot #18 25 Apr. 1822 from Wm. Buford for $60 & owned the lot for five years during which time he (more likely his slaves) supposedly constructed the house that is now the Wine Cottage. In November of 1827 Fisher sells lot #18 & it's adjoining lot #7 along with lots 45 & 54 ".......together with all houses, out houses & other improvements" for $1000 to Augustus Jones. (This would equal $250 per lot) - Bk. B Pg.60

Augustus Jones - Purchased Lot #18 20 November of 1827 along with adjoining (on the north) lot #7 & also lots 45 & 54 for $1000. (This would equal $250 per lot) - Bk. B Pg. 378

Mollie Eaton & husband, Jesse L. Eaton owned Lot #18. Jesse was a doctor & was the son of Ollie Ramsey & Dr. John A. Eaton. Mollie & Jesse had no children. In 1890, during the time that they owned lot #18, Jesse served as a Democrat representative with the Missouri Legislature. Mollie & Jesse sold the place to J.C. Crenshaw in 1890 for $800.

Joseph Cosby Crenshaw - purchased the place 24 Dec. 1890 for $800. Crenshaw was a former slave owner who had moved from Charleston, Missouri to Caledonia circa 1890 so his children could attend the Bellevue Collegiate Institute. Joseph died in 1898 & was taken back to Charleston for burial. His second wife Rachel kept roomers & boarders who attended the college.

R.A. Crenshaw to Jos. C. Crenshaw - 26 Aug. 1895 - R. A. Crenshaw wife of Jos. Crenshaw......in consideration of love & affection.........& further consideration of $400 to her paid........being the same lot purchased by Dr. Jesse L. Eaton........Bk. 39 Pg. 572

J.C. Crenshaw & R.A. Crenshaw his wife - William C. Crenshaw - 21 Jan. 1897.........in consideration of love & affection & the sum of $1.00 to him paid..........R.A. Crenshaw for & during her natural life time with remainder in fee to the said Wm. C. Crenshaw.......Bk. 41 Pg. 99 (William Cosby Crenshaw, a dentist, married Bessie Pearl Ramsey in 1900. They later moved to St. Louis. Their daughter Mildred Mary married Wm. Thomas Coghill in 1922 & they moved into the Crenshaw Caledonia home.)

W. C. Crenshaw & wife - J. M. Ramsey & wife - 24 May 1926 - W.C. Crenshaw & Pearl R. Crenshaw his wife of the County of St. Louis & J.M. Ramsey & Laura Ramsey his wife of the County of St. Louis............the sum of $1600.....Bk. 72 Pg. 24

J.M. Ramsey & wife - Isla McKeehn - 24 Apr. 1931 - J.M. Ramsey & Laura his wife & Isla McKeehn & Wm. E. McKeehn of the City of St. Louis ........in consideration of $100 & other valuable consideration........all of lot #18 in town of Caledonia together with the improvements thereon..........Bk. 75 Pg. 564

Hallie Ramsey - 19 July 1978 - unremarried widow of Wm. T. Ramsey, deceased.........right of survivorship.........Bk. 165 Pg. 189

Charles & Lisa Medlock got the property from Hallie Ramsey in 1993 & the Medlocks later sold the property to Dale & Sandra Brown.

Dale & Sandra Brown who operated it as Bellevue Antiques & Arts sold the property to Michael & Donna Bond in Jan. 2003 - Bk.2003 Pg. 287

Michael & Donna Bond sold the property to Dave & Pepper Buis in Oct. 2006.

Dave Buis & his wife Almeta (Pepper) Carpenter purchased the house 23 Oct. 2006 & after renovations it became The Caledonia Wine Cottage Bed & Breakfast - Bk.2006 Pg. 24160

The Haunting of Caledonia Wine Cottage

Since the renovation in 2006 occupants of The Wine Cottage have experienced numerous paranormal occurrences. It all began with the opening of the door to the slave quarters with incidents happening periodically throughout the entire house. People often hear the friendly voice of an elderly woman saying "Hello" on the first floor of The Cottage. And one family who has brought their three year old son there numerous times says that he often waves at an unseen person in the corner of the dining room. Another child who's family stayed in the Bed & Breakfast rooms on the third floor met a child female playmate named "Erica" while staying at The Cottage but there were no other children there at the time. At a later date an EVP was obtained by one paranormal groups that distinctly whispered the name, "Erica". So the search is on to find an "Erica" connected to The Cottage.

Mysterious footsteps have also been heard by people at varying times along with voices when no one else was there. Objects have been thrown or dropped by unseen forces. A shadow figure of what is believed to be a Civil War soldier has been observed on several occasions. Washington County residents & sisters Lisa Mitchell & Tammy Davis of Belgrade spent a night in the Garden Room on the third floor of the Cottage in 2007. They distinctly heard footsteps coming up the stairway when no one was there. The next morning when they went down to breakfast a cloth banner that had been securely fastened to the wall the evening before was lying in the floor. Pepper, the owner/manage of the Cottage had not put it there & no one else was there during the night. Subsequently several paranormal groups have conducted investigations at The Cottage:

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