Haunted Hacienda
Welcome to Hacienda Drive in Walnut Creek. Some think that the neighborhood is haunted, especially the old mansion located behind white iron gates. Originally, there was an adobe on the sight, but later a farm house was built about 1860. Over the years, the house was added onto until it reached over 20 rooms.
Above the front door there is an etched window with an eagle and flag with stars representing the number of stars in the union in 1860. As you step through the front door, you enter the parlor, which has a fire place. Through some doors on the left is an 800 square library with another fireplace and redwood paneled book shelves. If you walk forward, you go through several rooms that could be used as dinning areas before you reach a ballroom/tearoom.
While walking through the house, you pass several bedrooms on the left and right and the stairs going to the second floor. The master bedroom and two of the other bedrooms have fireplaces in them. In one of the rooms there is a large brick safe and iron door. This room once was used as an office by local developer Robert Burgess, and the safe was used to store the money people came to pay for use of water rights. This room also has it's own entrance. There is also a fairly new kitchen and studio apartment.
Over the years, the mansion has been added onto and remodeled. The library was added in the 1920's or '30's. In the 1980's, a skylight was added over the kitchen, and the kitchen remodeled. In old photo's, there is a circle in front of the mansion. At one time, there was oleander there, which was later removed to put in a fountain. The cactus seen in these old photo's is still there. Around May and June, Mexican Poppies bloom in the cactus garden.
In 1902, a valley was dammed up creating Lakewood Lake. There is an overflow creek that runs along the edge of the mansion property. During at least part of the year, one can enjoy the sounds of a waterfall and running creek. If you walk to the back of the property, you will find a set of steps going up to the left and right. These will take you up to Lakewood Lake, which is surrounded by homes and willow trees.
The grounds have a fountain, fish ponds, and a pool. There are also a number of old trees, including one outside the library recognized by the Action for Beauty Council as an historic tree.
At one time, there were orchards on much of the property, but in the late 1940's, Robert Burgess developed some financial problems and subdivided the property. All but about three acres of the original 1700 were sold off in the Lakewood development.
Over the years, the mansion changed hands several times and at times was neglected. The foundation sagged tremendously, there were leaks in the roof, gutters hung off the house, and the grounds were over grown. The pool at the back of the property wasn't kept up for a long time, and water hyacinth covered the top. It was easy to let your imagination run away with you, and think that dead bodies were hidden in the pool, or that the place was haunted.
In looking at old photo's of the mansion, I found that there had once been what looked like a detached garage in the driveway. The porch in front of the house has been changed over the years. At one time, it was in front of the door and to the left. Later on, the porch was replaced and extended to the end of the house to the right of the door.
The gates to the mansion were not added until the 1980's. I remember that one of the owners drilled in the driveway to put in a gate, and hit a gas line. Not good. The gas line sprung a leak and a fire was flaming out of the ground until PG&E shut down the line. It wasn't until several years later that the gates were actually put in.
The mansion was used as a bed and breakfast for about ten years in the late 1980's and into 1990's. Eventually, the bed and breakfast closed, and the property sold again. The mansion is currently a private residence.
Click here to see pictures of the estate.
But is it haunted?
When I was growing up, the neighborhood kids enjoyed going over to the mansion to play. There was an old swing set in the front of the house, or we'd go up to the lake to play.
One of the places that people said that they had seen ghosts was around the pool. The area became over grown with trees and brush over the years, the steps became somewhat hidden. At one time the pool was empty, at other times it was dirty or covered with water hyacinth. It was easy to let your imagination run away with you and think that there were ghosts coming out of the bushes or dead bodies hidden beneath the water plants. Some
people have told me that they refuse to go near the mansion since they are afraid of the ghosts.
Occasionally I might put links in the story that might not be listed on the regular links page.
Devil's Mountain notes
Please note that this is a work in progress, so the story is incomplete and may be out of order.
The Mystery of Devil's Mountain takes place in Walnut Creek, Antioch and on Mount Diablo. Specific locations include the Burgess Mansion and the coal mines at the Black Diamond Preserve in Antioch. It involves the characters of Stacy Delaney, Terry Watts, Dan Williams and Doug Feldman.
Looking for bad guys hiding in the hills of Mount Diablo, and an even older mystery including a local haunted house.
During the 1800's there were two towns near Antioch called Somersville and Nortonville. The main profession of these towns was mining coal and sand. Very little of these towns exist today. Just the mines and the cemetery. There are stories that the cemetery is haunted by Sarah Norton.
The cemetery is supposed to be haunted by Sarah Norton's ghost. She was a midwife in the area, and was not a religous person. When she died and her coffin was being taken up the hill to the cemetery, the horses spooked and the coffin fell off the carriage. This happened more then once. She was eventually laid to rest, and over the years people have said that she has been haunting the cometary.
Over the years, the cemetery has been vandalized, and efforts are being made to restore the area. Parts of the mines have also been restored and tours are available by reservation. Study of the mines, renovation and/or sealing off of various tunnels is ongoing. It is not advisable to enter the mines other then on the tours given by the Park System. Back in the 1980's some teenagers lost their lives by carbon monoxide poisoning when they removed seals from closed tunnels so they could party in them.
In Clayton, there are a couple of haunted places. One is now a restaurant down town. At one time it was being used as a saloon, and a little girl was killed upstairs. It is said she could be seen in the window upstairs, or that her hand prints could be found. Another place is a seminary on Marsh Creek Road.
