Growing up as a young boy in Old Town Seal Beach, my friends and I frequently passed by the old home located at 117 Ocean Avenue. As a child, I seldom saw anyone at the home which, along with it's aging condition led us to believe this might be a haunted house like we'd seen in the movies. The occasional single light on in one of the upper bedrooms was enough to confirm our fears.
Had we known more about the home's history, our fears surely would have become a reality. The Orange County tax assessor's site shows the home was originally built in 1910 and has been owned by the same family since 1966. The home is a notorious topic of neighborhood conversations and has been mentioned in the Sun Newspaper for a myriad of reasons over the years.
According to the website sbfoundersday.wordpress.com, this scary old home is referred to as the “Lothian house.” The image shown above puts into perspective just how long the home has been at the same location. This photo is courtesy of the individual who operates the site ― a must see for Seal Beach history buffs.
In recent years, the home appears to have been rented and the lawn maintained. Though a single occupant is said to be living in the home, one glance at the frightful appearance of the home's entryway exposes how little has changed. The overgrown yard next door only lends to the home's spooky aura that works well to keep curious children away.
In 2009 the home and adjacent lots were abruptly listed for $3,950,000. Shortly thereafter the listing was pulled from the market, which can only lead one to wonder about the eventual demise of the creepiest old house in Seal Beach. People speculate that the home is in probate. But could this be a final act of defiance for the chilling house of my childhood memories? Is it possible that a home of this age, having seen so much of our town's history is telling us a story from beyond? If you have a scary story about Seal Beach's haunted past, tell me about it by visiting this story at www.NatSellsSealBeach.com.
About the author
Nat Ferguson is fourth generation resident of Seal Beach, Realtor and Past President of the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce. He can be contacted at (562) 645-6501, online at www.NatSellsSealBeach.com or at his office located at 1400 Ocean Avenue in Seal Beach.
