California has many reasons to visit, and one more would be the Pitkin-Conrow House. This elegant Victorian home is located in Arroyo Grande, CA, and has a legend of being haunted.
In 1890, Charles Pitkin had the house built as a wedding present for his new wife, Julia Louis Goodwin. Two years after the house was built, Charles, passed away. His funeral was held in the house’s parlor.
In 1905, the Conrow family purchased and moved into the house. Edgar and Abbie Conrow and their four children lived in the house. The daughter, Mary West, lived in the house until she died in 1952. The house changed hands many more times until 1994 when the owners took control and renamed the house The Crystal Rose Inn.
It was learned that the house had a spirit of a 9 year old girl named Alice, who loves cats, and is waiting for her mother, who doesn’t know she is dead. Alice and the spirit of another child, a boy, play and stay in the tower room. Many of the houses feline residents are often found in that room, as Alice loves cats. Alice is often seen in that area, petting the cats who roam about.
The question of how Alice died is up for debate, some say she fell from her death, others say she had pneumonia or Scarlet Fever. And some say she died from an allergy to a bee sting. How she died is not known, but what is known is that Alice likes to play tricks on staff and guests alike, and is known to ring the doorbell, whose batteries were removed long ago, speak over the loud speaker in the restaurant, or following staff as they do their duties for the Inn.
Alice also likes to interact with the guests. She has been known to play tug of war with the blankets and pillows of those guests who stay in her room. She often is seen in the tower room or near the stairs leading to it. There are photos that people have suspected that a blurry orb in the third floor window, was actually Alice.
The real mystery is who is Alice. There is no record of anyone named Alice living in the home. It is speculated that she is really Gwyneth Conrow, but how she died and who she really is will never be known.
The current owners have restored the house to it’s original Victorian splendor, they repaired, renovated, and repainted the home to Victorian standards and have never reported the instance of any ghostly spirits in any rooms. So is Alice really in the Pitkin- Conrow house or was she simply a lure to encourage guests to visit?
Happy Haunting!
Amateur Connoisseur 