‘Haunted’ downtown Monterey Stokes Adobe going up for sale

Keller Williams Coastal Estates announced that the supposedly haunted Stokes Adobe that formerly housed the Restaurant 1833 is going up for sale.

The building has been a part of downtown Monterey since it was built in the 1830s, when Monterey was still the capitol of California. At the site there is even a California Oak that is believed to have been planted by Fr. Junipero Sera while he was founding California missions.

A woman named Hattie Gragg lived in the house between 1890 and 1948. A realtor with Keller Williams said many believe she is still there, and some visitors have felt a presence in the front upstairs room. Paranormal experts visited the site and reported seeing clumps of fog in Gragg’s room. Employees and staff have also claimed to see her ghost there.

The building has also had a part in California’s history. The state’s first newspaper was published at the site, and the first headlines announced the Mexican-American War. It was also the site of Monterey’s first bakery and pottery kiln.

The building’s name, the Stokes Adobe, comes from a former resident. James Stokes was a British sailor who claimed to be a doctor. He was later suspected to be a fraud and murderer. Several of Stokes’ patients died in his care, including Gov. Jose Figueroa. Stokes married a previous patient’s widow who owned the home. Some have claimed to see Stokes’ ghost at the site.

Most recently, the adobe was the home of Restaurant 1833. The realtor said the restaurant inspired the Side Door Cafe set on the HBO series “Big Little Lies.”