The Henry A. Deland Mansion or rather house was built in 1886 and it one of the most well kept houses in Volusia county considering its age and history. The house is used as a museum dedicated to Henry A. Deland and has many artifacts which depicts the towns history such as old furniture, photos, paintings etc. On the property is the memorial gardens which contain some citrus trees, a Lou Gim Gong statue, gazebo, benches, pansy garden and much more. The town of Deland was named after Henry A. Deland a businessman who traveled here and helped in the development of the town itself. Students on the property can visit the historical society which  was donated by Hawtense Conrad. 

Perhaps to me this was one of the more important investigations since the mansion represents a part of history and shows us what a true haunting is about. I love this place its so peaceful, well kept, and when you walk around the picket fences and walkways you feel like your living in the 1800s. Below you will find a little bit of history taken from the historical society page which covers a little more in depth about the house itself.

I found this place to be very haunted and there are many different ghost that have taken up residence at and around the house.  There is a variety of activity I learned in just a short time such as hearing walking, cold spots, branches snapping on the ground, hearing movement, feeling watched from the windows. But I also noticed from our first investigation alot of the orbs are a very pretty light blue all the way from a very spread out blue mist that seems to shy away or rather stay in one area of the mansions property. I spent alot of time here my first investigations in hopes to work with the ghost that are here and although they are here they seemed to be very curious and right when I was getting to leave they seemed to approach me as you will see in the photos. So they are very aware of there passing as they watch me from the windows and stairwells etc. My son told me that he seen 2 boys, woman and a man. He said that they were laughing at us as I was doing all kinds of funny things for our Para-comedy page. He said the man said his name was Johnson but I think it is Johnston which is a prominent person which I talked about in a previous investigation here. So you see some things are connected.  But since this place is unoccupied most of the time what more then a better place for the supernatural to occur without any interference.

There are many mysteries that surround the property and this investigation is really special as you can see I have put up lots of photos below for our prologue of the investigation. We will return there a 2nd and maybe even 3rd time. As this is a truly hidden jewel but also a place where one could easily feel at home. Another unique point is that I live so close to it that its right up the road and perhaps this is how it caught my interest. As one evening while out walking I slowly passed its front gates and thought wow what a eerie looking place. So now I can bring it right to you. So take a walk with me and see a taste of what a real Florida haunt is all about.

© By

Rick-AngelOfThyNight

About the Museum 

The DeLand House Museum was built in 1886 by DeLand's first attorney, George Hamlin, who also developed the Hamlin Orange. Originally a one and a half story structure, the house was built upon land purchased from Henry A. DeLand, the founding father of the City. At the time, the site extended all the way to Woodland Boulevard and had an orange grove from the house to the street. 

In 1893 John B. Stetson, the hat manufacturer and benefactor to the university that bears his name, purchased the home for faculty housing. Ten years later Dr. Charles Farriss, professor of Greek at the University, purchased the home. During the time of his ownership, Dr. Farriss made significant changes to the building which transformed the simple house into a residence that embodies classical styling and character. By raising the roof, he added the second floor and relocated the interior stairs. He added the full-height Greek revival portico on the East elevation and the entry porch on the South side.

Dr. Farriss' hobby was working with leaded and stained glass. His work can be seen around the main entrance doors, the transom above the side entrance, over the fireplace in the North parlor, and in some of the cabinet doors.

Another if the interesting features of the house is the firewood trolley by the wood burning fireplaces where the stored logs could be pulled back and forth between the rooms to feed the fires as needed. The bow-bay window in the South parlor is a particularly beautiful and unique architectural feature and believed to be part of the original construction. The well preserved floors, stairway and woodwork are of heart and curly pine.

The home changed ownership several times over the years and in the 40's during wartime when housing was scarce, the second floor was converted to two apartments while the owner retained an apartment on the first floor. The sun rooms on the West side were added at that time.

In 1988 the house was purchased by Robert and Hawtense Conrad and donated to the City. Assisted with funds provided by the City of DeLand and the County of Volusia many individuals, businessmen, contractors, and suppliers united to devote their time, materials, and expertise to restore the structure to the period when the Farriss family lived in it. The DeLand House Museum was completed and dedicated in 1990.

Ninety-five percent of the period furnishings in the museum have been donated by interested, dedicated, generous citizens of the area. A unique feature of the museum is the fact that the history of West Volusia County is on the walls depicted in the extensive collection of period photographs. The authentic artifacts and memorabilia displayed in the cabinets and cupboards trace the history and development of DeLand and the surrounding area.

The DeLand House Museum is a living museum where students at all levels can come to study local history. It is used by the West Volusia Historical Society as its headquarters and repository.