The historic Sandlin House, at 401 W. Retta Esplanade in Punta Gorda, and said to be haunted by the ghost of a 12-year-old girl who died there a century ago, has sold for $1.075 million.
The Sandlin House in Punta Gorda's Historic District is one of the Charlotte County city's most beloved houses, and also one of its oldest, dating to the 1890s. Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 4-28-2013.
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate’s Regina Sedar from the company’s Punta Gorda office brought in the buyers. The home dates to 1893, when it was owned by James Sandlin, a real estate investor and businessman. Mary Leah Sandlin died after her clothes caught fire as she was ironing with a gasoline-fueled iron on the porch.
The sellers were Dr. Vander and Natalie Wynn, represented by Sheila Meeks of Michael Saunders & Co. It was most recently listed at $1,150,000.
“Our buyers didn’t know the house was haunted until after they submitted the offer. They were attracted to the house because of the location and for its old Florida, historical appeal,” said Sedar. “Once the buyers found out about the ghost, they said it was an added benefit.”
The property, with fancy trim, a wrap-around porch and a widow's walk on the roof, overlooks Charlotte Harbor and Gilchrist Park. The house was expanded with a modern, elevated wing, and sits on an oversized parcel of land within walking distance of downtown.
The 5,638-square-foot residence has all of the modern upgrades expected of a luxury property, said Sedar, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two half-baths. The master suite has a double-sided fireplace and private balcony. The pool area has a rock spa, waterfall and lush landscaping. The property has been cited as a haunted house in “FloridaLand Ghost,”,a book about Florida’s most haunted dwellings and survived Hurricane Charley. It also was featured by the Herald-Tribune when it came on the market nearly two years ago. Click here to see our article about the house.
