Legends and history abound over one of Lake Charles’ most historic and allegedly haunted homes, The John Reid House at 504 Ford St.

An American Press reporter spent two nights in the historic district home to possibly document any activity that might lend to its status as one “the most haunted houses in Lake Charles”.

The three-story mansion, which is shaded by 15 live oak trees that mirror the height of the house, sits on the corner of Pine and Ford streets as it has for more than 110 years.

Over the years, perhaps, it has changed from a three-story home to a “three-ghost-story home”. Each floor of the home could be individually haunted by one of three suspected ghosts.

The current owners said they believe the first floor of the home is possibly haunted by Maude Reid, the unofficial historian of Lake Charles who single handedly saved hundreds of photographs and documents from the Great Fire of 1910 in Lake Charles. The John Reid House was part of her family for five generations and more than 80 years.

Scott Hebert, the friendly host and current owner of the home, said that he thought the spirit of Maude Reid, ever the archivist and historian, may still be busy at work on the first floor.

Hebert said he believed that in her later years, Reid had come to confine herself to a living quarter of one or two small rooms in the back section within the house where signs of vining wisteria began to grow inside the home due to neglect.

Hebert said today the room where Maude lived out her remaining days is used as a utility-type room for his three dogs.

What drove this elderly woman to seemingly barricade herself from the rest of the more than 5,000-square-foot mansion?

Could it be the ghost on the third floor, which has become the subject of much local lore and legend, that drove Maude Reid to relegate herself to a small portion of the house?

Allegedly, the third floor ghost is that of an unknown prisoner, who jumped to his death as he shattered a third story window in 1910.

According to legend, Sheriff D.J. Reid, who was sheriff at the time, rescued incarcerated members of his jail from the Great Fire of 1910 — which nearly destroyed the entire city — by bringing them to his home. Sheriff Reid supposedly kept the prisoners up on the third-floor attic area. On one full moon night about 12:30 a.m., a prisoner got it in his head to jump from a third-story window which proved to be fatal, according to the legend.

While there is no documented evidence of this event, a former owner believes the story is true and that the Reid family could have been influential enough at the time to keep a tale like that out of the local newspapers.

Monte Hurley, a former owner of the house, said that he and his son were awakened by the sound of broken glass on several occassions at about 12:30 on full moon nights. They met, roused from sleep, in the hallway to find no trace of broken glass anywhere in the home.

Hebert said the second floor of the house could very well be haunted by the ghost of Ann Hurley, the late wife of Monte Hurley.

Ann passed away while the Hurley’s owned the house, according to Monte Hurley.

Monte said that he remembered the last time he carried his wife out of the house to take her to the hospital, never to return to the house she loved.

“That house was her love,” said Monte Hurley.

Some time after Ann passed, Monte recalled the wafting scent of Chanel No. 5 perfume, which was Ann’s favorite perfume. He said the perfume was not overpowering or confined to one area but was as if someone wearing it was passing him in the hallway of the second floor.

“Two women can wear the same perfume and have it smell different on them, in my opinion. What I smelled after Ann passed was her scent mixed with the Chanel No. 5.” said Monte Hurley.

The John Reid House is haunted. It is haunted by impeccable taste.

The house boasts five fireplaces, each unique in their old-world “tiger wood” oak craftsmanship, perfect for recanting ghost stories in the night.

There are spirits in the John Reid House. Upon investigation, all of the spirits in the house were found to originate from one room, an elegantly posh, full-service bar or lounge area.

Hebert said that he has taken part of the home’s old dining room and created his own neighborhood bar within the comfort of his own home.

From the first-floor front porch to the second-floor veranda, the only eerie sounds are from the Interstate 10 traffic and the raucous sound of trains to the north in the midnight hour.

The only cackling came from that of an unseen, gaggle of pedestrians somewhere in the night as if signaling the end of their evening with their laughter.

Complete with a placard from the Calcasieu Preservation Society near the front door, since 1879 the house has weathered construction, neglect, restoration and a return to its modern splendor.

The John Reid House is proof that even a historic Charpentier District home in Lake Charles can experience an afterlife of its own.

Historic John Reid House at 504 Ford St. has stood for more than 110 years. (TODD C. ELLIOTT / AMERICAN PRESS)